Dear Neville, let me tell you that the last year in San Salvador,for the same event, in the Salvadorean Comunity we accept to have some microsoft present in the (flisol) after discuss in the Salvadorean Comunity but we never accept money.

The agrement was that:

- 0 banners
- No logos
- Nothing about microsoft

they accept,and said no no problem we just want to speak about interoperability but then....

Making deals with Microsoft, at least in my experience is like believing in the Wolf of the Little Red Riding Hood story as they (MS) first started with this success have been in that event, then wanted to sponsor an event of drupal, which as direct organizer I refused to accept money, in my opinion and maybe very hard trial, Microsoft has nothing to do in an event of FOSS.

As they thought it, they then wrote an email saying that in honor of discussing interoperability invited us to eat pizza (a good challenge geek not to accept an invitation to eat pizza) and that they financed
To which the Salvadoran community refused completely ...

That followed?, well, they literally tried to bribe a close friend to agree to pay him the journey to a Drupal event, he was invited to give talks to them directly, again using the same technique ("interoperability"). ..

In my view it is difficult, especially when there are no funds, as in the case of our community (El Salvador) yet we do not accept and took out the event ...

Of course that's my experience, and as if we as a community of fedora I think it is necessary to accept anything from them, says Gregory Fenton "Who wants a fedora hat with a fedora logo on one side and a "sponsored by Microsoft (windows logo)" on the other side of it?"

"Unless Microsoft is willing to simply hand over the funds to support fedora with no strings attached apart from declaring where the money has been spent I would say "fedora is doing perfectly fine without your support, thank you very much."


As if that were not enough, as he commented to my friend who tried to bribe them you know you know who you are and what position you play the role of the community, if it were a party of ajedres know your game, your techniques and the noble or not you can be ... even asked for you "If you" Neville Cross, because they know the support we receive from you (By the way THANKS for the total support for the Fedora community in El Salvador ...")

You see, this trick make interoperability between operating systems and between proprietary software is only a white lie to soon achieve even separation or fragmentation of communities and create controversy .... in the case of El Salvador we had a good time thinking and discussing what to do ....

in my case I was more brief, NO, period ....

I hope you serve something shared my experience anything better came to Nicaragua to help but do not accept or five of Microsoft ...

best regards.

-- magjogui


José Edgardo López Vásquez

fedora Ambassador [El Salvador]
https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/User:Magjogui
https://www.fedoraproject.org
magjogui@fedoraproject.org

Consultor en Software libre & GNU/ Linux
identica,irc,gtalk,msn,skype: magjogui@gmail.com
M. +(503) 75341503 (tigo)
H. +(503) 25171878

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2011/3/18 Gregory Fenton <fedora@fedoradvds.com>
1) It's Microsoft, champion of all things Microsoft to the detriment of everything else.
2) Financial support is financial support.  If it helps one more person make the jump from closed to open source software then it is an achieved goal.

I tend to look beyond the immediacy of any issue and ask myself if x does y what would the desired result be.

If Microsoft funds fedora projects they can achieve a major win almost immediately:
"Why bother installing fedora when most of the software that works on fedora also works out of the box on Windows? Even their own ambassadors are changing their events to discuss the interoperability between their software and Windows.  Why bother with installing a new OS when you can have good old tried and trusted Windows running not only all the freeware software out there but also all the windows apps that linux simply can't handle?"

Who wants a fedora hat with a fedora logo on one side and a "sponsored by Microsoft (windows logo)" on the other side of it?

Unless Microsoft is willing to simply hand over the funds to support fedora with no strings attached apart from declaring where the money has been spent I would say "fedora is doing perfectly fine without your support, thank you very much."

On 18 March 2011 10:17, Tristan Santore <tristan.santore@internexusconnect.net> wrote:

To be honest, if they do take some of their billions and financially
support FOSS projects, mainly to make them work on more than just linux,
then good, about time they used their money for some good.

But I suspect there are ulterior motives in this approach:

1. They are cutting their own costs by not having to use their own
testing people, as I know they have labs where they check
interoperability between windows and Linux services.

2. They figured Apple is looking quite evil now in the eyes of the FOSS
community, in terms of behaviour and openness, so they are trying to
make themselves look more favourable.

3. They are trying to grab off some Linux users, by making the same
standard applications work on windows, which basically means they are
scared. (which will work in the GNU Linux Operating system becoming more
"accessible" to people, as they will say, well, I already use most of
the same applications, I may as well save money, be more secure, and
efficient, and use a Linux based operating system).

4. The main reason why they are there, is to show presence, as many
business service providers are now actively seeking cost cutting
measures, which makes them more profitable, and Linux is an attractive
way to do this. (great for the FOSS community too).

So all in all, as far as I am concerned, they can do whatever they like,
as long as they do not make people sign stupid legal agreements to
prevent them from doing what they want with their FOSS
product/developments. If Amarok got 100k in support, for instance, I
could not care less, if it makes Amarok even better. You may replace
Amarok with any other application of your choice in that example.

I would not be too concerned, after all, there is a reason why people
like FOSS, especially hackers, as they can just code and do not have to
worry about libraries and licenses and god knows what else. You just
want to have fun with software/code.
And as a user, typing in serials, and clicking agreement buttons, yuck,
no thanks.

Regards,
Tristan

--
Tristan Santore BSc MBCS
TS4523-RIPE
Network and Infrastructure Operations
InterNexusConnect
Mobile +44-78-55069812
Tristan.Santore@internexusconnect.net

Former Thawte Notary
(Please note: Thawte has closed its WoT programme down,
and I am therefore no longer able to accredit trust)

For Fedora related issues, please email me at:
TSantore@fedoraproject.org


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