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Big Company on Campus

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the revenge-of-the-nerds dept.

Daniel Dvorkin writes "MSNBC (oh, the irony) is running a scary article entitled Microsoft's big role on campus, detailing how Microsoft is working its way into academic computer science through a combination of bribery and propaganda. The aricle may be overstating the case, but it does make it sound as though MS products are displacing others at a disturbing rate in computer science departments. Given that academic computing has traditionally been both the source of and the stronghold for innovative software, this is a disturbing long-term trend."

16 of 677 comments (clear)

  1. This makes me angry by Lane.exe · · Score: 5, Funny
    I'm trying to register for classes right now and my stupid university's servers (which run MS) aren't letting anyone log on... and all it took was >30K students trying to register. I'd hate to see what a /.ing would do.

    --
    IAALS.
    1. Re:This makes me angry by quantum+bit · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'd hate to see what a /.ing would do.

      Post the URL.

  2. wow by dragoncortez · · Score: 5, Funny
    In 1998, the company began to quietly fly academics to its headquarters for previews of the technology. Damien Watkins, then a lecturer at Monash University in Australia, recalled that some of his peers wore Linux T-shirts to show their skepticism. In the end, though, they were won over in part by the promise of the technology -- and by a $150,000 donation the company made to the university, he said.

    If I'd known professors were that cheap, I'd have picked up a couple a long time ago.

    --
    Making stupid comments so you don't have to.
  3. Hook 'em while they're young by rc.loco · · Score: 5, Funny

    It works for the U.S. tobacco companies, so why not?

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    --rc
    1. Re:Hook 'em while they're young by ivanmarsh · · Score: 5, Funny

      It works for the U.S. tobacco companies, so why not?

      At least the tobacco companies products work.

  4. My Biggest Fear by mogh1701 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I come home from work and my kid comes running up to be dressed like the MSN butterfly and says "Where do you want to go today." (in a robotic like tone)

    Brainwashing I tell ya!!

    --

    "Its too hot out for a Penguin to be just walking around. - Billy Madison"

  5. Microsoft Fetish by Hecubas · · Score: 5, Funny

    C'mon slashdot, what is with this Microsoft fetish lately? Get with it and keep up the SCO bashing for goodness sake!

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    hecubas

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    Hecubas
  6. Re:Huh? by goodviking · · Score: 4, Funny

    half the classes used Windows, the other half linux, and now, a few years later, I really cant remember which was which

    Less binge drinking should clear than problem up

  7. Good Thing by N8F8 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Its a good thing MS already bought the legislature or they'd have somthing to worry about.

    --
    "God fights on the side with the best artillery." - Napoleon, Marshal of France - speaking truth to power
  8. Re:Heh, not at my university by 514x0r · · Score: 5, Funny

    Perhaps industry is demanding a bit more of graduates than simply knowing how to program in Visual Basic these days???

    yep, they're looking for graduates that can probram VB in India.

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    !(^((ri)|(mp))aa$)
  9. Re:MS on Egyptian campuses by MadFarmAnimalz · · Score: 4, Funny

    Pluralizing it as if it were Latin would be misleading and pretentious, and pluralizing it with a double i just makes you look like a total idiot.

    Or perhaps it would make me look like a non-native english speaker? (which is the case)

    OH well, don't let me ruin a perfectly good jump to a conclusion. :)

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    Blearf. Blearf, I say.
  10. Re:Huh? by rk · · Score: 5, Funny

    And look at this way... Every dollar MS gives to schools is a dollar they don't have to give to SCO!

  11. Sounds the same to me by siskbc · · Score: 5, Funny
    At least the tobacco companies products work.

    I don't know, I'd say M$ware works at least as well as tobacco. Both give decent results in the short term, but eventually result in a fatal process crash. And hey, at least you can reboot your computer. I suppose if you're Hindu you believe you can reboot yourself, as well.

    --

    -Looking for a job as a materials chemist or multivariat

    1. Re:Sounds the same to me by Unregistered · · Score: 5, Funny

      Except one product destroys your body slowly over time without fully disclosing the dangers, and the other's a dried plant.

  12. You mean I'm supposed to schmooze? by Daniel+Zappala · · Score: 4, Funny

    You mean to tell me there's something in this for me when I pick textbooks for my CS classes? All along I've been trying to choose the textbooks that I felt covered the material the best. And in many cases I've missed out on any kind of opportunity by forgoing a textbook and taking the time to select relevant research papers. What else am I missing out on?

  13. Re:Huh? by mindriot · · Score: 5, Funny
    1. Many of the people doing open source work started (and continue) because of their exposure to open source, GNU, etc. Which will be limited if the initial exposure is completely proprietary.

    Also, many of the people doing open source work started (and continue) because of their exposure to Windows.

    ;-)