digg

Join DiggAbout

Discover the best of the web!
Learn more about Digg by taking the tour.

Africans don't understand OSS - Microsoft

tectonic.co.za — Africans are still learning how to code so there's not much chance they will ever contribute to Linux development, says Microsoft's Jason Matusow. Ever heard of OpenBSD or Ubuntu, Mr Matusow?

Bury
show profanity settings
expand all
  • Striker101, on 05/22/2008, -28/+139m$oft thereby shows once again it's holier-than-thou attitude, plus a shade of prejudice that's both surprising and disturbing.
    After 4 years of frustration it was finally Ubuntu at v.7.10 which advanced it's Linux distro to the point where I managed a happy switch, followed now by a smooth sweetheart upgrade to 8.04. I haven't even booted into windoze for a month now.

    Last week I bought a new laptop with Vista (as that was the only choice at that moment). I knew it would be thus, but Vista is truly a step backward from XP, so the new laptop will soon be running on Ubuntu.

    So hurray for what those Africans have learned!
    • foxhaze, on 05/22/2008, -79/+13Congratulations, you're a sheep. BAAAH BAAAAH BAAAAH.
      • BoneheadFarker, on 05/22/2008, -9/+44So wanting an operating system that just ***** works makes me a sheep? If so...baaaah...
        • Senn, on 05/22/2008, -4/+24I don't know about you, but Linux "just ***** works" a lot easier for me than Windows does now.
        • YourDoom123, on 05/22/2008, -1/+8that was his point...
        • triont, on 05/22/2008, -9/+5Linux works easy? Yeah, and I still haven't got it to work with my wireless and my graphics card. Whereas windows took them right in.
        • newwatch51, on 05/22/2008, -4/+9As much as I love Linux, it definitely doesn't "Just Work" on my laptop.
        • Tenoq, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1It's funny. I think Linux does DirectSound better on my system than Vista. As in, Linux can actually DO DirectSound for my old games with my prosumer soundcard, whereas Vista just refuses to do it at all. I need to buy Creative and use ALchemy for Vista. :p
      • Ryosen, on 05/23/2008, -0/+8"Is 'foxhaze' being offensive?"

        No, just an asshat.
    • Falldog, on 05/22/2008, -33/+15"m$oft" "windoze" OMGLOL
    • zomglolcats, on 05/22/2008, -17/+7Now if only all my programs would work in Ubuntu.
      • ogisdan, on 05/22/2008, -3/+8Wine much?
        • ngmcs8203, on 05/22/2008, -1/+7You know as well as the majority of the wine community that not every program works for it. And a lot of them only partially work.
      • jamdogg, on 05/22/2008, -3/+4Try learning some basic config procedure.
        • copypasta, on 05/22/2008, -5/+3Try learning socialization skills and get laid linuxfag.
        • newwatch51, on 05/22/2008, -1/+2Yes, that's always the solution *rolls eyes*
      • newwatch51, on 05/22/2008, -1/+1Yeah there are plenty of apps in the repos that simply don't work in Hardy Heron. Ubuntu really needs to slow down and fix more of it's bugs.
    • merreborn, on 05/22/2008, -7/+7"Last week I bought a new laptop with Vista (as that was the only choice at that moment)"

      When faced with that problem a year ago, I bought a macbook, and an OEM copy of Windows XP.

      Couldn't be happier. Every other laptop I've owned in the same pricerange started crapping out in one way or another within the first year I owned it. Not this time, though.
      • mrsteveman1, on 05/22/2008, -0/+5Same, i have an HP laptop, just after the 1 year mark, one usb port quit working, i had to resolder its ground connection.

        The keyboard randomly decides to not work, regardless of the OS booted, the DVD drive quit reading anything but pressed CDs, making it difficult to reinstall an OS. Its been quite bad, next laptop will be a macbook for sure.
        • BoneheadFarker, on 05/22/2008, -2/+3Macbooks are a pretty good choice. In the laptop landscape you just have to stick to the right brands. From my experience:

          Dell = Excellent

          IBM Thinkpads = Excellent

          Lenovo Thinkpads = Crap (I'm biased, since the T60p from my work has been a nightmare for me. My fingerprint reader and volume buttons don't work anymore, it forgets that it has a keyboard and touchpad after being put to sleep, putting it into hibernate mode means a 50/50 chance that it will lock up after starting back up, docking or undocking throws memory parity errors...I could go on, but you get the point. Other people don't seem to have the issues with them that I have with mine though, so YMMV.)

          Toshiba = Good

          Sony = Good

          HP = Crap

          Apple = Great (Nothing against Apple, but since my brother is a mac fanboy I just can't bring myself to call them "Excellent")

          Acer, ECS, various low-end OEM makers = Don't even bother.


          Keep in mind that this only includes brands that I have experience with. But generally, stick with Dell, IBM, or Apple, and you should be happy with your choice.
        • TheGuruStud, on 05/22/2008, -1/+2ROFL, dell, are you serious? Any acer stomps a dell any day. Times have changed. I will only buy an Acer or HP and you couldn't pay me to use a dell. Those things deserve to be recycled, even if it's brand new.
          I don't buy the ***** intel ones, though. I always have problems with those. If it's not the junk hardware, it's the bugs from the drivers.
        • techprophet, on 05/23/2008, -0/+0What's that about HP? I have a 5 year old HP laptop that could run any game I threw at it until SupCom came out.
      • rlbond86, on 05/22/2008, -4/+4Have fun trying to right-click.
        • mrsteveman1, on 05/22/2008, -1/+2I have a mac mini and an HP laptop, which i've run OSX on before, and i thought right clicking would be a problem, but after using OS X for a long time i notice i only have to right click a few times a day at most.

          I wish they would do something about their laptops one button, they have the mighty mouse which ive been using, it allows you to right click and its worked pretty well. They could do something similar on the laptop with multi-touch.

