An open letter to Steve Ballmer
Dear Steve,
Hi, this is François, from Mandriva.
I’m sure we are way too small for you to have heard of us. You know, we are one of these Linux company who is working hard to make its place in the market. We publish a Linux Distro, called Mandriva Linux. Mandriva Linux 2008, our last edition, has a pretty good review and we’re proud of it. You should try it, I’m sure you’d like it. We also happen to be one of the Linux companies that did not sign an agreement with your company (nobody’s perfect).
We recently closed a deal with the Nigerian Government. Maybe you heard about it, Steve. They were looking for an affordable hardware+software solution for their schools. The initial batch was 17,000 machines. We had a good deal to respond to their need: the Classmate PC from Intel, with a customized Mandriva Linux solution. We presented the solution to the local government, they liked the machine, they liked our system, they liked what we offered them, especially the fact that it was open, and that we could customize it for their country and so on.
Then, your people get in the game and the deal got more competitive. I would not say it got dirty, but someone could have said that. Your team fought and fought again the deal, but still the customer was happy with the CMPC and Mandriva.
We actually closed the deal, we took the order, we qualified the software, we got the machine shipped. To conclude, we did our job. And, the machine are being delivered right now.
Now, we hear a different story from the customer : “we shall pay for the Mandriva Software as agreed, but we shall replace it by Windows afterward.�
Wow! I’m impressed, Steve! What have you done to these guys to make them change their mind like this? It’s quite clear to me, and it will be to everyone. How do you call what you just did Steve? There is various names for it, I’m sure you know them.
Of course, I will keep fighting this one and the next one, and the next one. You have the money, the power, and maybe we have a different sense of ethics you and I, but I still believe that hard work, good technology and ethics can win too.
cheers
François
PS: a message to our friends in Nigeria: it’s still time to do the right thing and make the right choice, you will get lots of support for it and excellent services!
Et maintenant, pour les francophones (traduction par Caroline) :
Cher Steve,
Je me présente : François de Mandriva.
Je pense que nous sommes beaucoup trop petit pour que vous ayez, un jour, entendu parler de nous. Souvenez-vous, nous sommes une de ces sociétés Linux qui travaillent dur pour se faire une place sur le marché. Nous éditons une distribution Linux, appelée Mandriva Linux. Mandriva Linux 2008, notre dernière édition, a d’assez bonnes critiques et nous en sommes fiers. Vous devriez l’essayer, je suis sûr que vous l’adoreriez. Nous sommes aussi l’une des sociétés Linux qui n’a pas signé d’accord avec votre compagnie (personne n’est parfait).
Nous avons récemment conclu un marché avec le gouvernement Nigérian. Peut-être en avez-vous entendu parler ? Ils recherchaient une solution logicielle et matérielle abordable pour leurs écoles. La commande initiale était de 17,000 machines. Nous avions une bonne offre qui nous permettait de répondre à leur besoin : le Classmate PC d’INTEL, fourni avec une version adaptée de la solution Mandriva Linux. Nous avions présenté la solution au gouvernement local, ils ont aimé la machine, ils ont aimé notre système, ils ont aimé ce que nous leurs offrions, spécialement l’aspect ouvert et le fait que nous pouvions l’adapter aux besoins de leur pays et même plus.
Puis, votre équipe s’est jointe à la partie et le marché devint plus compétitif. Je ne peux faire de commentaires sur ce point mais certains pourront le faire. Votre équipe s’est battue et se battra encore, mais le client était satisfait du Classmate PC et de Mandriva.
Nous avons conclu le marché, nous avons compris la demande, nous avons qualifié le système et nous l’avons intégré à la machine. Pour conclure, nous avons fait notre travail. Et la machine est désormais livrable.
Maintenant, nous entendons différentes histoires de notre client : “nous allons payer pour les logiciels Mandriva comme prévu dans nos accords, mais ce dernier sera remplacé par Windows.”
Je suis impressionné, Steve ! Qu’avez-vous fait à ces personnes pour les faire changer d’avis ? C’est clair pour moi, et ça le sera pour tous. Comment appelez-vous ce que vous venez de faire ? Il y a plusieurs noms pour cela, je suis sûr que vous les connaissez bien.
