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Microsoft Joins Open Source Usage Spying Program

M. D. Roe
Tue Jun 17 12:09:00 -0700 2008
Open+Standards.
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In a move to supposedly better support their userbase, Microsoft sponsors program that gathers information about adoption and usage of Free Open Source Software. Microsoft joined as a co-sponsor of the Open Source Census (OSC).  More information to better support those clients who use FOSS or is it really to better compete?

From OpenLogic's (the parent company of the OSC) team website:

Steven L. Grandchamp, CEO . . .

Steven also held various senior management positions with Microsoft including the application development segment of Microsoft Consulting Services. Steven spent the early part of his career in progressively responsible IT roles in the banking industry.

 

I'm sure that not all companies involved have ulterior motives but I doubt seriously that all involved don't.

Microsoft Joins Open Source Usage Spying Program
Bruce Perens
Tue Jun 17 13:20:19 -0700 2008
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The census is really rather rediculous, I'm afraid. Submissions are anonymous, so it's easy to stuff the ballot box. They don't keep or verify IP addresses. So, it ends up being a pretty good way to lie with statistics.

Microsoft Joins Open Source Usage Spying Program
M. D. Roe
Tue Jun 17 13:51:19 -0700 2008
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Makes sense to me, they could probably get a lot more out of the OSC in terms of disinformation than with critical or factual data that could be mined for better ways to compete.  The strategy of acquisition does not work for Microsoft when they deal with FOSS, so it's only inevitable that they pile on the FUD and lawsuit threats thickly.

I had never heard much about this group before reading this story.  Perhaps someone could do a story researching them and all of their sponsors.

Reminds me of the book I read in college by Darrel Huff called "How to Lie with Statistics".

Microsoft Joins Open Source Usage Spying Program
Bruce Perens
Tue Jun 17 15:50:03 -0700 2008
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Reminds me of the book I read in college by Darrel Huff called "How to Lie with Statistics".

Isn't that by Polya?

The company running the survey, OpenLogic, is legitimate. But they may be another Open Source support aggregation company that isn't working out too well and will take anyone's money no matter what the damage. The project is lame. Sorry OpenLogic folks, that's how I see it.

Bruce

Microsoft Joins Open Source Usage Spying Program
M. D. Roe
Tue Jun 17 16:14:57 -0700 2008
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(laughing to myself)  Don't hold back Bruce, tell us how you really feel!

 

The book is really awesome, I'm going to have to read it again sometime:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Lie_with_Statistics

Microsoft Joins Open Source Usage Spying Program
Bruce Perens
Tue Jun 17 17:15:12 -0700 2008
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OK, it's not by Polya.

There is a nice lady at OpenLogic named Stormy Peters who worked with me at HP. She's probably between a rock and a hard place as far as this is concerned. I used to work at SourceLabs, half-time and not as a founder because I was too busy being a dad to little Stanley to be a CEO. Sourcelabs attempted to fill the same niche of being an Open Source service aggregator, and we didn't get rich although they're still trying. And SpikeSource ended up doing a lot of Microsoft-related work instead of trying to fill that niche. So, OpenLogic?

It sounds as if HP and IBM are getting a lot of that business because they service hardware too. No finger-pointing.

    Bruce

Microsoft Joins Open Source Usage Spying Program
M. D. Roe
Tue Jun 17 17:33:08 -0700 2008
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Yeah, I saw Stormy's picture and read her information before posting this and thought the same thing actually.  Hmmhmm, no finger-pointing is understood.  Adoption of Free Software is not going to happen without involvement of business and commerce.

I work at a medium sized photography company in the I.T. department and I'm always trying to push Free Software alternatives to the closed tools that we use.  Effective even less when I start espousing in terms of my strong opinions against proprietary software and the social benefits of Free Software.  Not going to stop me from surrounding my cubicle with Free Software paraphernalia, cursing Microsoft all day, or telling people at work that they should GNU/Linux at home instead, though.

Thanks for the information BTW.

 

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