Recently, we reported on LibreOffice, accusing Microsoft of intentionally using complex file formats as a tactic to lock in users to Microsoft Office, hindering open source alternatives like LibreOffice. Now, Microsoft has banned LibreOffice developer, Mike Kaganski, from using its services, citing an “activity that violates [its] Services Agreement”.
According to Mike, this happened last Monday when he tried to send a technical email to the LibreOffice dev mailing list, which is a normal part of his routine, but Thunderbird returned an error saying the message couldn’t be sent. His account was blocked upon retry, and he found himself completely logged out of his Microsoft account…
Not really sure it’s ok for Microsoft to control people’s criticism of them.
It’s not surprising that Microsoft would try, because they’re assholes. It is really surprising that people just let them get away with it, vote for governments who would let them get away with it, etc
Of course it’s not okay but so what? People need to stop acting like they are living in some fantasy where moral has worth.
In this reality we live in laws are enforced with violence, in all it’s forms. So if you can’t enforce the change you want to see in the world, nothing will change. They have the violence, so they will use it. Of course they will use it. And they will never change the system in a way so they lose power because that would mean they lose their access to violence, which means they lose access to the ability to form the world the way they want. Why should anybody give up that power? It would be stupid. Almost as stupid as to expect them to give it up freely because it is better for everybody.
People are not interested in that stuff. Talk with the average person and they don’t know what is happening outside of their bubble.
Most people are just tired driftwood getting violated by the raging ocean waves. Their apathy is understandable.
What is not understandable is that someone who builds an alternative to a Microsoft product, knowing what scum they are, is still using their other product instead of alternatives that exist.
This is war. Of course they try to cripple your production.