[PLUG] Microsoft school opens in Gresham

[Preston Crawford]

On 6 Aug 2002, Jon Jacob wrote:

> Okay, warning..... this email is flame bait :)
>
> My first point is this: I am really tired of how this list diverges into
> MicroSoft bashing.  Yes, I do not like MicroSoft, but you know what?
> They are successful.  They became successful.  They just didn't pop out
> of thin air.  They had a plan and didn't whine about their opponents,
> they went out and the attacked and won.

They did this, in large part, by breaking the law. Maybe that's why they
get bashed.... perhaps??

> Linux could learn a thing or two from MicroSoft.  Yes, this point has

I don't think Linux can strongarm customers, purchase politicians to make
laws that work for them, or buy off diplomats to shill for Linux products
overseas.

> You people want to protest, you want to whine.  Did you call up the
> school and say: "Glad you have decided to enhance your high tech program
> and it is very generous of MicroSoft to help you.  If you would like, I
> am sure that we in the Linux community would be happy to help by
> providing our services.  We will gladly mentor the kids, come in show
> them how to use Linux, show them where we work and what is used in the
> real work, etc....."  A great example of this statedgy is what some
> folks are doing with the Portland Public Schools.  More power to them.

Many are already doing that. Some, such as myself, held back for fear of
seeming to "come on to strong" and worry the schools that we didn't have
their best interests at heart. I still want to help, but I think it's
important to help in such a way that it doesn't seeem like you're "using"
the schools as a battleground to fight a skirmish in a larger "war"
against Microsoft. It has to be professional and it has to be conducted
with the interests of the schools put first. I'd still like to help, but I
don't think it's THAT simple when you step back for a moment.

Either way, I'll whine about Microsoft if I want. They broke the law, they
buy legislation and favor and they abuse their monopoly power. I am
supposed to like that? Do I still have to like it when I'm unable to buy
hardware that doesn't work without a DCMA-approved piece of software (i.e.
not free software)? Do I still have to appreciate their business acumen
when they control my access to the Internet, to being able to conduct
business in my day to day life? Part of the responsibility of an
intelligent, informed citizen is to ACT when it is necessary to act and to
dissent when it is necessary to dissent.

Preston