Google, IBM, Red Hat, Sun and the Digistan Connection 18 comments
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Another anti-Microsoft (MSFT) front group has emerged in favor of “free and open standards,” hyping what it calls the Hague Declaration and making some absurd connection to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The propagandists, partially funded by publicly traded companies, have a little trouble describing what that term “free and open standards” means (or even using it consistently), but the group has no trouble indicating its political stripes. Unbelievably it calls itself Digistan, apparently to identify with the fascist terrorists based in countries and regions using the Farsi-based suffix “stan.”
All of these front groups percolate around about two dozen individuals, mostly European. The vast left-wing conspiracy of George Soros works around the edges of their mostly web-site-only organizations. But there is a profit motive. Some seem to exist to raise money from public companies in order to hold conferences at excellent venues. Others run consulting companies to advise governments how to follow “free and open standards” or law firms that write licenses that follow “free and open standards.”
If only these lefties could be time warped back to the last century so that they could ‘fight the right’ in Spain (or sit in the Les Deux Maggot and talk about fighting the right in Spain). Then the rest of us could avoid having our tax dollars wasted and our share values diminished.
Digistan claims it has only individuals, not businesses or organizations, as members. But looking at the founders’ affiliations illustrates that the group goes right back to the same Microsoft-competitor-based organizations that are trying to manipulate free markets via government intervention around the world. Like many of the other anti-Microsoft organizations related to these same individuals, Digistan was likely created for some “critical” current event that only the founders recognize as critical and will fade away when that event passes All the while the shareholders of IBM (IBM), Red Hat (RHAT), Sun (JAVA) and others are seeing their share value diminished by every dollar wasted on donating to them or sponsoring their events.
Digistan was launched thanks to a grant from the Information Program of Open Society Institute (the George Soros connection) and matching grants from OpenForum Europe and the European Software Market Association. The latter does not list its sponsors but the former is the front group behind other front groups like NOOOXML and Document Freedom Day (that’s right--it’s all the same bizarre cast of characters back again to waste your money). The OpenForum Europe's events, as well as possibly the organization itself, have been sponsored by Google (GOOG), IBM, Red Hat, and the ODF Alliance (which of course is closely tied to Sun because ODF--the Open Document Format--is Sun’s document format standard).
If it wasn’t for the implied association with terrorism it would be funny.
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This article has 18 comments:
and see this too youtube.com/watch?v=f4...
P.S. for less inteligent people: USA do no land on the moon, all the wars happen because of economic reasons(not freedom)
Please learn more things before writing things
youtube.com/watch?v=Hp...
-Dennis Byron
When was the last time you installed linux? 1991?
I would avoid making these comments if I were you.
I would risk looking/sounding like a complete idiot (in the sense of having some sort of mental disability).
I'd just like to correct you on a couple of things, which it seems you don't understand.
Digistan is a syllabic abbreviation of Digital Standards. Just as for instance Microsoft is a syllabic abbreviation of Microcomputer Software. In other words the name has nothing to do with terrorism or Farsi. Producing such abbreviations is normal in various European languages.
And as Digistan is presumably funded by European EUR (and other EU currencies) I can't possibly see how it could be using up your US taxpayer dollars. Also it seems to me that the cost of a single website and someone drafting a declaration shouldn't be too much. People participating pro-bono in workgroups and open source projects don't cost anything and I would rather say they bring unmeasurable value.
You are right in saying that the website with its declaration should more precisely define what "free and open standards" are and I also on first reading their declaration felt a little "propaganda-filled". But on reflection it seems to me very simple, that a "free standard" means - without expensive patents attached. An "open standard" means one available to all interested parties (such as software developers) and not vendor-specific. For instance HTML or XML or CSS. These specifications are available for free online in many places and for me as a web developer it is easy to write HTML. Also I can be reasonably assured that people using different browsers, operating systems or even devices will be able to view and access this HTML. Conversely I would not call for instance MSOXML an open standard (yet - until OOXML is published and implemented) because it is extremely difficult for me to create or edit such a document (which I have tried to do many times with varying levels of success - with next to no reference material) and the document I produce is only openable using a single vendor's software. As for Digistan "having a problem defining" free and open standards I later found they hava definition on www.digistan.org/open-....
Dennis, I would please like you to give us a explanation of why you think this declaration is wrong or bad (does it contain bad logic?) and who it will hurt.
