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Charity Shuns Open Source Code

Posted by ryuzaki0 on

brown-eyed slug writes, "The BBC has an article explaining Christian Aid's decision to use Microsoft software in preference to Linux. It re-opens the classic debate about the total cost of ownership, highlighting the wider availability of Microsoft skills, as well as the beneficial pricing policy of the Seattle giant. From the article: '...one of the things that we find is that Microsoft is viewed as the big, bad organization — but they've actually got some good corporate social responsibility. If you're a charity or an educational institution, you pay pence in the pound for the license, compared to what a major bank might pay.'" While the Christian Aid spokesman makes some good points, he seems to miss totally the idea of open code — confusing code with data.

5 of 115 comments (clear)

  1. The devil you say! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Ignoring the plain evidence and free info in front of them, in favor of handing the reins to a bloated lot of overpaid unqualified profiteers who want everything done their way? That's hardly a Christian thing to do... oh, wait.

  2. It's the mindset by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    These people are used to some large entity telling them what to do (be it the church or the Big G. itself). As such they feel well at home with Microsoft: a large entity that imposes incomprehensible rules on them and doesn't reply to their demands and complaints.

    Move along please, nothing to see here.

  3. what did we expect by ajs318 · · Score: -1, Troll

    The name of the charity gives it away: Christian Aid.

    An irrational belief in imaginary beings which demonstrably cannot exist is commonly called a delusion. This is a form of psychosis. Let's not call a spade an entrenching tool; let's call these people what they are. Delusional Psychotic aid. And you can't expect a psychotic to make rational choices.

    By the way, if it ever came down to it, I'd rather starve than accept food from a christian.

    --
    Je fume. Tu fumes. Nous fûmes!
  4. Is this a well run IT Dept in the charity? by xtaski · · Score: 0, Troll

    Have you ever seen a well run IT dept in a charity? Now you know why.

    Not to mention, MSFT is the crack dealer for charities - they slash prices (price discrimination?) by giving them substantial acquisition discounts - then 3 yrs later the 'grim reaper' from MSFT comes in (if they're big enough of a charity), inventories all the licenses in use and makes them pay the piper.

    Fud, fud fud fud, ... fud.

  5. Christians & MS: same business model by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: -1, Troll
    It is not hard to see why the Christians see common ground. MS and (most) Christians have the same basic business model. Extinguishing other points of view through FUD (total cost of ownership/hell). Missionary == MS sales person/ account manager.

    Besides, run "grep -ir fuck kernel_source".

    --
    Engineering is the art of compromise.