          But for the moment, they have one button laptops, maybe that will change, but its not enough reason for me to stay away or not buy one.
        • ORBAT, on 05/22/2008, -0/+3Er, you can right-click on MacBooks just fine: tap the trackpad with two fingers instead of one.
        • mrsteveman1, on 05/23/2008, -0/+2Good point, perhaps that will suffice for me when i get a macbook :D
    • cotaskmemalloc, on 05/22/2008, -10/+7It's cool to say things like 'M$'. It really makes you sound like you're not in middle school.
      • Octaman, on 05/22/2008, -2/+13Micro$oft, Appl€, £inux... who cares?
        • known, on 05/23/2008, -1/+2Africans do understand that

          Open Source Software promotes Competition.
          Closed Source Software promotes Collusion.
    • SSXDRN, on 05/22/2008, -0/+8I'm going to buy a System 76 this x-mas, if you'd like a laptop with Ubuntu preinstalled perhaps this might be your choice http://www.system76.com
    • lesmalan, on 05/22/2008, -1/+14As a South African using Ubuntu, I say "jou Ma se moer!"
      • MinorLemming, on 05/22/2008, -1/+4The solution here is simple. All us dumb Africans should stop give MS money. After all, 'as jy dom is, moet jy afkak' and losing their only real legitimate software market on the African landmass should make them afkak, at least a little.
    • mombassa, on 05/22/2008, -13/+5How is Vista a step backward from XP?
    • gcnaddict, on 05/22/2008, -16/+7"Vista is truly a step backward from XP"
      Prove it.

      Also: "m$oft"
      What are you, 12?
  • Eoxx, on 05/22/2008, -4/+47"Africans don't understand how to benefit from OSS" ...
    ... hopefully the good guys at Microsoft will explain them how to do that with Novell ... ;)
    • whereiseljefe, on 05/22/2008, -1/+18It's free and it works, but you don't understand how this can benefit you.

      See paying us all that money you don't really have anyways for lock-ins, restrictions, and instability will give us, I MEAN you benefits!
    • PopcornDave, on 05/22/2008, -0/+3Maybe Microsoft thinks with all that Nigerian money that people are trying to get out of the country that they can afford not to bother with open source?
    • shakin, on 05/22/2008, -0/+8I wonder why he'd say that. Oh wait, here's why:

      "Matusow says that for South Africa to really benefit from open source it should apply OSS development and licensing methodologies at the app-dev and tools layer, rather than thinking of the core OS as an OSS opportunity for them."

      I see, so he thinks South Africa will only benefit if they us open source software in areas that doesn't directly affect Microsoft's bottom line. Now it all makes sense.
    • cathars1s, on 05/23/2008, -2/+3That's not what he's even saying, though. RTFA. He's saying that government mandated OSS is stupid because sometimes commercial software is just better. I'd agree. As much as I love Linux, I'd be pretty pissed if my government started forcing me or my employer to use it. Freedom is good.
  • yetAnotherCroc, on 05/22/2008, -5/+99“South Africa has taken a most unfortunate position of late - the government has sought to put a political mandate in place for the adoption of open source software,” Matusow writes.

    “But, the most serious issue to me is that they are not looking at the real benefits that OSS can bring them.”

    Translation: "They are turning to OSS and we (MSFT) are freaking out about it so we decide to play on all the racial and cultural prejudice about Africa in general so other countries don't follow their example."

    Why would South Africans inevitably not be able to contribute to OSS? Is it because "Brown people don't understand technology" or some other similar conception? This isn't Ethiopia we are talking about. SA has been pretty modern and up to speed on tech in comparison to the more chaotic parts of Africa.
    • oxdeltaxo, on 05/22/2008, -0/+12The like to think the since SA doesn't occupy at least 30% of the continental land mass that it is insignificant as a contributor....But they're willing to milk them for all the cash they have. I can think up a million arbitrary reasons m$ would spew out because it doesn't like OSS.
    • wozyjob, on 05/22/2008, -1/+40I am African.
      I have been employed as a software engineer for over a decade.
      • vuke69, on 05/22/2008, -0/+22"Pfft... On what? An abacus?"

        -Jason Matusow
  • CryRightardCry, on 05/22/2008, -9/+78Microsoft sez: Africans are too stupid to use OSS, so they need an overpriced OS from our company.
    • TheWindBlows, on 05/22/2008, -1/+10Whats a copy of Vista cost like 1 Billion ZIM then a computer able to actually run Vista is another 10 Billion ZIM ?

      versus

      Linux Free cost of a computer that can run a decent Linux distro around 2-4 Billion ZIM or some donated hardware.
      • GMorgan, on 05/22/2008, -1/+1But by the end of the day your 10 Billion ZIM computer will then be worth 100 Billion ZIM.

        Hold it for a week and you'll need to start measuring it in terms of countries.
    • Wakuko, on 05/22/2008, -0/+3And yet they wonder why people throw eggs at them!!!

