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Software Libre: DoHS Switches, Commerce Slights

An anonymous reader writes "Some excellent Pigdog investigative journalism: Apparently, The state department is trying to block international support of OSS and Free (Libre) Software. See also this InfoWorld article." Contrast that with this NewsForge report of a switch from Windows 2000 to Linux+Oracle at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. They picked a good week for it.

11 of 183 comments (clear)

  1. Re:They will fail by Kenja · · Score: 4, Funny

    Da Comrade. The Capitalist Swine will fall any day now, overthrown by the will of the people.
    Hey look, a Starbucks opened up down the street.

    --

    "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
  2. US likes money and things that make more money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
  3. Important change in wording by mpeeters · · Score: 3, Funny

    Just remember folks, when such a smaal change is considered important, it usually means $$$ is a stake. As in:

    The use of free software is supported : you can get $$$ if you use the stuff.

    The use of free software is encouraged : you can get kudos if you use it.

    That being said, I think the author of the original article smoked a bit too much of all the shit he could get on that beach.

    --
    Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing.
  4. fucked up my mental equilibrium by soorma_bhopali · · Score: 2, Funny

    "But I made a crucial mistake that has fucked up my mental equilibrium"

    If an article starts with this sentence in the very first paragraph, I am not sure how many people are going to take it seriously

  5. Re:They will fail by Dr+Caleb · · Score: 4, Funny
    fact that they sell a GOOD product.

    They do sell a good product. Breath freshner for people who eat shit.

    --
    "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." Mark Twain
  6. RE:THEY WILL FAIL by blazerw11 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I assume you're making an ironic musing on capitalization...

    STARBUCKS!!!!!

    WordNet defines capitalization 4 ways. Number is "writing in capital letters".
    We're number 1!

    Of course, defiitions 2-4, pretty much revolve around corporate business crap.

    --
    A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices. -- William James
  7. Re:They will fail by Thud457 · · Score: 3, Funny
    Maybe those idiot coffee farmers shouldn't be listening to the DEA and instead be growing real drugs for real money.

    Your precious free market at work!




    (goddammit, I'm gonna get my karma slammed on this thread! first I embarassingly misconfabulate the plot of the underpants gnomes episode, now this!)

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

  8. This is only half the story... by Dynamoo · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is only half the story.. the latest announcement from the Department of Homeland Security is basically a tax on web surfers and publishers. Goodbye the free internet :(

    --
    Never email donotemail@WeAreSpammers.com
  9. It's about back doors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    This isn't about supporting Microsoft's business model. This is about being able to have the NSA tell Microsoft to stick back doors into its software, making it easier to conduct surveillance. (Also see here.)

    If foreign governments switch to free software, the U.S. will have to try the ol' gcc backdoor maneuver, which may be harder now with all the md5 sums and digital signatures.

  10. Re:They will fail by nihilogos · · Score: 2, Funny

    What made them popular was the fact that they sell a GOOD product.

    Are you joking? Those watery, burnt espressos made on stale coffee by some pimply untrained teenager on minimum wage?

    The mathematician Paul Erdos once said "A mathematician is a machine for turning coffee into theorems." He is later reported to have said that American coffee is "for the lemmas."

    Most of the crap Starbuck's sells is more milkshake than coffee. And besides, I think that last line is his sig.

    --
    :wq
  11. Re:They will fail by Eccles · · Score: 2, Funny

    Da Comrade. The Capitalist Swine will fall any day now, overthrown by the will of the people.

    Basil Exposition: Austin, the Cold War is over!
    Austin Powers: Finally those capitalist pigs will pay for their crimes, eh? Eh comrades? Eh?
    Basil Exposition: Austin... we won.
    Austin Powers: Oh, smashing, groovy, yay capitalism!

    --
    Ooh, a sarcasm detector. Oh, that's a real useful invention.