MS Pressuring NW Schools: Pay Up, Or Face Audit 870
razvedchik writes: "As reported in this article in the Portland, OR newspaper, The Oregonian, Microsoft is pressuring 24 school districts in the northwest to agree to their Microsoft School Agreement licensing scheme or undergo an audit in 60 days. Multnomah ESD, which covers the greater Portland area and has around 25,000 computers, has to either decide to accept the license at about $500,000 or undergo the audit which it does not have time to prepare for. Of significant interest is the fact that a significant majority of these schools are experimenting with using Linux. Multnomah ESD has its own thin-client Linux distro called K12LTSP."
Re:Slashdotted already! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:I still don't under stand (Score:5, Funny)
And if you dare refuse, then you MUST be a criminal because you have something to hide ...
end sarcasm
Re:Whatever happened to 'Innocent until proven gui (Score:5, Funny)
It has slowly mutated:
1) Innocent until proven guilty
2) Guilty until proven innocent
3) Guilty, period.
4) Guilty, and suggesting there may be such a thing as "innocence" is a crime too.
5) CBDTPA
I hope they pay... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:I still don't under stand (Score:3, Funny)
Wow. $cientology conducts audits...
Let's see... both have high powered lawyers to stifle any criticism; both have a tiered system that requires huge sums of cash to move up; both treat their followers cruelly while assuring them "it's in their best interest"; both make it difficult and even dangerous to "leave"...
Welcome to the Church of Micro$oft.
Excellent math from that school district (Score:2, Funny)
Quote:
What would it cost Portland Public Schools, which is already facing a $36 million shortfall, to sign that Microsoft School Agreement?
"A rough number? $500,000," Robinson said, "which translates, roughly, into 10 teaching positions."
The way I do math:
25,000 computers times ~$42 apiece equals just over a Million $
If this guy under-budgets everything by half, no wonder they are in the hole so much.
The Tighter You Close Your Fist, CEO Gates... (Score:3, Funny)
The more schools will slip through your fingers!
If schools weren't sure about using Linux, these Gestapo tactics will sway them. I think power has driven Gates insane. This is a stupid move.
Re:I live in Portland (Score:5, Funny)
"Hi Kids, today we are going to learn about Linux. We will do this by installing Linux on the computers you are using right now. Thanks to the friendly guys at (RedHat|Mandrake|SUSE|Debian|etc) we each have a CD on our desks. Please put it into the computer and power-on."
"Now we can learn about hard drive partitioning. See that picture which has a big red bar with FAT32 written in the middle? Select that with the mouse and press "Delete". That has got rid of Windows, and saved us a lot of money. Now click on "Defaults" and click on "Next" until it is installed, then reboot".
(Teacher now relaxes for the 10 minutes it takes everyone to install Linux) :)
Author acting undercover? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:This would be an excellent time. (Score:4, Funny)
Cue theme: Who ya gonna call?? Billll-BUSTERS, Billll-BUSTERS!
Re:Don't put all of your.... (Score:2, Funny)
Microsoft chairman and former CEO Bill Gates formally announced his candidacy today at the Seatlle King Dome. Addressing, the standing room crowd of over 120,000 Microsoft employees, Mr. Gates proudly proclaimed his run as the ultimate triumph of the greatest standardizing force the world has ever seen.
"From PCs, to the Internet, and now to the entire nation, we have and will continue to set the pace for doing business in the free world."
CEO Steve Allen gave what is becoming his standard stup speech: "Voters! Voters! Voters! Voters! Voters! Voters! Voters! Voters! Voters! Voters!" which sent the packed audience into a wild frenzy.
Technology insiders say Gates' chances of winning as good. His ability to threaten the withdrawal of his Windows license agreements from all desktops has many voters frightened of the consequences if Gates were to lose the election.
"If he doesn't win this year, he'll certainly take the 2012 race. By that time, .NET will be firmly entrenched and our power to bring down the entire Internet will be unstoppable," said Scott McNealy, lead technology analyst for Microsoft.
Re:Slow realization...but a sure one.. (Score:2, Funny)
The O in OSX.
NW Schools Negligent (Score:1, Funny)
First there reasoning is they can't audit computers. In this day and age, its almost a requirement to have auditing capabilities in deployed systems. Its nothing new, its nothing special and its a requirement ( in fact we had an insurer require it for a new policy.
Basically anymore you should be able to due and audit within a few days. Heck, we allow our users to audit software for a corporate portal we deployed....that way I don't have to run reports all the time
NW Schools need to get with the program. The problem they are having is they have been violating the licenses for years and didn't want to pay the piper. If you don't pay for it don't use it plain and simple.
Re:Local schools (Score:3, Funny)
Play for time (Score:5, Funny)
1. Switch all the PCs off.
2. Invite them in to do the audit.
3. If they ask you if a machine has Windows on, tell them no.
4. If they want to power up the machine, ask them how they intend to power it, as the school board doesn't sell or donate power to third parties.
5. If they want to take the PC away, point out the school policy on theft.
6. If they want to bring in a generator, point out the for safety reasons such equipment can't be used in school buildings.
7. If they want to remove the hard drive, point out the school policy on vandalism.
8. Goto 4.
By the time they've figured out how to see what's on the machine you can have Linux on a sufficient number that licenses will cover the rest!
Still haven't bothered with a