      M$ is a racist scumbag convicted monopolist!
      • michaelb323, on 05/22/2008, -1/+1wow dude, you just now realized that? Are you black?
  • JoeRandom, on 05/22/2008, -2/+49That huge landmass is Africa. That little country on the bottom is South Africa. I was thinking "No Rwanda probably wont provide much to the linux community". South Africa on the other hand already does.
    • toowired77, on 05/22/2008, -1/+4Rwanda WILL make a contribution. Do not count us out. Just wait and see.
      • ORBAT, on 05/22/2008, -4/+1I'm sorry but refugees don't count as a meaningful contribution.
  • GregFD3S, on 05/22/2008, -4/+27Open Source + Microsoft = WTF??
  • johnlm89, on 05/22/2008, -28/+21░░░░░░░░░▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄░░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░▄█████████████▄░░░░░
    ░░▄██████████████████▄░░░
    ░░████████████████████▄░░
    ░██████████████████████░░
    ░██████████████████████░░
    ░██████████████████████░░
    ░░█████████▀▀▀█████████░░
    ░░▀█████▀░░░░░░░▀█████░░░
    ░░░▀▀███░░█░░░█░░███▀░░░░
    ░░░░░░░█░░░░▀░░░░█░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░░▄██▄░░▀▀░▄█▀▄░░░░░░
    ░░░░▄▀░▀▄▀▀███▀▀▄▀░▀▄░░░░
    ░░░░█░░░░▀▄▀░▀▄▀░▄░░█░░░░
    ░░░░█░█░░░█░░░█░░█░░█░░░░
    ░░░░█░█░░░░▀▄▀▀▀▀█░░█░░░░
    ░░░░█░█░░░░░▄░░▄██▄▄▀░░░░
    ░░░░█░█░░░░░▄░░████░░░░░░
    ░░░░███▄░░░▄▄▄░░░▄▀░░░░░░
    ░░░░░▀▀█▀▀▀░▄░▀▀▀█░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░░░█░░░░█░░░░█░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░░░█░░░░█░░░░█░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░░░█▄▄▄▄█▄▄▄▄█░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░░░██████▄▄▄▄▀░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░░░░▀▀▀▀▀░░░░░░░░░░░░
    • Diderotten, on 05/22/2008, -2/+3What is this?
      • rivalius13, on 05/22/2008, -1/+8It's friggin' awesome, that's what it is.
      • vuke69, on 05/22/2008, -0/+4A South African software engineer, or a Theatan, take your pick.
      • copypasta, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1It's a Nigra from Habbo Hotel. If you were cool, you would know this.
      • newwatch51, on 05/22/2008, -1/+1You need to lurk more.
    • newwatch51, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1i lol'd
  • twtmc, on 05/22/2008, -0/+27If Mark Shuttleworth hasn't contributed to Linux, then Martin Luther King didn't contribute to the Civil Rights movement (I wanted to say Bill Gates to Windows, but the linux equivalent of Gates is Linus Torvalds. Sorry for the bad analogy).
    • BrainInAJar, on 05/22/2008, -2/+10the linux equivalent to gates is ESR...

      unproductive, worthless self-aggrandizing troll that hasn't written a single line of significant code in the entire project's lifetime
    • rlbond86, on 05/22/2008, -2/+1I don't think that's a fair comparison. Mark Shuttleworth didn't champion Linux rights. Ubuntu is popular, but it doesn't have a huge Linux market share or anything.
  • shakbhaji, on 05/22/2008, -16/+11Oh
    *****
    Son!
  • portlyfrank, on 05/22/2008, -4/+14What staggering arrogance!
    However I have a solution. As South Africa is such a backward country in Microsoft's view, the Gates Foundation should inject a large sum into it's economy for the developement of OSS, obviously applying those lessons it, Microsoft, has learned in producing the bilge knwon as windos.
    Bet that warrants the "Blue Screen of Death" when next I fire up a Windows poered device!
  • portlyfrank, on 05/22/2008, -10/+3What staggering arrogance!
    However I have a solution. As South Africa is such a backward country in Microsoft's view, the Gates Foundation should inject a large sum into it's economy for the developement of OSS, obviously applying those lessons it, Microsoft, has learned in producing the bilge knwon as windows.
    Bet that warrants the "Blue Screen of Death" when next I fire up a Windows powered device!
  • badassninja, on 05/22/2008, -4/+33You know, I used to use Open Source software just because the software is better in every way, there is no stopping the open source movement and because Open source/Free software is the only moral thing to do ( thank you Richard Stallmen ). My new reason is to pound Microsoft's ass into the ground. Just to force them to pay for bull ***** smear propaganda like this. How anyone can support lieing scum in a suit like this is past me.
    • mikemx, on 05/22/2008, -6/+2open source software is generally inferior to commercial software
      If a jerk religious nut like you wants to suffer decreased productivity because you're on some zealot delusional jihad by all means go for it

      without easy to use operating systems like those microsoft popularised there wouldn't be the global acceptance and diffusion of personal computing and hence the environment for asshats like you to spout off
      • nmnnotmyname, on 05/22/2008, -1/+4Open your eyes. I'm fine with commercial software, but for goodness sake, WTF is up with all of the greed? When you're put in Microsoft's situation, you see what happens? It's not fair to anyone.

        Linux is at the point where it's good for pretty much any everyday use except for gaming (It's slowly making it's way into that market too, things could get even more interesting at that point.)

        In reality, If Windows had never existed, Linux would had gotten much more attention from x86 developers and users. It probably would be much farther than it is today. Nonetheless, No matter how much you hope, wish, and try to come up with theories why it will happen, No, Linux will not randomly stop growing for no reason. Linux has advantages of it's own, and just because some dude on Digg says it doesn't won't change anything.
        • rlbond86, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1The problem is that for some markets, open source just doesn't make sense, because open source software doesn't sell well. Companies like Red Hat make money exclusively through tech support, since their distributions can be obtained essentially free. That works for operating systems, but it's never going to work for games. Look at Cedega, which is non-free. Or look at Tremulous, which is free, but the team makes no money. Companies aren't going to buy into OSS to make games or applications.
          And in many cases, the non-free software is better even if it has an open-source alternative. There are no professional video editors that are open source. I still have never found a better hex editor than ultraedit (before they "updated" it to a text editor). Photoshop is still leaps ahead of GIMP, though admittedly GIMP is catching up.
          Yes, open source software has its gems like firefox, mythtv, and the like, but there are some things that just turn out better when money's involved.
        • nmnnotmyname, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1Kino works for Video Editing, for me. All of the other things are too hard for me to figure out. I have a feeling this is a topic Open Source software could do really good at: We just need to find the developers that could do it.
          Ghex-2 is fine as a hex editor... If you want something complex, I'll betcha it runs great in Wine.