Bien entendu, je continuerai à me battre cette fois et la prochaine et encore la prochaine. Vous avez l’argent, le pouvoir et peut être avons nous des définitions différentes de l’éthique. Je reste persuadé que le travail, les bonnes technologies et l’ethique peuvent aussi gagner.
Cordialement,
François
PS: message à nos amis du Nigéria : il n’est pas trop tard pour faire le bon choix, vous aurez beaucoup de soutien pour cela et des services excellents !
October 31st, 2007 at 11:41 pm
Probability, Steve spread around something about possible flaws, though, myself finds Windows has many more flaws, that I do not see in Linux. Otherwise, but only theory, government of Nigeria either fears that Mandriva may not live up to expectations or that it won’t not “look right”.
Only a timid guess.
October 31st, 2007 at 11:59 pm
The dirty bast*rds. they were probably paid to install windows, thats how these things usually go
Mandrake was the first distro I ever used back in the day
November 1st, 2007 at 12:43 am
Bast*rds! Always do the same with their fucking money…no use for ethics, ah ?
November 1st, 2007 at 12:48 am
[...] read more | digg story [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 12:49 am
Well, you know the old saying, “Money talks.” My guess is that the wonderful folks at MS probably made some arrangements so that high-level government chaps in Nigeria received a healthy stipend for agreeing to put Windows on these machines after they receive them. That’s business. Money is the great persuader.
Don’t worry Mandriva… your quality and dedications will shine through in the long run.
Signed,
a GNU/Linux user
November 1st, 2007 at 1:01 am
Stupid for Nigeria, now that South Africa uses Ubunta; they’ll surely get hacked.
November 1st, 2007 at 1:44 am
S. Ballmer is a ugly fox!
November 1st, 2007 at 3:03 am
Interesting… but if your wordsmithing skills are any indication of your salesmanship, I can understand why they changed their minds. This letter reads like a missive written by a six year-old on an etch-a-sketch.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:05 am
Part of getting your point across is using proper spelling/grammer.
“I’m sure we’re way too small for you to know me. You know, we’re one of these tiny Linux COMPANY working hard for our place on the market”.
It’s not hard to edit before you submit…
November 1st, 2007 at 3:16 am
Not to be a jerk, I’ve been developing on unix most of my life, and I think MSFT stole most ideas they’ve ever had, but I don’t see anything unethical with what Steve did. You still get your deal and your money. You might get less follow on support, but that’s business.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:16 am
Hey probably got them to fall for the ol’ Nigerian email scam…
November 1st, 2007 at 3:20 am
You can’t blame Steve Ballmer for your client changing their OS. Maybe there was a killer app that could be run only on Windows? Who knows?
I always wonder why Linux people are so hateful about Microsoft. I like Microsoft products because they work for what I want to do.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:27 am
I have no doubt that M$ coerced them, probably by bribery. That’s what M$ does. They sure aren’t getting my money.
–
The Digital Pioneer
A happy user of Arch Linux (http://www.archlinux.org)
November 1st, 2007 at 3:35 am
This letter needs to be followed up. I urge the readers to send this to your local attorney-general or comparable legal authority. In the US, Microsoft is currently under scrutiny for its past illegal business practices.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:39 am
Wait until they discover Windoze still runs on top of DOS and uses Winsock DLL for communications. ROTFLMAO
Fracois, don’t sweat it you did the right thing.
Cheers
November 1st, 2007 at 3:40 am
[...] Nigerian Classmate PC’s with Mandriva Linux to have MS Windows installed later. x men bondageread more | digg story RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI Cartoons Fans Lounge [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 3:44 am
As usual, the evil came and paid everybody who was really convinced that the beatiful and strong solution presented by François was the right one. Nigerian government is so corrupted that Steve decided to pay and they accepted it also they are so unprofessionals that they evaluated and decided for François’ solution at the begining and sudenly they changed.
