Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Targeting Indian Developers
Pranjal writes "An Indian Business magazine, Business World is reporting that in it's war against Linux, Microsoft is taking the battle to the Indian developers. The logic is simple. India has 10% of the developer population of the world. If a significant number of these developers commit to work on MS platforms then the number of developers working on Linux platforms can decrease significantly and thus the number of applications. As Dilip Mistry, a director at Microsoft India's Bangalore office puts it, "This country can affect our (Microsoft's) destiny." [Quote From article] Local linux user groups are trying to counter this threat by targetting school and university students and increasing the awareness about development on a linux platform. Read the full story here. [Nice cover don't you think?]"
It's already the case that most of the programming shops in Bangalore specialize in Windows.
-russ
Don't piss off The Angry Economist
Oracle to double India workforce
This is not a new thing at all. I was in India about 2 years ago, and even then I found the contrasts great. A slum to your left and right, yet hundreds of signs advertising C# training (Java training too)
I would say one thing in addition--many of the indian developers aren't exactly leading Silicon Valley hot shot developer lifestyles. As such, they will learn what they need to learn to get jobs and get money--ideology has no place here.
But what do they do when the money runs out?
The foundation has around 21 BILLION dollars. Invested properly, they will never run out of money.
Free information doesn't run out.
But that doesn't mean most information is valuable. And almost no information is valuable without resources to use it.
Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
It's kind of difficult for a child to "learn to immunize himself", which is where most of the Gates Foundation's funds go it.
But beyond that, you might look at how much of the foundation's money goes to education.
You might read through the the Foundation's Web Site sometime. Gates agrees with you -- he invests his money in things that have long-term payouts, not single day handouts.
Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
I mean, I know that Mr. Gates is heavy into the cause of fighting global diseases but wouldn't it have made more sense to donate to the #1 country (Africa) dealing with an AIDS epidemic than #2 (India)?
Sheesh, what make you think they aren't? Here's a clue: type "gates foundation aids africa" into Google. OH MY GOD! Look what pops up: A whole section devotes to Africa.
But it's probably all about those African software developers, right?
Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
Yes, it's all a horrible and evil conspiracy, with the Gates foundation existing as nothing more than an extention of the Evil Empire.
Get real.
wouldn't it have made more sense to donate to the #1 country (Africa) dealing with an AIDS epidemic than #2 (India)?
Ok, first off, Africa is not a country. You've failed 3rd grade Geography. Perhaps you should apply for some of the $1.6B that the Gates Foundation has given out for global education.
That said - $5.9M over 5 years for research in Uganda, $10M over 3 years for African Children, $1M for 1 year for African First Ladies against AIDS, $25M over 5 years to fight AIDS in Nigeria, $7M for South Africa, another $1M for children with AIDS in Africa, and, finally, $50M for fighting AIDS in Botswana.
Obviously the $50M for Botswana was to insure they wouldn't go start using Linux either. Good business strategy there Bill!
Of course, that excludes the other $450M or so that has been donated to other countries or groups specifically for fighting HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis. It also excludes the $2 Billion for other health programs. Which, overall, is roughly half of the $5.5B donated on behalf of the Gates foundation for charitable causes around the world.
Sorry, I hate Microsoft too, but this foaming-at-the-mouth, ad-hominum attacks on the Gates Foundation proves just how shallow and thoughtless a lot of the Linux fans are. Frankly, it's disgusting.
It just so happens, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, that Mr. Gates is very very rich. And you know what; even if 98% of what his company does is wrong; getting there was not as wrong as you think. And that man worked hard to get where he is; and deserves an ounce of your respect for that.
Please. That man was very, very lucky. When he dropped out of Harvard to start selling software, he had a million dollar trust fund in his back pocket to fall back on. When he started selling DOS (an application he stole, let's not forget) to IBM, it's because his mommy set up the meeting with then-CEO John Opel. Yeah, he's rich, but respect isn't something he deserves from me.
Read all about it.
My other computer is your Windows box