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USDOI Goes 100% Microsoft
SatanIsHere writes: "A memo (here, here, here, and here) dated September 19th, 2002 from the Department of the Interior's Acting CIO notes the new policy of a "Department-wide standard for computer operating systems (desktop and server)" Of course the good news is that this will herald a new era in government transparancy for the Department of the Interior.
SatanIsHere Continues: "On September 13, 2002, the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget signed the attached Findings and Determination establishing Microsoft Corporation's enterprise desktop and server software as the Department-wide standard for computer operating systems (desktop and server), office automation, and asset management software.... Benefits of establishing this new Department-wide standard include:
- Lower Total Cost of Ownership for the desktop, including lower user training costs.
- Centralized and efficient security policy administration
- Greater flexibility and management functionality from products that offer a broader range of management solutions that integrate with non-Microsoft environments
- Greater productivity and reliability attributed to less downtime.
- Extended support for a large base of software applications.
Business specific application software requirements (such as Sun/Solaris, IBM, AIX, etc.) outside the established Microsoft standard may be addressed through the OCIO waiver process."
This looks to freeze out an entire Federal Department (70,000+ employees) from non-Microsoft solutions, requiring a "waiver" to use anything non-MS. One more step to complete Microsoft World Domination. This is particularly ironic considering the problems DOI has had recently regarding IT security. If this isn't leveraging a desktop monopoly into other areas I don't know what is. :-P"
Now they can blame MS for their abysmal performance!
Trouble making decisions? Just flip for it.
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If this site belongs to you, you owe us big time, one of our rack's just melted from this fatal slashdoting.
Patriotism is the opium of the masses
Offtopic example.
Peter: "Why not cross the streams?"
Egon: "It would be bad."
Peter: "Define bad."
Egon: "Imagine all life as you know it stopping instantainiously, and every molocule in your body exploding at the speed of light."
Peter: "Ok that's bad. Important safety tip."
Ontopic example.
Hemos: "Don't post links to That server!"
chrisd: "Why?"
Hemos: "It would be bad."
chrisd: "Define bad."
Hemos: "Imagine all internet traffic as you know it stopping instantainiously, and every packet on the network bombarding the server at the speed of light." chrisd: "Ok, that's bad. Important safety tip."
> Centralized and efficient security policy administration
> [...]
> Greater productivity and reliability attributed to less downtime.
That are the Benefits of using M$? Funny, I never knew that widooze provides these features...
You've got to pay attention.
Centralized and efficient security policy administration
This says nothing about security; just a security policy (apply patches and hope for the best)
Greater productivity and reliability attributed to less downtime
'greater productivity' means that Spider Solitaire isn't as easy as freecell, so users will give up in disgust and do some work.
'reliability' is a truncation in the memo of "re: liability"
'less downtime' refers to the microsoft helpdesk
Department Of Injustice
1) Microsoft does really really bad things.
2) Microsoft gets called to task for doing really really bad things by the United States Government.
3) Microsoft is told sternly to stop being such a big meanie, given an affectionate pat on it's cute lil corporate head, and sent to think about how really really bad it had been. Monopolies will be monopolies, after all.
4) Microsoft promises it isn't really really bad anymore, Scout's Honor.
5) Significant portion of United States Government mandantes the use of Microsoft Software.
Does this mean I can go down to the local bar, beat the crap out of the proprietor, steal everything he owns, drive him out of business, and take over the place? Then when I get caught, I'll promise to be a good boy from now on, keep all my ill-gotten gains, and turn the place into a cop bar. Then I'll have enough money to hire some muscle and really move up in the world.
In all seriousness, however, Microsoft has made sincere strides toward policing its own actions (someone has to, right?). For example, from a recent press release:
"SEATTLE -- Microsoft Corporation is pleased to unveil, over the coming weeks, a series of strategic alliances designed to further the goals of our Trusted Computing Initiative.