          Yeah, I agree some things will never work Open Sourced - I'm not the one who says you shouldn't be able to sell software on PCs, more so how you do it.
        • rlbond86, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1To clarify -- OSS does some things amazingly. The development model is good, and there are some things that just can't be done with a closed-source development process -- play nethack and you'll see that 20 years of open source has done something that was not thought possible. But there are some cases where OSS just doesn't work as well as proprietary software. Linux is amazing but some of the software on it just isn't as good as the commercial alternatives for windows.
        • nmnnotmyname, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1Actually, it depends: OSS software often has smaller software teams (I mean contributing developers, the ones who do the real work) and they work in less time. I believe that if we had more devs on our side, things would get more interesting - Perhaps we'd need more developers than commercial software to achieve the same, perhaps not - Only time will tell I suppose.
    • badassninja, on 05/23/2008, -0/+2To many people alive today wouldn't have the balls to leave england to join the free USA ( yes it was free then ). Don't grip about little things, pick up a keyboard and lend a hand. And your wrong most open source programs are just as good if not better then their closed sourced twins.
  • badassninja, on 05/22/2008, -15/+102
    ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▐▌░░
    ░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▐▌░░
    ░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░████░
    ░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒░░░░░░░░██░░
    ░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒██▒▒▒████▒▒▒▒▒████▒▒▒██▒░░░░░░░░██░░
    ░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░██░░
    ░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒████████░░
    ░░░░░░██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██████████▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
    ░░░░██░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
    ░░██░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
    ░░██░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░██░░░░██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░██████░░░░██████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
    ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
    • akhomerun, on 05/22/2008, -17/+2STOP!
      • Chassit, on 05/22/2008, -3/+15░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
        ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░
        ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░
        ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░
        ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░
        ░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░
        ░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▐▌░░
        ░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▐▌░░
        ░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░████░
        ░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒░░░░░░░░██░░
        ░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒██▒▒▒████▒▒▒▒▒████▒▒▒██▒░░░░░░░░██░░
        ░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░██░░
        ░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒████████░░
        ░░░░░░██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██████████▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
        ░░░░██░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
        ░░██░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
        ░░██░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
        ░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
        ░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
        ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░██░░░░██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
        ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░██████░░░░██████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
        ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
        • vuke69, on 05/22/2008, -3/+4░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
          ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░
          ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░
          ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░
          ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░
          ░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░
          ░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▐▌░░
          ░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▐▌░░
          ░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░████░
          ░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒░░░░░░░░██░░
          ░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒██▒▒▒████▒▒▒▒▒████▒▒▒██▒░░░░░░░░██░░
          ░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░██░░
          ░░░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒████████░░
          ░░░░░░██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██████████▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
          ░░░░██░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
          ░░██░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
          ░░██░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
          ░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
          ░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒████▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░
          ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░██░░░░██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
          ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░██████░░░░██████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
          ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

          Hey Jason Matusow, I have an African contribution for ya right here.
      • greeniemeani, on 05/22/2008, -0/+2Collaborate and LISTEN.
    • DreKor, on 05/22/2008, -0/+15That thing always makes me smile, regardless of context.
      • arcticblue, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1It got me banned one time and I only posted it once.
    • truthhammer, on 05/22/2008, -0/+9We are from the mooon, obey or be destroyed.
    • nmnnotmyname, on 05/22/2008, -0/+3This is such a perfect situation for this, It's almost unbelievable.
  • ojk007, on 05/22/2008, -7/+42ubuntu: [A Zulu word, literally meaning “humanness.” Ubuntu is a social and spiritual philosophy serving as a framework for African society.]

    Microsoft's Jason Matusow, obviously doesnt understand the principles behind ubuntu, which the operating system of the same name contain, and most of linux for that matter.
    • whereiseljefe, on 05/22/2008, -0/+20Clearly Jason Matusow doesn't know who Shuttleworth is and where Shuttleworth came from...
    • colonelbuckshot, on 05/22/2008, -1/+8Go to Cape Town, Johannesburg, Mogadishu, Kinshasa, etc, and tell me if you see Africans living according to ubuntu. Ubuntu exists in the demagoguery of black leaders and in the imaginations of white liberals.
    • loki49152, on 05/22/2008, -9/+4Look at most of Africa. Do you really want to follow that example?
  • marketmou, on 05/22/2008, -6/+43How incredibly, breathtakingly arrogant and stupid.
  • n0odles, on 05/22/2008, -4/+16Ubuntu "is an ethic or humanist philosophy focusing on people's allegiances and relations with each other. The word has its origin in the Bantu languages of Southern Africa. Ubuntu is seen as a traditional African concept."
    • AboveandBeyond, on 05/22/2008, -3/+1he meant black people u moron.
      • n0odles, on 05/22/2008, -2/+2The concept of Canonical's Ubuntu OS is derived from the African philosophy. The free CD give away came from the fact that African Internet hasn't progressed to the rest of the world, dip *****.
  • rockus, on 05/22/2008, -4/+12Microsoft surely do understand OSS! After all aren't they the ones being drubbed by the FOSS movement?
    • CrazyZ, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1They are? Wow come back to reality son.
  • Cenobite, on 05/22/2008, -4/+42As a South African developer and supporter of Open Source methodologies, I feel insulted by such an ignorant and sweeping generalization made in the face of evidence to the contrary, in the form of aforementioned South African-based projects as well as a vibrant and active South African FOSS community. I try my best to be fair and not hate Microsoft, but they're not making it very easy.
    • NSResponder, on 05/22/2008, -0/+20" I try my best to be fair and not hate Microsoft"

      Oh, go ahead and hate Microsoft. They've earned it.