François this is why the open source will never make it, your lack of value articulation is trying to be justified with the weak argument that MS paid. Is a shame to see how people does not assumes their responsibility when they fail demonstrating value and always are trying to hide it with this type of stupid letters.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:44 am
Well the Nigerian Government has ever right to put whatever, software on the machines they wish after they purchase them, regardless of who they worked with to work out the deal for a purchase. I am thankful for that as you will see below… HOWEVER, if I were them, I would hang on to a few copies of their linux distros, because if they are like me they will be so irritated by the flaws in the Micro$oft based OS that they will want to wipe their machines and install a linux distro on it, just like I have this former XP machine that now kicks buty with edubuntu linux… So yeah I am thankful we can replace the software that comes on our machines… else I would still be stuck on a windoze machine.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:48 am
For those who wish to report this, I have made a smaller URL for this page. It is: http://doiop.com/ballmer
November 1st, 2007 at 3:53 am
Don’t worry. Just wait until they try to run any MS Operating system on probably a 256k machine. Then they will have to run Windows software on it. Then they will have to get the 3rd party drivers for it. When it doesn’t run give them the MS Tech Support number in India. Then provide the restore disk with your Operating system.
November 1st, 2007 at 4:00 am
[...] racketeering schemes took place and gained steam with Xandros and Linspire caving in? Well, get a load of this open letter to Steve Ballmer: So we closed the deal [17,000 laptops with Mandriva] , we got the [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 4:02 am
François,
Why are you assuming that Microsoft did something underhanded? It could very well be the case that a deal with Microsoft is more viable for the Nigerian goverment in the longer run -
- Their products are tried and trusted. Yours is still an unknown quantity.
- Their customer support is supposedly very good. How about yours?
- Maybe the TCO for Microsoft’s solution is lower than your solution.
I’m in no way taking sides. But you must be willing to accept the possibility that Microsoft could have presented a better long term deal for them.
-Anonymous
November 1st, 2007 at 4:09 am
[...] de ler uma carta aberta ao Steve Ballmer, escrita pela [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 4:23 am
Hey, that’s business. Besides, you sold your product, made a few contacts, and don’t have to worry about the added expense of supporting your software since it won’t be used. I wish I was in your shoes. Quit whining about the competition, keep making great products, and win over some new customers.
November 1st, 2007 at 4:30 am
My condolences, this is utterly contemptuous. How Microsot can interfere with the whole world like this is unbelievable.
The only answer I can think of is keep making the best software out there. (and maybe the best viruses too. ) Those bastards have been doing corrupt thngs with the ISO as well.
II for one will be happy to see them sheared and destroyed someday.
November 1st, 2007 at 4:49 am
Nigerian citizens should be informed or notified or something, this is a terrible case of money misuse.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:09 am
Hello François,
You know you are doing something right when Microsoft has to pull these stunts to try and compete with you. Of course, the biggest victims are the Nigerian students who will now be deprived of a superior set of learning tools (Mandriva 2008 really rocks!).
Anyway, please stay the course. Pretty soon Microsoft will get rid of the middle man and just start sending you checks directly to not ship your superior products (at that point, please rip those checks up!).
Cheers and thanks for fighting the good fight!
November 1st, 2007 at 5:10 am
Without the ‘why’ to distract…the fact that a PC was purchased with preinstalled Linux but will then be erased (probably before the 1st boot) and have Windows installed seems balanced.
I reverse that process dozens or more times every year. I have more copies of XP that have never seen a post-consumer boot than not.
The support contract would be a real loss…bummer.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:12 am
MS is like a drug dealer, they give you your first taste for free then you must pay and pay and pay
November 1st, 2007 at 5:26 am
The implication here (may be?) is that Nigerian officials were bribed to install windows. It is a crime (rather than a civil violation, like monopolistic actions) under US law to bribe the citizen of another country.
Consider providing facts to the FBI.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:29 am
Wonder if any of those government officials need help getting their “stipend” money out of the country
November 1st, 2007 at 5:29 am
Very gutsy!! Even though I don’t use Linux, I know for sure that microsoft just want to tie these countries with proprietary software, and in the future switching microsoft will own them. I wish the best of luck to linux, I really hope that it spreads all around the world. Cause, of all people, they need to begin with os that is reliable, stable, affordable, and powerful to help them to catch up.
Microsoft may give them os’s that are powerful and cheap now, but what will happen if microsoft changes that.
No I like windows xp, and I still believe that countries that need to catch up shouldn’t be using proprietary software. Sure open source software requires a little greater learning curve, but once these countries school systems, and governments get used to open source software, it will give enumerous benfits.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:35 am
[...] http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:41 am
You know, if you have something to say you should just say it. Especially if you’re going to write an “open letter”.