Beginning next month, to ease customer transition to and acceptance of Licensing 6.0, all Microsoft End User License Agreements will be accompanied by a single-use packet of high-quality non-pretroleum-based personal lubricant. In line with our Software Choice Program, we have partnered with both AstroGlide and Wet* to provide this service to our Valued Customers.
In response to continuing customer concerns regarding the clarity of our various End User License Agreements, we have elected to move to a Unified EULA structure (patent pending) that we feel will more clearly outline the agreements attached to our Software Products. Beginning November 1, 2002, the following EULA will apply to all newly licensed Microsoft Products. Please note that present Microsoft Customers will still be able to benefit from the new EULA scheme, as we will be attaching it to all vital Software Security Updates and Hotfixes for previous Microsoft Products.
'[Product Name]
END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
IMPORTANT-READ CAREFULLY: This End-User
License Agreement ("EULA") is a legal agreement between you (either an individual or a single entity) and Microsoft Corporation for the Microsoft software product identified above,
which includes computer software and may include associated media, printed materials, "online" or electronic documentation, and Internet-based services ("Product"). An amendment or addendum to this EULA may accompany the Product.
YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS EULA BY INSTALLING, COPYING, OR OTHERWISE USING THE PRODUCT (THIS INCLUDES THE ACT OF PLACING THE PRODUCT MEDIA INTO YOUR CD/DVD-ROM DRIVE).
1) ALL YOUR COMPUTER ARE BELONG TO US!'
We hope that the new Unified Eula (patent pending) system will clear up any lingering customer concerns regarding our Product Licensing.
*This promotion applies to Wet Light only. Wet Platinum is currently unavailable. Offer good in the United States and Canada only, subject to availability."
There are currently thousands of highly qualified people available now who will work for half or even a third of the salary as average. This is why the government conspired with wall street to bust the big bubble, because no one would work for the government anymore (no stock options). And unlike H-1Bs, who have to be paid what the average person makes, you can legally pay Americans way under average. So now there are plenty of admins available ... and programmers, too. Just post the openings here and watch the geeks resumes come flooding in.
now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
It's also been up for about 40 days straight now.
Only a friend of Bill would brag about 40 days of uptime.
- Hail to our fearless misleader! Fool speed ahead!
So MS equips The Department of InFeriors with its Software? ...
Good match if you ask me.
Oh well, couldn't resist
The only real disadvantage of Windows (and Linux) vs. Commerical Unix are mass-deployment and backup tools.
Don't forget the Registry, DLL Hell, Office File Format Lock-In, EULA-of-the-Month Club, DRM, the Upgrade Treadmill, the GUI Frontal Lobotomy, BSA Audits, Drive Letters, IE Everywhere, Competitor Aquire and Crush, False Advertising, Not Engineered for Security, Automatic Updates, #1 Virus Host, Tax Evasion, 3rd World Corruption, Congress Payroll, Embrace and Extend, and the Microsoft "we got you where we want you" XPerience.
Healthcare article at Kuro5hin
Well, good! Now perhaps some altruistic hackers
can take a peek inside and find the $40 Billion of
Indian land trust money this department has lost.
Well, apparently, you only have to fool the majority of people for a little while.
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Oh, that's ok.
The US Government has that part covered.
They'll just declare virus writing/deploying as a terrorist act and use as an excuse to invade the Philipines or other asian countries.
> They spent MILLIONS replacing 3000 mail servers with 32 Domino servers
Seems to me their biggest problem isn't switching to 100% Windows, it's running Domino as their mail server (for all your database needs! w00t!). Whoever thought of that brilliant idea should be shot. Then again, IBM seems to have some good salesmen and women. GOD HOW I MISS NOTES' INTUITIVE USER-FREIDNLY INTERFACE.
-- ex-Lotus Admin and Flamebait since 1978
The meaning of 'transparancy' is completely opaque to me. Your 'parants' should be ashamed.
'Nuff said.
I have a friend that works for a Govt. agency, he is always bragging about how stable his windows servers are and how he has "major uptime". I asked him.. "So, are you not patching them? Or just not rebooting to have the patches applied properly?".
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