      -jcr
    • robstpumprnickl, on 05/22/2008, -1/+0Isn't the article about the criticism of government mandates at the OS level and the possible benefits of looking more at application development? I don't find it odd that Microsoft is criticizing in this way since they would be impacted. They are at least stating support for OSS in other ways... oddly.

      I think the article / Microsoft is only looking at one side of the issue. If I understand what's implied, forcing everyone to use one OS is kinda narrow sighted and will inhibit choices of business. What happens when you want to license a part of a proprietary system that's required to operate your product or service or is a better investment in terms of operating cost? Seems like it would diminish the opportunities of their market.
  • TheFounder, on 05/22/2008, -17/+74Dear Microsoft ,

    I formated my hard drive to remove your bloatware Vista.. and installed my South African created Ubuntu... just so I could type a big ***** you on Digg.

    • legendxx, on 05/22/2008, -6/+47Dear TheFounder,

      Sorry, I couldn't read your comment due to the mountain of cash blocking my screen. I hope to see it by the time my grandchildren spend it all.

      Regards,

      Microsoft
      • Chassit, on 05/22/2008, -3/+18Is it the cash, or the fact that your computer doesn't work?
      • nmnnotmyname, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1Laugh now, But TheFounder just got that email in their inbox.
    • Hacktivist, on 05/22/2008, -2/+8Microsoft already made their money off you. How does installing Ubuntu hurt them now?

      "I paid them well over 100$ just to tell them I reformatted my hdd and didn't reinstall their software"

      You definitely win dude.
      • shethinkmefunny, on 05/23/2008, -0/+2It's a moral victory. Like buying a copy of the Wedding Crashers just so you can fast forward through it. or something.
  • OffPiste, on 05/22/2008, -23/+4I for one do NOT support South Africa and their racist policies. ALL men are created equal.
    • yetAnotherCroc, on 05/22/2008, -1/+12huh?
    • Chassit, on 05/22/2008, -0/+5Wow, we now live in the 21st century...perhaps you need to catch up.
    • akilleen, on 05/22/2008, -0/+4A few years too late methinks.
    • yetAnotherCroc, on 05/22/2008, -0/+2hm lets see. Apartheit has been abolished for 16 years now. They've had a black president for the last 12 at least (cant remember when the black population was allowed to vote but it was in the mid nineties sometime) Maybe you should pick up a newspaper or two and learn about the outside world.
    • OffPiste, on 05/22/2008, -1/+3God it's so easy to ***** with people on Digg.
  • Happy_Phantom, on 05/22/2008, -50/+12Stupid retarded Africans can't understand anything. Look at their out-of-control AIDS epidemic, their female circumcisions, their child-soldiering, their witch burnings, their genocides and poachings. They are incapable of not having psycho, syphilitic, corrupt tribal maniacs as their leaders. We ought to blockade the entire rancid continent.
    • BXRWXR, on 05/22/2008, -1/+20Stay classy, dude.
    • geehossiphats, on 05/22/2008, -2/+15Put the chair down Steve.
    • dhunwick, on 05/22/2008, -3/+6"Stupid retarded Africans can't understand anything. Look at their out-of-control AIDS epidemic, their female circumcisions, their child-soldiering, their witch burnings, their genocides and poachings. They are incapable of not having psycho, syphilitic, corrupt tribal maniacs as their leaders. We ought to blockade the entire rancid continent."

      Happy Douchebag, keep your stupid ***** to yourself.
      • Happy_Phantom, on 05/22/2008, -3/+1I don't think so, dumbwick. How about you plan and book online your safari in Rwanda or the Congo, rather than writing stupid comments on Digg.
    • Zoness, on 05/22/2008, -1/+7Get used to the idea of other cultures slowly but surely rising up in the world, welcome to globalization.
    • sovereign3, on 05/22/2008, -3/+6Sounds a lot like Europe in the Dark Ages.
    • jeriqo, on 05/22/2008, -4/+2Thumbed down, reported, and blocked.
      Magic Combo!
    • altjeringa, on 05/22/2008, -3/+5AIDS was on the decent until the U.S. started contracting out it's foreign relief to "Faith Based" organizations which refused to provide aid to countries that taught contraception or handed out free condoms.

      Female circumcisions and traditional Male circumcision are both brutal and disgusting.

      Most of the war and brutality of African nations is the result of European and American tampering. For instance the Rawanda crisis was a genocide committed by and on "ethnicities" that genetically and culturally didn't exist until the Dutch made them up. Most wars in Africa are financed by wedding rings and oil and all the arms used to fight them are provided by 1st world contries.

      So aside from being rude, racist, and in complete agreement with most of Middle Class America, you are exceptionally ignorant.
      • Happy_Phantom, on 05/22/2008, -3/+3I'm not racist, you fool. I never said blacks are inferior to whites and I don't think that. I have a problem with the idiot Africans. They are entirely responsible for their own stupid plight. If they learned how to farm and husband their land, they'd avoid all their famines. If just one of them picked up "Farming for Idiots," read and understood it, then passed it along as fast as average AIDS spreader, their famine problems would be solvable.

        You have no ***** idea about Rwanda. Blaming the Dutch for the Rwandan genocide is too stupid by far to reply to.

