microsoft

Mono is a free/libre/opensource implementation of C#.

C# is a programming language that came out of a closed source software company named Microsoft. - and Microsoft own patents on C#.

Thus there's a threat hanging over any free software that relies on mono/C# - what if Microsoft suddenly decides enforce their patent.

Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation have released a Why free software shouldn't depend on Mono or C#.

The problem is not unique to Mono; any free implementation of C# would raise the same issue. The danger is that Microsoft is probably planning to force all free C# implementations underground some day using software patents. (See http://swpat.org and http://progfree.org.) This is a serious danger, and only fools would ignore it until the day it actually happens. We need to take precautions now to protect ourselves from this future danger.

Let me add my voice to this - don't write programs in C#.

The NZ government is in the process of negotiating supply of software from A SINGLE VENDOR. NZOSS calls for an immediate halt and investigation by the Auditor-General.    

Press Release from the NZOSS - STOP G2009 | The New Zealand Open Source Society

The New Zealand Open Source Society (NZOSS) is calling for an immediate halt to the G2009 “All of Government” negotiations currently being completed with Microsoft. The Society will be seeking a complete review of the G2009 procurement process by the Auditor-General.

“Government procurement prac...

I was up at Vic last Thursday, trying to enrol, and I had some time to kill, so I went into Student IT to see if they had any decent systems with Linux pre-installed. The answer was that they only had the Acer Aspire One, but the price-list they gave me is interesting in its own right. I apologise for the quality; apparently they had difficulties with their printer that day.

Compare the first two systems listed in the attachment. The first one has twice as much RAM as the second, twice as much storage space (with the SD card), and a more expensive OS, but it's $20 cheaper. Does this mean that Microsoft is so desperate that they'll effectively pay students to use their software (or rather, pay them not to use competing software)? For many people, this might be their first computer, so Microsoft has an incentive to get them addicted to
their software, never letting them find out that Linux is much easier to use than the general public seems to believe.

You may already know more about this than I do, but the guy in the shop seemed surprised when I pointed out the difference to him.

Tim

Interesting world where the non-free (as in $$) OS costs less than then free (as in freedom and $$$) OS.

Of course there are other explanations: Possibly it's just someone else in the supply chain (not necesarily MS) who want you to not pick linux.

or perhaps they charge more for linux because people are willing to pay more.

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HP giveaways | coffee.geek.nzSource: coffee.geek.nzThis was given out to every single attendee at Microsoft Tech Ed- it contains nothing but info on how to enter a prize draw to win a real game console

IMG_0293.JPG, originally uploaded by Br3nda

Check out this box - it's make of shrink wrapped polystyrene.

This was given out to every single attendee at Microsoft Tech Ed- it contains nothing but info on how to enter a prize draw to win a real game console

WAY TO GO HP!! talk about environmental awareness. Fail wagon.

Two opensource riots nerds are off to microsoft tech ed. It began wonderfully with us arriving 15 minutes late for check in and the airline saying no way can we get on the plane now...

I had to reach for my wallet to buy new tickets - so it's not a free trip no more. Hurrah for free wifi in Wellington airport o ri'd have lost my calm.

Arriving in Bucklame just in time for dinner, we both checked into our swanky 5 star hotel rooms (thanks microsoft).. alas the internet is 70cents per minute. there were tears.

I've uploaded a perl module to cpan - Net::Twitter::Search

i needed it to fix up my twitter bot script - the first twitterbot to start using it is @tenz8 (Microsoft Tech Ed 2008).

The whole perl script that calls thIs module and powers the bot, it available in my git repo. To get a copy do this
1. install git (it's called git-core in debian distros)
2. git clone http://git.shiny.geek.nz/twitter/searchbot/

I'm not sure what to make of Microsoft's recent intention to support Open Document Format 1.1 in their office suite. It appears to be a good thing yet their track record leads me to look for the catch - what are they planning?

They've just got their OOXML standard voted through ISO (i'm proud to say New Zealand voted No). Many critics of OOXML see no value in OOXML format because the ODF already exists.