Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Linux Forcibly Installed On Congressman's Computer In Act of Terrorism

Posted by Unknown on from the rms-detained-on-hooliganism-charges dept.

fermion writes with news of Windows computers being forcefully liberated: "The campaign headquarters of Michael Grimm, a U.S. House of Representatives member from New York, were vandalized. What has not been reported everywhere is that Linux was installed on one of his computers, erasing data in the process. Is this a new attack on democracy by the open source radicals, or it is just a random occurrence?" From the article: "'In fact, one officer said to me today they see this as a crime against the government, because I am a sitting United States congressman and they take it very seriously. You know, especially in light of what happened with Gabby Giffords, we're not in the world today where we can shrug things off,' Grimm said. ... [GNU/]Linux, an open-source operating system, was installed on Grimm's computers, erasing the hard drive contents, which included polling and voter identification data. But staff had backed up the hard drive contents hours beforehand. Grimm and his staffers said the vandalism — cement blocks were thrown through the office's windows — is a cover-up for the attacks on the computers."

8 of 343 comments (clear)

  1. Attack against Microsoft by Mkaks · · Score: 5, Funny

    I see this as a radical open source movement. Some people hated to see that government was using Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X on their computers and decided to take the matter in to their own hands. Linux was forcibly installed on the computers and the suspect was caught seen masturbating in a dark corner as the progress meter went further and further.

    1. Re:Attack against Microsoft by SJHillman · · Score: 5, Funny

      Police say that they suspect a member of the radical Penguinite cult is behind it. Other devices belonging to government officials are being inspected for Linux installations. Suspected devices include laptops, tablets, automobiles, toasters and those sneakers with flashing lights in the heel.

    2. Re:Attack against Microsoft by mellon · · Score: 5, Funny

      Holy Crap, Batman! I think I see The Penguin's evil fingerprints on this computer!

    3. Re:Attack against Microsoft by martas · · Score: 5, Funny

      When caught, the suspect is reported to have said "Hey, her USB ports were clearly exposed, she was asking for it!"

      --
      weinersmith
    4. Re:Attack against Microsoft by CheeseTroll · · Score: 5, Funny

      After all, if it had been a legitimate forced-install, the computer has ways of shutting down those ports so the naughty bits can't take hold on the internal disk.

      --
      A post a day keeps productivity at bay.
  2. Re:congressman=ruling class? by SJHillman · · Score: 5, Funny

    I sensed an air of laziness. If he were useful, he would be a standing, running, jogging or working congressman, not just a sitting one.

  3. Consensual Install by Firemouth · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'd say this was consensual install. Had it been legitimate non-consensual install, the computer has a way to prevent itself being impregnated with an open source operating system if the install was not consensual.

  4. Re:There's more to this story. by interkin3tic · · Score: 5, Funny

    You just can't hire competent criminal IT staff these days.