        Wedding rings? Oil? WTF are you writing about? Oh, and guess what, there are plenty of weapons sold to nations on other continents and those people don't regularly engage in atrocities of genocide. Who's ignorant now?
        • riah, on 05/22/2008, -1/+4Dude, you know geography and climate aren't the same everywhere, right? That's why some cultures progress more rapidly than others: resources. It's like we're running Crisis and they only have the hardware for Doom I (yeah okay, that was bad.)
    • solid12345, on 05/22/2008, -1/+4The irony is if you had replaced Africa with say, "Balkans" or "American South" another poor white area you'd get 100+ diggs from the reverse racist PC crowd.
    • nmnnotmyname, on 05/22/2008, -2/+1The guy works for Microsoft, what do you expect?
  • plundstedt, on 05/22/2008, -12/+12Why do we always refer to people in Africa as "Africans"?!? We generalize people from that continent worse than any other.
    • Calculon, on 05/22/2008, -0/+8I think you answered your own question.
    • insonh, on 05/22/2008, -2/+12ok lets start calling them New Yorkers

      happy now?
    • legendxx, on 05/22/2008, -1/+8And why do people call people from the US Americans?!! We are USA-inians. Seriously.. that was an incredibly retarded comment plundstedt.
    • wezman2, on 05/22/2008, -0/+3Um... Australians???
    • mistermaster, on 05/22/2008, -0/+14Even worse, we always refer to people in Europe as "European". Talk about racism!
    • StealthTomato, on 05/22/2008, -0/+7Holy crap. You're....you're serious, aren't you?

      C'mon now, say it with me.

      "Europeans are from Europe. Asians are from Asia. Australians are from Australia. Africans are from Africa."

      (note: don't get me started on the whole notion that "Americans" is a term used to describe US citizens. "Americans" is, and should be used as, a term to describe people from the Americas, North and South.)
      • Jambi, on 05/22/2008, -1/+2Until you find a better name for the United States of America, it's going to stay "Americans", because neither "USers" or "United Statsians" sounds at all pleasant.
        • br0ck, on 05/22/2008, -0/+2How about USians.. pronounced you-zhens?
      • Hacktivist, on 05/22/2008, -0/+2You forgot Lesbians from the Lesbos islands.
    • wtsy, on 05/22/2008, -3/+1you're blond aren't you?
      • origamistars, on 05/22/2008, -0/+2Hey... I'm blonde, and even I knew that.
    • JointVenture, on 05/22/2008, -1/+1I think what he meant to say was why do we call black people in America African Americans considering it is a continent.

      We dont call Italians EUROPEAN AMERICANS.

      • synik, on 05/23/2008, -2/+1Blame the African-American "sorry" industry.

        They deliberately continue to separate themselves from other Americans in an effort to get more concessions from government.

        All Americans should be referred to as "Americans", and nothing else.
  • Cryoniq, on 05/22/2008, -10/+5This is where we all call out "This is where you shut the frack up Microsoft!)
  • Jovensdesciple, on 05/22/2008, -47/+14There's a lot of ***** Africans don't understand. Here's a list : condoms, laws, how to get off crack, books, swimming, fire... Allright, thats good for now.
    • rowjimmy, on 05/22/2008, -5/+11african americans aren't african.
      get out of your own neighborhood for a week and see the world, jackass.
    • geehossiphats, on 05/22/2008, -7/+3links or it didn't happen.
    • toowired77, on 05/22/2008, -2/+1Here is something Jovensdesciple doesn't understand: How to stop being a coward. Do not hide behind the Internet. You are the type that can never say those things to an African face to face. Too many cowards on digg.
      • Happy_Phantom, on 05/23/2008, -2/+2If you said that ***** to my face I'd curb stomp you.
        • toowired77, on 05/24/2008, -1/+0I don't think you get the point. Hiding behind the internet to insult people is cowardly. I will not insult you on the internet because I have the courage to insult you face to face. Looks like someone already stomped on you.
      • Zettabyte, on 05/23/2008, -0/+3Lol. Internet tough guy.
  • CondoleezzaRice, on 05/22/2008, -13/+8What an insult to the Ubuntu contributors! Most of them are NOT African!
  • jc265, on 05/22/2008, -5/+6i thought the topic was talking about black people as a whole... man i gotta stop smoking weed.
  • plizard, on 05/22/2008, -15/+7this just in - microsoft is racist
  • flashingcurser, on 05/22/2008, -3/+4The upper management at microsoft probably forced him to tone down the real reason few south africans will benefit from OSS. South Africans already have Microsoft products for free, pirating is rampant in Africa. Most machines have windows on them and very few of them legal copies.
  • MooseFruit, on 05/22/2008, -12/+12Way to take the guy's comments out of context, *****. From his blog http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonmatusow/archive/2008/05 ...

    "South Africa has taken a most unfortunate position of late - the government has sought to put a political mandate in place for the adoption of open source software. I am against all technology mandates, and this one is no different. Ultimately, it constrains decision-making away from technology, solution quality, ROI on existing investments, people issues...in short value-for-money - all in the name of a political position. Worse, it is pushing CIOs into decisions that they don't want to make - essentially taking working environments representing huge investments and moving to untested, more expensive solutions."
    • SpeedSteamBoat, on 05/22/2008, -3/+5What? How was it taken out of context? I got nothing different out of reading that then the original article.
    • altjeringa, on 05/22/2008, -3/+2Don't see anything more enlightening in your blog extract except that either you don't know how to create a link or Microshaft doesn't know how to keep a server up.
      • jay019, on 05/23/2008, -1/+1LOL. They should have used an OSS server.
  • mikefitz2, on 05/22/2008, -24/+11Oh shut the hell up you bunch of pussy liberals. If you have actually done any research you'd find things like:

    "Galton claimed from his field observations in Africa that the African people were significantly below Anglo-Saxons' position in the normal frequency distribution of general mental ability."

    Why do you think they can't be taught how to use condoms properly? And you think they can contribute code to a piece of ***** open source software?
    • robstpumprnickl, on 05/22/2008, -2/+2This day and age it's taboo to acknowledge racial differences... they obviously exist. Look in the Guinness Book of World records and tell me that you don't see any. Just as our strengths are different, so are our weaknesses. We are more inclined to different diseases, birth defects, types of addiction as disposed by racial traits. I think it's ridiculous that the blanket of political correctness forces a homogeneous view of the world. At the same time I don't think it's ok to be rude or spiteful towards someone because of their race.
    • luchid, on 05/22/2008, -2/+3Wow, a racist, biggoted, redneck conservative. You fit the stereotype so well. Go watch fox news, make out with your cousin and chew on a block of lard. Ass.
  • Natnie, on 05/22/2008, -11/+3Sure is nice and racist.
  • solodan1000, on 05/22/2008, -23/+7how can you expect those monkeys to use a computer besides finding monkey porn?
  • Ratteler, on 05/22/2008, -4/+7"Oh Lawdy Lawdy Mizzah Matusow... Imza iz so glad you dun tookz da tihme to spainzizes to me how "free" mean bad.
    Yezzum Boss, I'ze iz glad you gotsizes my mind straight now."

