Why I left Linux for Windows. 2149

Hadron Quark

Nice of you to generalise advocates as "The COLA Gang".

To the contrary, increase utilisation of Linux and open standards are nothing new. Governments have taken position to use alternate software vice proprietary Microsoft for a mulbreastude of reasons, insecurities and instabilities not withstanding. China, Latin American countries such as Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Peru, European countries such as Belgium come to mind.

By CNETAsia Staff, Special to CNET News.com Published: August 18, 2003, 8:56 AM PDT

China blocks foreign software A new policy from China's governing body states that all government ministries must buy only locally produced software at the next upgrade cycle. The State Council's move, aimed at breaking the dominance of Microsoft on desktop computers, will eliminate Microsoft's Windows operating system and Office productivity suite from hundreds of thousands of Chinese government computers over the next few years.

Does Microsoft Need China? The tech giant is on the rebound, but its future may lie in how it decides to adapt its pricing model to the developing world. Tom Leander, CFO Asia, August 10, 2004

Microsoft, the US$36 billion software company co-founded by Gates, famously got off on the wrong foot in the PRC, and the troubles afflicting its presence still abound. It owns the desktop market there, yet earns little money because 97 percent of its software is illegally copied. Prominently among Asian governments, China's state planners support Linux, the open-sourceÑread non-proprietary and low-costÑoperating system that competes with Microsoft's Windows. Every time Microsoft pressures the government to crack down on the pirates, the government makes a move to support the rival system.

The two faces of Mr. Gates, By C. P. Chandrasekhar Unfortunately for Gates, at least one Indian State government, that of Madhya Pradesh, has publicly announced its decision to use Linux software in its official IT programme, which includes its e-governance (Gyandoot) and computer-enabled school education (Headstart) initiatives.

The vocal advocacy of use of open source software for IT-enabled service delivery and governance by the government of Madhya Pradesh, is in keeping with trend in other developing countries, including China, and Latin American countries such as Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Peru. They are increasingly seeking to exploit the opportunity offered by the free software movement, the GNU project, and favouring the use of free rather than proprietary software for their governments' computerisation programmes. Their motivation is clear: part from the bread and butter issue of cost, the free software movement espouses the more lofty ideals such as ensuring free information access, permanence of public data and security.

Here is something that goes beyond concerns for software piracy; the concern of human rights:

Microsoft helps China to censor bloggers Jonathan Watts in Beijing, Wednesday June 15, 2005, The Guardian Civil liberties groups have condemned an arrangement between Microsoft and Chinese authorities to censor the internet. The American company is helping censors remove "freedom" and "democracy" from the net in China with a software package that prevents bloggers from using these and other politically sensitive words on their websites. The restrictions, which also include an automated denial of "human rights", are built into MSN Spaces, a blog service launched in China last month by Shanghai MSN Network Communications Technology, a venture in which Microsoft holds a 50% stake.

.... and due to cultural insensitivities:

Microsoft's lack of multicultural savvy cost the Redmond behemoth millions of dollars, according to a company executive. The software giant has seen its products banned in some of the biggest markets on earth--and it's all because of eight wrongly colored pixels, a dodgy choice of music and a bad English-to-Spanish dictionary.

When coloring in 800,000 pixels on a map of India, Microsoft colored eight of them a different shade of green to represent the disputed Kashmiri territory. The difference in greens meant Kashmir was shown as non-Indian, and the product was promptly banned in India. Microsoft was left to recall all 200,000 copies of the offending Windows 95 operating system software to try and heal the diplomatic wounds. "It cost millions," Edwards said.

Microsoft has also managed to upset women and entire countries. A Spanish-language version of Windows XP, destined for Latin American markets, asked users to select their gender between "not specified," "male" or "unpleasant woman," because of an unfortunate error in translation. Microsoft has also seen its unfortunate style of diplomacy have an effect in Korea, Kurdistan, Uruguay and to China--where a cartographical dispute saw Chinese employees hauled in front of the government.

Oh, and we mustn't forget Belgium and open standards:

Belgian government chooses OpenDocument, By Dominique Deckmyn Special to CNET News.com, Published: June 23, 2006, 7:12 AM PDT In a blow to Microsoft, Belgium's government departments will be instructed to use an open file format for internal communications.

Belgium would be the first country to opt for open document standards in this way. According to Strickx, the Belgian strategy is likely to gain a following. He claimed France and Denmark are considering similar moves.

-- HPT