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Microsoft Battles Free Software at Pentagon
Spirit of Ishmael writes "The May 22 Washington Post is running a story under the headline Microsoft Fights Free Software at Pentagon. According to the story: 'Microsoft Corp. is aggressively lobbying the Pentagon to squelch its growing use of freely distributed computer software and switch to proprietary systems such as those sold by the software giant, according to officials familiar with the campaign.'"
Didn't MS just say that thier software was a national security risk? Ah, forget it.
You have this software that you pay nothing for and that thousands of people around the world find bugs in, but you should BUY ours because we obscure our bugs and only we know how this software works...???
Go with the lowest bidder?
How does M$ expect to beat free?
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Unix is very user friendly, it's just picky about who its friends are.
You make so much sense! The DoD has obviously ditched NSA testing for free beer software. "Security, Shemurity, at least it doesn't cost anything! I'm installing sendmail on the President's laptop."
"Now, I understand why Microsoft is trying to muddy the waters, but why in the world is the DoD playing along? "
Spoken like a man who was never in the military. As a veteran let me assure you that the DOD is playing along because they are profoundly stupid people. MS said something and they believed it. They are not used to questioning authority in the first place.
War is necrophilia.
You can install sendmail on SNES?!
It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
From:Office of John the Divine Ashcroft
g s. wbtv.med.html
To: Senator Hornblower
Dear Senator,
I can sum up this nation's long struggle against communist software in a single sentence:
If you use free software, the terrorists win!
In view of the terrible challenges posed to this nation's freedom from turban wearing former employees of the CIA and subversive software engineers usually hailing from socialist Europe and Peronist Latin America, it has been the policy of the Justice Department to pursue a swift settlement of the frivolous case brought against Microsoft by my predecessor, the heretic and sex-deviant Janet Reno. When it is all over I will personally convey the Deparment's apology to Bill Gates along with a self addressed stamped envelop for his softmoney campaign contribution convenience.
It is my request and hope that you and the other members of the appropriations committee will join me in begging the forgiveness of Chairman Gates, and of God whose Vicar he is, and that you will take every opportunity to insert purchases of Microsoft Operating Systems Licenses and Client Access Licenses into every piece of business that crosses your committee's desks.
Microsoft is not a mere member that participates in the body of America's strength and greatness but a paragon of Divine examples, truly the Elect of Jehovah, in whose majesty America may, if it reforms and shows itself worthy, may share some reflected glory.
We must buy, buy, buy our favor with the Almighty through His agent Bill Gates, not just as a patriotic duty but a religious obligation to tithe and to worship the One and the ones more powerful and vicious than ourselves.
http://cnn.com/video/us/2002/02/25/ashcroft.sin
May the Eagle Soar, Senator,
JA
aren't contributing to any one nation's national security, but all takers equally.
I hear Al-queda is finally fed up with security leaks from their use of Microsoft software and are switching over to 100% open-source.
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- - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
"Ever watch Battleship Potempkin? How come you can't get that on Kazaa?"
Because it doesn't have Kirsten Dunst's nipples showing through a wet shirt silly.
Who's Jar Jar Binks in this parallel? Oh right, uncoordinated movement and incomprehensible speech, he's Steve Ballmer!
What time is it/will be over there? Check with my iPhone app!
If the government is not allow to buy software unless the NSA tests it. Then they can use free open-source. They haven't bought anything. I smell a loop hole.
:o)
Anonymous Coward.
I concur- I work in one of the big 6 consulting firms, and HR often comes to our team (networking, telecomm) to help interview potential hires. You wouldn't believe the attitudes of the people that come in and say "I have an MCSE!" and just glow about it. Of course, nearly zip in real experience. (Best story: older guy comes in to one of our job fairs, just got his MCSE but no experience in computers ever, and when I told him that he didn't fit any of our openings, he asked if we needed a janitor! I really felt bad for that guy, though) Now, people who come in and detail their experience and maybe throw in the MCSE at the end, they are the people that you want.
Vote monkeys into Congress. They are cheaper and more trustworthy.
The Washington Post article says that M$ is calling open source unamerican.
When did they employ the remains of Joe McCarthy for its marketing department?
This sig no verb.
Hey, buddy, that's the G/Box to you!
Fight for your right to read books!