    If you think THAT was racist... reread the article.

  • insanebrain, on 05/22/2008, -14/+9stupid racists.
  • geehossiphats, on 05/22/2008, -5/+14I learned programming (bash) on a Suse Linux box in college. After that I was able to teach myself php, perl and eventually javascript.

    I think Jason Matusow is out of touch with noobs. Oh, and my partner in my programming class was from Kenya. He learned faster than I did. Perhaps Jason Matusow is under the impression that "Africans" aren't capable of learning anything other than microsofts garbage.

    Shameful.
  • fuzzlog, on 05/22/2008, -4/+12Can you say FUD? Talk about insulting intelligence then try to sell ***** to people they just insulted. Of course, someone and a whole team of people out of South Africa who are lot smarter than M$ will ever figure already produced a small 'deep development product' that is a windoze killer and is already being felt at M$ as a thorn in their foot. The pain is growing. Ubuntu has M$ secretly shaking in their boots.
  • InspectorGadget, on 05/22/2008, -8/+3Mark Shuttleworth and Theo de Raadt are South African only in the technical sense of citizenship, rather than the colloquial ancestral sense...I'm not sure there's any "racism" going on here, contrary to the bed-wetting American left's usual knee-jerk reaction to such comments. Re-read the article: it doesn't say anything about South Africans as people, but focuses on the alleged failures of South African governments and educational systems.
    • lolwutpear, on 05/22/2008, -4/+2first intelligent comment on the article; i wish i could digg you more.
    • binarybyron, on 05/22/2008, -1/+6"Mark Shuttleworth and Theo de Raadt are South African only in the technical sense of citizenship, rather than the colloquial ancestral sense". What? There is only one sense of South African, that's citizenship. There are many white people born in Africa, I myself was born in Zimbabwe.
      • InspectorGadget, on 05/22/2008, -6/+1Exactly my point. People saying "Hurf durf how racist" are missing the fact that Shuttleworth and de Raadt are not ethnically, ancestrally, or genetically African.
        • grim42, on 05/22/2008, -1/+4That's the same as saying that white people (who are all of European descent) who were born in the USA are not ethnically, ancestrally or genetically American.
        • InspectorGadget, on 05/22/2008, -1/+1@grim42 - which would be TRUE.
        • chongli, on 05/23/2008, -1/+1Umm, wrong. All people, no matter where they live, regardless of skin colour, trace their ancestry back to Africa. It is an archeological fact.
    • Technohamster, on 05/22/2008, -0/+0If you ever listen to Mark Shuttleworth talk, you can immediately tell he's South African.
  • cotaskmemalloc, on 05/22/2008, -11/+9I don't understand FOSS. Seems like hardcore communism to me, always has. Whenever I bring that up, FOSS advocates claim up and down that it's nothing like communism, but have never been able to argue to me why it's not communism. Can anyone here do that?

    At the end of the day, I refuse to support FOSS because as a working software engineer, I feel that I should get paid for work that I do. It's not charity work. It's business. If other people want to do charity work, fine, let them. But cars aren't free. Food isn't free. I don't see why people feel software should be free. And don't give me the software freedom BS that the FSF spreads. I'm sorry, but I just don't believe that software freedom is an intrinsic human right. "But no, we want to be able to do anything with the software that's running on our computers" - I don't give a damn. You can't drive around and kill people with your cars.
    • scamper22, on 05/22/2008, -4/+4I dugg you up. I'm a software engineer as well and I wonder as well what the whole 'let's do it for free (as in beer)' people are thinking. It's like trying to be a barber trying to make a living, and there's a jackass down the street who decides to give haircuts for free just because he has some spare time. Jee, thanks buddy! Worse is that it is software...you only need to write it once and its there forever.

      I think the time I spend writing code has value. I shouldn't be begrudged for wanting to make money off my work. Making money from services and support is great, but I see so fundamental flaw in selling software for what it is.

      I really like licenses from people like QNX, who provide the whole source code, but still charge for a runtime license. That's really the ideal situation. Now we have web services, and they get around the open source issue quite nicely by hosting the services. I think this will provide us a new way to doing this and still being able to make money.

      • cotaskmemalloc, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1I'm not familiar with the licenses from QNX, but you've inspired me to google it.
    • luchid, on 05/22/2008, -4/+4FOSS != OSS
      OSS != GPL

      Educate yourself before talking nonsense.
      • cotaskmemalloc, on 05/22/2008, -2/+1When did I say anything about OSS or GPL? How am I talking nonsense? By injecting those things into your reply, you are talking nonsense. Read my comment before replying with BS.

        I'm quite aware of the differences. My point still stands for all 3, however.
    • skidzilla, on 05/22/2008, -4/+4I'm digging you both up, since although I and most people who use Linux/Firefox etc would disagree with you, you both make well written points.
    • rkthoadan, on 05/22/2008, -0/+6Why did Linus release Linux as OSS?

      Because he wanted it to be better!

