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MIT Urges Brazilian Government to Use Linux

sebFlyte writes "MIT's Media Lab has written to the Brazillian government (who is looking into a method to get its citizens cheap, high quality PCs) and has urged them to use Linux. From the article: 'Free software is far better on the dimensions of cost, power and quality...if the source code is proprietary, it is hidden from the general population. This robs them of a tremendous source for learning.'"

4 of 223 comments (clear)

  1. Well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It isn't like MIT is going to recommend BSD is it?

  2. from the tux-at-carnivale dept. by ziggamon2.0 · · Score: 4, Funny

    The title says it all!

    The MIT guys just want a reason to be invited to the carnival!
    You go guys!

    Maybe there even is a tux-at-carnivale department at MIT...

  3. Excellent value by madaxe42 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't be so silly - we get excellent value for our IT services - it's a snip, at £48,000,000,000 per year to manage 160,000 government computers - I mean, seriously, that's only £300,00 per computer, per year, which is pretty minimal - and there's no such thing as 'free' software - if there was, microsoft would have told us about it.

    Anyway, I'm in charge of government IT purchasing here, and it's just fine, thanks - oh, hang on, gotta go, the kids are playing on my gold plated runway again.

  4. The Nigerian model by AtariAmarok · · Score: 4, Funny
    "I'm sure linux will help them manage their NON EXISITING bank accounts."

    Give them email accounts, and they will quickly fill these bank accounts:

    "Dear Sir, Confidential Business Proposal Having consulted with my colleagues and based on the information gathered from the Nigeri^H^HBrazillian Chambers Of Commerce And Industry, I have the privilege to request your assistance to transfer the sum of $47,500,000.00 (forty seven million, five hundred thousand United States dollars) into your accounts. The above sum resulted from an over-invoiced contract, executed, commissioned and paid for about five years (5) ago by a foreign contractor. This action was however intentional and since then the fund has been in a suspense account at The Central Bank Of Nig^H^H^HBrazillian Apex Bank."

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.