And also it would be good to apologize for your tone which seems to imply there is something inherently bad in either coutries ending in "stan", Europeans, left-wing ideology. This seems like deep predjudice which is something you yourself are criticising (anti-Microsoft predjudice). Also as a European I think it would be good to have more competition in the software market, for instance in the Czech Republic where I live there are only a handful of Microsoft emplyees/representativ... The majority of all profit spent by people here on MS Office and Windows etc etc goes to the US. "Free and open standards" are one of the things that will allow capable Czech programmers an equal chance on the global IT market.
i will tell you the truth
1.computers are old then Microsoft
2. the windows(the GUI elements not the OS) are not created by Microsoft
3. Operating Systems are older then Windows and Dos
4. internet and html are not Microsofr creation
5. C and c++ are not Microsoft creation
6 Please read more and write less, you seem stupid
In the anti OOXML OFE meeting in Geneva they were joined and sponsored by quite a few members of ECIS a lobby group of Microsoft competitors who launches formal complaints to the EU about Microsoft.
So basically what we have is a lobby group of Microsoft competitors sponsoring a host of small (and related) Open source supportering lobby groups together trying to influence European Union opinions.
Not coincidentally all of these activist lobby organizations of course have their base in or near Brussels and it seems they even have some of there members working within (or for) the European commissions staff advisory committee in information and communication technology (IDABC) in Brussel.
With the influence these groups generate within the EU and the European commission it is a mistake to dissmiss them of hand. Politicians with little knowledge of ICT are easy to influence and the EU has alrerady seem some spectacular fine against Microsoft and looking at the shape of competitors funded lobbying efforts the next fines may be around the corner ...
I'd just like to correct you on a couple of things, which it seems you don't understand.
Digistan is a syllabic abbreviation of Digital Standards. Just as for instance Microsoft is a syllabic abbreviation of Microcomputer Software. In other words the name has nothing to do with terrorism or Farsi. Producing such abbreviations is normal in various European languages.
And as Digistan is presumably funded by European EUR (and other EU currencies) I can't possibly see how it could be using up your US taxpayer dollars. Also it seems to me that the cost of a single website and someone drafting a declaration shouldn't be too much. People participating pro-bono in workgroups and open source projects don't cost anything and I would rather say they bring unmeasurable value.
You are right in saying that the website with its declaration should more precisely define what "free and open standards" are and I also on first reading their declaration felt a little "propaganda-filled". But on reflection it seems to me very simple, that a "free standard" means - without expensive patents attached. An "open standard" means one available to all interested parties (such as software developers) and not vendor-specific. For instance HTML or XML or CSS. These specifications are available for free online in many places and for me as a web developer it is easy to write HTML. Also I can be reasonably assured that people using different browsers, operating systems or even devices will be able to view and access this HTML. Conversely I would not call for instance MSOXML an open standard (yet - until OOXML is published and implemented) because it is extremely difficult for me to create or edit such a document (which I have tried to do many times with varying levels of success - with next to no reference material) and the document I produce is only openable using a single vendor's software. As for Digistan "having a problem defining" free and open standards I later found they hava definition on www.digistan.org/open-....
Dennis, I would please like you to give us a explanation of why you think this declaration is wrong or bad (does it contain bad logic?) and who it will hurt.
And also it would be good to apologize for your tone which seems to imply there is something inherently bad in either coutries ending in "stan", Europeans, left-wing ideology. This seems like deep predjudice which is something you yourself are criticising (anti-Microsoft predjudice). Also as a European I think it would be good to have more competition in the software market, for instance in the Czech Republic where I live there are only a handful of Microsoft emplyees/representativ... The majority of all profit spent by people here on MS Office and Windows etc etc goes to the US. "Free and open standards" are one of the things that will allow capable Czech programmers an equal chance on the global IT market.
I read your article about the hidden meaning of Digistan and experienced an epiphany. For ages I have been wondering how those helpful people at the other end of the internet have known to send me so many emails to sell me Viagra and other products to expand my - to enlarge my - well lets just say to enable the flesh to occupy as much shelf space as the spirit.
I read your article, looked down at my PC and there it was - "Micro Soft" - my uhhhm friend's two problems summarized in one word. Another acquaintance whom I would not consider as a friend as he uses that "Lunix" system on his computer tells me his network sniffer shows that my PC not only receives these mails but SENDS THEM AS WELL. Oh bless you Microsoft for this true miracle! I am expecting my first consignment of product any day now and will keep you posted of developments. I mean my friend will - of course.
Keep up the good work!!!
C. Lou Lesstwit
Dear Sun Board of Directors, how long can you continue to support Schwartz and his clique? It's time to clean house yet again.