      The benefit you get to using an OSS license is that your software gets better. If it's software you're writing for profit, then certainly you won't want to OS it. But if it's software to fix a problem you have and you don't have the need to sell it or the desire to handle the business end of things, then OS it will just get you a better tool in the long run.
      • cotaskmemalloc, on 05/22/2008, -3/+1I've seen no evidence that open source software is designed or implemented any better than proprietary software.
    • solid12345, on 05/22/2008, -2/+2I agree with you completely man. The irony is those who are most pro-open source are not coders and have never put any work into anything computer related. Most open-source developers have day jobs as programmers or engineers and do this in their spare time. I seriously doubt any coder would want his job to be gone due to open source. There should be a healthy mix of professional, pay software such as Photoshop and free albeit junkier applications like The Gimp. You get what you pay for.
    • BabyWookie, on 05/22/2008, -2/+1Yes, it is like Communism, in the original sense of that word and there's nothing wrong with that. Communism = true freedom:
      "In communist society, where nobody has one exclusive sphere of activity but each can become accomplished in any branch he wishes, society regulates the general production and thus makes it possible for me to do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticise after dinner, just as I have a mind, without ever becoming hunter, fisherman, herdsman or critic." - K. Marx

      ...but let me call you a waaaambulance.
      • cotaskmemalloc, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1It looks like it's capitalism that should be calling you the wambulance, not the other way around by the looks of the world today. Most of the world does not feel that communism is true freedom.
      • sprucegum, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1at least not Stalinism or any of its descendants.
    • sprucegum, on 05/22/2008, -0/+3I think you are confusing the meaning of 'free' in 'free software'. There are many programmers who program for free, and not all of them release their software under free licenses. Conversely, there are many programmers who are paid to produce and modify free software. Open Source is a licensing model that promotes collaboration and friendly competition. The proprietary model forces each company to 'reinvent the wheel'. Open Source is Capitalist, Democratic, Socialist, Communist, It is revolutionary, it is Monarchic, it is as diverse as humanity itself. It is unconstrained by border or currency, it is as fluid as water and as hard as Jade.

      • cotaskmemalloc, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1sprucegum, while I can't say I agree with you completely, and I think that I misspoke in my original post, as I'm not confusing the meaning of 'free' in 'free software', I applaud you on a well written reply. ++digg.
  • mikedoth, on 05/22/2008, -5/+4WTF ever, Bush doesn't even know what Open Source is.
  • brstilson, on 05/22/2008, -1/+7Honestly, stuff like this doesn't upset me. Microsoft has a vested interested against OSS, so it's to be expected that their spokesmen are going to say anything they can to stop people from using it.
  • InRussetShadows, on 05/22/2008, -3/+6Microsoft doesn't understand a lot of things, primarily UI design. Who are they to say that Africans don't understand coding? Bahahaha.
  • chroto, on 05/22/2008, -4/+8you are all a bunch of ignorant tools. If any of you read beyond the sensationalist title (or skipped the stupid bias article all together and went to the blog entry like I did) you would know that this isn't "brown people can't code sez M$ lol" Matusow talks about his opinion that the South African government is not utilizing OSS properly. That's all. No controversy. No racism. No Microsoft evil. learn 2 think.
    • mzx639, on 05/22/2008, -3/+4C'mon, you can't expect all the liberal Diggtards here to make sense.
    • rdmaxx, on 05/22/2008, -0/+2Your going to tell me hes not pissed hes not getting a money check from them?? Come on... He seen $$$$ not going into his bank account. Even if cost is associated with OSS its a fraction of the cost to get the same done the M$ way.
    • mikemx, on 05/22/2008, -1/+1linux freetards are the most narrow minded, spiteful, plain stupid scum there are that exist. They either can't read or choose to ignore the article and place their own crazed zealot interpretation on it. Most of the ***** linux taleban lynch mob spouting off here won't have even read the article..they just want to froth and beat their chests about the great satan.
    • sirhomer, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1“Deep dev of the core OS” was not likely to happen in South Africa where students were “still grappling with coding skills”, says Matusow. They are “not going to dive into the inner workings of Linux”, says Matusow.

      I don't see what that has to do with the South African government. He is directly attacking the South African people.
  • backslashHH, on 05/22/2008, -7/+8Ubuntu is as african as M$ is open source.
  • TheMachine1, on 05/22/2008, -2/+3I think what microsoft is saying is they have seen the best that China and India can deliver and they think Africa is less likely to contrubute more than those other markets have to OSS.
    • scamper22, on 05/22/2008, -0/+2yes, because you see China is still in the phase where it's people have to work for a living.
      They're not like people in the west who have accumulated enough wealth that they can just run around doing work for free.
  • Zoness, on 05/22/2008, -2/+5It's expected from Microsoft to say such comments since OSS is the bane of their existance, it may not be RIGHT around the corner but the rest of the world is globalizing and will be looking for ever-cheaper solutions for software and it's hard to beat free.
  • JasonCox, on 05/22/2008, -6/+9I have to agree with Microsoft. A majority of Africans dont understand OSS just like a majority of Americans dont either. Way to take this out of context.
    • IamnotacrookUK, on 05/22/2008, -2/+3I'm with you on that one.
      I'm guessing many haven't even read the article or have understood the background to it.
      Yeah, racism is wrong, but this is a statement taken out of context.
    • ZenMojo, on 05/22/2008, -0/+2Which is exactly why he followed his comment with "Humans don't understand OSS" because a majority of humans don't understand OSS.
  • kingmanic, on 05/22/2008, -1/+3For a second I thought it was Mike Matusow talking. It seems a big mouth runs in the family?
  • krets, on 05/22/2008, -1/+4Wait. Didn't he play Sloth in The Goonies?
  • gl3nk, on 05/22/2008, -6/+1Aficans are still trying to learn how to be more civil. Good luck with the coding.
  • totorototoro, on 05/22/2008, -2/+1Don't worry! Nicholas Negroponte and his fantastic open source OLPC project will prove them wro....nevermind :(
  • Fetching more discussions...
    Show 51 - 90 of 90 discussions
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.