MS in Peruvian open-source nightmare

The Register ^ | 05/05/2002 | Thomas C. Greene

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There's a letter circulating, purportedly from Peruvian Congressman David Villanueva Nuñez to Microsoft Peru, which cuts the heart out of Redmond's chief 'panic points' to chill those considering open-source migration.

Apparently, the Peruvian government is considering a bill mandating open-source software for all public bureaux. From the congressman's letter, we gather that MS had circulated a FUD communiqué calculated to frighten world + dog with images of collapsing domestic software markets, spiraling costs and systems migration nightmares. Villanueva Nuñez slices and dices with great skill to reveal the internal inconsistencies, unsupportable claims and irrational conclusions which the MS flacks trade in.

The letter provides the most thoughtful and thorough rebuttal we've ever seen to Microsoft's standard open-source terror boilerplate.

Click here for full article

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Linux good. Microsoft bad.

[AFreeBird]

Now you've gone and done it; B2K will have his panties in a wad over this.

Beware: Incoming M$ boilerplate / talking points / seminar caller, FUDraking.

[eno_]

I LIKE Microsoft products. But if I was doing IT for a government that had legitimate concerns about security, I would use Linux and other open source products, and I would be very careful about auditing every bit of code used in my networks. And I would monitor my firewalls (also open source) very carefully. And I would set up a "honeynet" to snag foreign 3l33t HaX0rz. And I would generate lots of disinformation.

And I would still worry. But using closed-source systems in sensitive government work is just nuts.

[boris]

Microsoft can afford to lose the Peruvian market. What, a hundred copies tops?...

Can Peru afford to be without the de-facto standard? It is to laugh.

Were I Bill G., I'd simply stop selling any software to Peru.

[PatrioticAmerican]

"But using closed-source systems in sensitive government work is just nuts."

Spoken like someone who hasn't been there.

[eno_]

I have been there. The rules are different for the U.S. Many of teh most important software companies are based here and run by U.S. nationals. If anyone inserted spyware in products sold to the U.S. government and it caused a security breach, the consequences are clear. For foreign governments, the rules, the tools, and the consequences are different.