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Microsoft's Linux-basher leaves (Techworld.com)

Techworld.com reports that Martin Taylor, leader of Microsoft's anti-Linux 'Get the Facts' campaign, is leaving the company. "Taylor's brisk departure comes at the same time as the surprise announcement that Microsoft is working with a major critic from the open source field, Lawrence Lessig, to facilitate Creative Commons licences within Office documents. Stanford law professor Lessig, last year bitterly criticised Microsoft for tactics such as Get the Facts, accusing it of carrying on "all out war" with open source, and Linux in particular."

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Microsoft's Linux-basher leaves (Techworld.com)

Posted Jun 22, 2006 21:50 UTC (Thu) by jtc (guest, #6246) [Link] (11 responses)

Has anyone noticed the ironic ad. at the top of the page (http://www.techworld.com/opsys/news/index.cfm?newsID=6274...)?

At least at 15:45 MST, 2006-06-22, the ad. is an anti-linux TCO add with a quote from the 7eleven ceo implying that Windows is less expensive than Linux.

The implicit message seems to be: "Don't worry, our anti-linux FUD machine is still fully engaged, despite the departure of Mr. Taylor".

Funny stuff.

Microsoft's Linux-basher leaves (Techworld.com)

Posted Jun 22, 2006 22:24 UTC (Thu) by philips (guest, #937) [Link] (6 responses)

I had an impression that is was Taylor who delivered message to M$ higher-ups that FUD like GetTheFacts doesn't work and at times works in reverse: it advertises Linux. After that leaked memo Taylor was very quiet and we haven't heard of him last year.

Microsoft's Linux-basher leaves (Techworld.com)

Posted Jun 23, 2006 1:35 UTC (Fri) by drag (guest, #31333) [Link] (3 responses)

Realy? Do you have a link?

It would be very funny if Taylor got canned from Microsoft for speaking out AGAINST fud.

I know that MS is going for that 'kinder gentler' approach after they finally figured out that all the people that liked them didn't realy exist outside their own minds. :P

not that black-n-white

Posted Jun 23, 2006 5:57 UTC (Fri) by gvy (guest, #11981) [Link] (2 responses)

> I know that MS is going for that 'kinder gentler' approach after they
> finally figured out that all the people that liked them didn't realy exist
> outside their own minds. :P
Maybe it's in a uinverse that exists rather in your mind -- I know some (maybe quite some) who sincerely like MS and would ignore it's strategy and tactics...

not that black-n-white

Posted Jun 23, 2006 10:29 UTC (Fri) by penguin (guest, #36771) [Link] (1 responses)

Most people i know who use Windows use it solely because its the only viable alternative from their point of view. I have yet to meet someone not financially benefitting from Microsoft saying they like it.

Microsoft has been listening to their partners, not the end customers. Ofcourse any sane consultant just loves a system thats an endless source of billing time.

not that black-n-white

Posted Jun 26, 2006 14:42 UTC (Mon) by tjc (guest, #137) [Link]

I have yet to meet someone not financially benefitting from Microsoft saying they like it.
I've seen quite a few people in a mixed (Solaris/Windows) environment that like Windows just because they already know how to use it. But in a sense this is also financially motivated, since they would have to invest some of their time to learn an unfamiliar system.

Microsoft's Linux-basher leaves (Techworld.com)

Posted Jun 23, 2006 7:13 UTC (Fri) by Wol (subscriber, #4433) [Link] (1 responses)

Someone complained on Groklaw that they were being stalked, as a result of making an official complaint to something like the SEC.

He posted a couple of days ago that one of the people stalking him was Taylor ...

Make of that what you will, but the claim is obvious - that MS was harassing OSS-type folks...

Cheers,
Wol

Microsoft's Linux-basher leaves (Techworld.com)

Posted Jun 24, 2006 12:08 UTC (Sat) by arcticwolf (guest, #8341) [Link]

The claim is, but without any proof (or even evidence) to back it up, it's just that - a claim.

Myself, I'm being stalked by invisible pink unicorns, but the mere fact that I just announced this on LWN.net does not automatically make it true. And while M$-sponsored stalking seems more likely than invisible pink unicorns at least, you'd still think that a high-up like Taylor would hire a private eye or another kind of goon for this kind of dirty job rather than doing it himself, *especially* when he was acting on behalf of M$ (officially or not).

Depending on who it's coming from and depending on the evidence presented (or the lack thereof), I'd take this claim with more than a grain of salt.

Microsoft's Linux-basher leaves (Techworld.com)

Posted Jun 22, 2006 22:44 UTC (Thu) by sammythesnake (guest, #17693) [Link] (3 responses)

Advert?

Ah, yes, I remember those...

Cheers & God bless
Sam "SammyTheSmugAdBlockUser" Penny :-D

Microsoft's Linux-basher leaves (Techworld.com)

Posted Jun 22, 2006 23:32 UTC (Thu) by Los__D (guest, #15263) [Link] (2 responses)

HEH, good one. :)

Too bad that they're learning, and are playing with text only ads. Now, some of those you can catch by a client-side script, but not all. Especially the News.com textads are annoying, MS uses those on most Linux articles. :|

Text ads are fine

Posted Jun 23, 2006 10:47 UTC (Fri) by dion (guest, #2764) [Link] (1 responses)

Text only ads are fine, those are much cheaper to download and they don't flash at you.

For now I'm quite content with nuking all the non-text ads and leaving the text ads alone.

Text ads are fine

Posted Jun 23, 2006 20:51 UTC (Fri) by XERC (guest, #14626) [Link]

Actually, privoxy cuts out all the Flash-adds. :)

Microsoft's Linux-basher leaves (Techworld.com)

Posted Jun 25, 2006 2:35 UTC (Sun) by Tobu (subscriber, #24111) [Link]

Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer still.
Discuss.

Microsoft's Linux-basher leaves (Techworld.com)

Posted Jun 26, 2006 7:45 UTC (Mon) by pointwood (guest, #2814) [Link]

Lessig isn't really an open source guy and this isn't really such a huge surprise as many makes it out to be as he also writes himself: http://www.lessig.org/blog/archives/003436.shtml


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