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Russia Mandates Free Software For Public Schools
Glyn Moody writes "After running some successful pilots, the Russian government has decided to make open source the standard for all schools. If a school doesn't want to use the free software supplied by the government, it has to buy commercial licenses using its own funds. What's the betting Microsoft starts slashing its prices in Russia?"
Microsoft is no more!!!!
Dammit, I'm moving.
The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
or gulag you go
I know. It's so difficult to find a linux distribution these days. Ever since linux distros had to go underground I have to search the far dark corners of the internet to find a working download. If I want a copy locally, I have to go to the seedy part of town and down some dark alleyway whispering to the dealer who will get me my linux fix. Oh! If only linux were freely available from universities, computer geeks, and the internet!
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If Microsoft simply let Russia go free (sounds weird right?) then perhaps there will be fewer Russian hackers writing Windows malware. That would be something of a long-shot I suppose.
Pffft. In Soviet (and Non-Soviet) Russia, Microsoft waits in a very long line to bribe the officials.
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I have an uncle who lives in Russia, where he bought a computer preloaded with XP. After some time he realized it wasn't a legit copy, and went back to the place he bought it from to inquire about getting an "upgraded" version. The manager had this to say to him: "There is exactly ONE legal copy of Windows in Russia, what makes you think that YOU should have it?"
Hence, MS should just raise the price of that one copy.
Before I can answer, please first tell me what you mean by that.
Ooh! Ooh! I know this one!!!
Karma's a NOUN!
"We shall grapple with the ineffable, and see if we may not eff it after all." - Douglas Adams
'... all excess is being put into a separate fund/account.'
Yeah; Putin's, I bet.
Great minds think alike; fools seldom differ.
Thats why Linux is kicking Microsofts ass right now amirite?
What we need is an ad campaign in which Seinfeld meets Torvalds. That should do it.
Wouldn't that be "free as in shoes" then?
Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
Are you taking ample precautions to avoid the grue?
"Lack of speed can be overcome. In the worst case by patience." --Znork
Once the world economy tanks and Russia is forced to abandon free software in favor of 'for profit' OS's, then we can breathe a sigh of relief that those who came up with the OS are getting their rightful compensation for IP rights!
If only linux were freely available from universities, computer geeks, and the internet!
When I wanted to install RedHat 4.something, I went to see if they had it in my university's library. Joy! They did! Unfortunately, the librarian refused to let me check it out because I "might install it on my own computer, which would be illegal." When I finally demonstrated that it would be OK, they still refused to let me leave the library with it, although I was welcome to bring a stack of floppies to copy the CD onto (as this was before CD burners became common).
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
He's not sure. He'll have a staffer get back to you.
bork bork bork!
Pffft. In Soviet (and Non-Soviet) Russia, Microsoft waits in a very long line to bribe the officials.
I bet Microsoft has even tried to patent the process.
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That ranks right up there with librarians that wouldn't demagnetize the anti-theft strip in your library books if they had a CD in the back cover because it might erase it (would it have even damaged floppies?).
I always had to remember to drop those books off at the drive through so that I wouldn't set off the alarms walking into the building.
*sigh* back to work...
OK, how about the fact that he dances about the stage doing monkey impersonations and shouting "Developers developers developers developers developers"?
Compared to who? Estonia?
Don't get me wrong, the U.S. is clearly a mixed economy (a term for some reason out of favour). But it seems to be a lot more right leaning than the rest of the first world.