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Underground > Laboratory >

Kerala outs Microsoft

All Acting Regiment

08:41 / 15.09.06

The Marxist government of Kerala, India, is no longer using Microsoft products and is usingo nly free software and OS such as Linux and other things I don't know enough about.

Here's a link.

What do you think? It seems good from where I am.

14:38 / 16.09.06

I think it's a good thing. The Spanish region of Extremadura are doing a similar thing. Their local government said in 2005 -

Extremadura's regional government has repeatedly stated that open source software is key to the region's economic and social development. "The time of the industrial era, when discoveries were abusively capitalised and unfairly monopolised, is over," they declare. "A new model is necessary; a model which would allow the improvement of the lives of all citizens in Extremadura."

I see open source as being evolutionarily stronger than a single monolithic software package. More responsive to future threats and unforeseen challenges.

All Acting Regiment

09:12 / 18.09.06

It's good stuff, isn't it? This University I'm typing from has, at least, started using Firefox as standard on all computers.

12:33 / 18.09.06

I realy don't understand why the whole world isn't using Firefox by now. Better, free and available on all platforms. Just shows how little interest in computers actual real people have, even though they are using them all the time.

A question:If a company has bought the whole microsoft package, is there anything to stop them also installing something like Firefox and getting their employees to use it? Or is there some contractual support clause in the microsoft deal somewhere that forbids it?