Toolkit
Story: Microsoft: Africa doesn't need free software
Posted by: Nic I. (Friday 21 October 2005, 1:38 PM)
Africa does not want Microsoft! Trust it from a native.
It is common knowledge that ours is the poorest continent. So why, then, do the richest corporations want to colonise it all over again? For money! Shell, texaco, etc rape our land. Microsoft now want to strangle it.
All Microsoft is saying is that africans are stupid. We should invest in their product, because all other products, while being free (i.e. **nix), the "costs" involved in the long run make it more expensive. Are they saying then, that we are too stupid to figure it out? That we should use their "user friendly" products? I installed ubuntu the other day and was scared by how easy it is to use.
Yes, countries need the expertise to train their population to use linux. But the same goes for windows! The only difference is that after being taught a little bit of linux, you can get a hold of a crappy computer, install the a copy of whatever distro was handed to you when you finished the training, and create professional documents for their recently started business. All for the price of a few kW of electricity! Whereas, for windows you have to buy a high end machine, just to run it. Buy all the software that don't come with it. In other words, screw yourself over with debt.
I detest Microsoft purely for their corporate identity. They do put money into Africa, for training purposes. But, that is only because they know that every single student they are going to train will still need to buy a copy of their crappy os.
Full Talkback thread
Story: Microsoft: Africa doesn't need free software
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Dear ZD, Free and Open Source software are not the... Anonymous -
Linux isn't hard to use. Yes it's different t... Richard -
Of course cost is not an issue! With all... Some Dude -
You can sell people expensive software
and they ST... cyber_rigger
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Just the great M$ FUD machine at work...next they... Anonymous
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If you are going to introduce computers to someone... oldator
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There's Logic and there's MS logic. They're not th... deputydawg
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Sometimes I wonder if M$ is in a fantasy world. It... ThePriest
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Reminds me of an episode in Muppets show. The Drum... Goran
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Microsoft once again dominates the discussion by m... QuantumG
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This should have been titled, 'Microsoft: We Promo... Rodd Clarkson
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Oh thank you very much, Microsoft
In my experience... Paul Sephton
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Looks like we've come full-circle. In the be... Anonymous
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Another piece of FUD from M$. At the point using o... Andrij Zinchenko
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Microsoft should keep their corporate rant out of... Adam Brown
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What absolute nonsense.
I'm a South African living... Henry
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Fucking Stupid statement by Microshaft.
I'm p... Avender
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Africa does not need free software- AFRICA does no... Dr. T.
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Microsoft is arrogant, and they're about to begin... Anonymous
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Bullshit! I live in Africa,I've taught IT in Afric... Reme Verster
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Welcome to Microsloth Windoze.... the world's... M. Storm
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Africa is vast. There are so many areas that are n... Epa Mella
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MS people are very stupid. One thing is what they... LuisCipher
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Africa certainly doesn't need Microsoft software.... Phillip Soltan
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Great idea.
Racism aside, by the time MS considers... A. Lizard
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Hmmm Shall I eat or shall I buy the latest upgrade... Anonymous
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*laughs cynically* It's more like this, "train peo... Anonymous
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To this stupid declaration I just say:
Viva Mark S... Jean Ferri
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Africa does not want Microsoft! Trust it from a na... Nic I. -
This is exactly analogous to the ploy that MS... Matthew Fitzgibbons
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Microsft is terribly wrong fo thinking that Africa... Juma
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To have the expertise to use software they need go... Tawatchai Iempairote
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I am amused by the arguments made by the Nigerian... rayborn
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It is often said that many of the major problems i... bimbayo TM
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What you think you save now is usually what you ha... Arthur B.
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Ridiculous Microsoft.
No doubt that Africans will... Sensi
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Well maybe if they spent less time faking email mo... yea Right
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one question to microsoft.
wich would you use?
1.... Pierre Nyström
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Let us be honest about the differences between ope... MacIvan Davies
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Microsoft point of view carries no water - and sho... Daniel van Lill