Instead, you go on to accuse Steve Ballmer of … something that’s apparently unspeakable. If you have evidence that Microsoft (because I’m pretty sure that Steve didn’t do anything personally) did something unethical, say so - otherwise you just appear to a whining, crying little kid who’s pouting because you didn’t get your way. What a way to drum up business.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:44 am
Is there anyone who wants to stand up ? I mean how long will support that kind of bullying ?
Where are the civil society organizations and NGOs, aren’t they supposed to fight against corruption and fairer markets, or are they simply hiding because they get their licenses for free ?
November 1st, 2007 at 5:50 am
God bless the Linux community, you guys make my world go around.
So Microsoft won this round by cheating. That’s okay, we’ll win out in the end when they realize that Windows isn’t what they’re looking for.
I am not a Mandriva user myself, but I highly respect this move by François.
Long live Linux.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:54 am
You did get your money from Nigerians…?
why are you pissed now…?
Once you sold something, and u got your money, I am not sure how can u blame anyone.I mean the PC is their’s now, they are free to install whatever crap they want to..sont you think…?
November 1st, 2007 at 6:02 am
[...] November 1, 2007 Posted by Ankur in Linux, Stuff, Windows. trackback I found this on the Mandriva Blog today a must read :– Dear [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 6:18 am
Microsoft is a dirty cia. Just a stupid goverment can do something like this, sorry but the fact talks for themselves. Windows is an super insecure OS if you can name it OS.
November 1st, 2007 at 6:42 am
There you go, yet another Nigerian scam….
November 1st, 2007 at 6:42 am
Wow, playing hardball for Nigeria. For Mandriva, a contract like that is great. For a company the size of Microsoft, it almost seems desperate? It’s clear to me that the days of MS dominance are numbered.
Who knows, maybe the Nigerians will just screw over Ballmer in turn, and not bother installing Windows. Here, we’ll take your bribe! Thanks.
If they do install Windows, well, they get what they deserve. I just feel sorry for all the kids in Nigeria that otherwise would have had a chance to learn a real OS, with a future.
November 1st, 2007 at 6:49 am
Who says they are paying for Windbloze? Probably using pirated copies anyway.
November 1st, 2007 at 6:58 am
Seems to me that Nigeria likes slow computers, virii and general poor ethics.
Windows seems like the right choice for that nation..
I wouldn’t worry, chances are they will come back to you and ask you to re-install linux. Then you can charge a consulting fee.. Make them pay for it.
November 1st, 2007 at 7:15 am
No offense, but sounds like you got outsold. It happens. Learn from it. Whining about is pretty useless. Welcome to the big leaugue.
November 1st, 2007 at 7:22 am
Nothing can stop open source software. Not Steve, not fear,not money.
It is a trend that can’t be stopped; Instead it should be embraced to help people learn about computers, make their companies work better, interface with other systems and earn a living wage.
Keep going, keep going, keep going, you will prevail.
And don’t forget to have fun along the way.
Cheers,
Thomas
November 1st, 2007 at 7:30 am
Ha ha ha.
If there’s anybody in the world that deserves the crapware that Microsoft sells it’s the Nigerians.
Perhaps they heard that if they buy the systems with Microsoft now, as soon as the check clears the international banking system they would be able to get a refund of 96 bazillion dollars from Microsoft for helping them move the money out of the country.
November 1st, 2007 at 7:43 am
Well, i think if all of the linux communities on earth would work all together and make a linux distro that is all what microsoft can offer and for free. I would be the first one to celebrate microsoft bankrupt. I always hated steve balmer cuz he just cant manage a company well. He should loose he’s job. I can’t wait for Ray Ozzie to take the place of Bill Gates, he will be the one to kill windows OS and go open source. I’m leaving an invitation to all hackers of the world to UNITE and do something against microsoft and their evil monopoly. Bill and Steve, YOU wont ever convert me to your poor products. They are incompatible most of the time. Too much problems, we don’t have the time to produce on our computers, we spend most of the time fixing bugs and hack the shit for making apps to work with windows. I am tired of all this. Microsoft JUST DO YOUR DAMN JOB RIGHT !!!!
I am proud to be a linux user and i’ll die as a linux user.
November 1st, 2007 at 7:52 am
Mandriva Guy, Great blog, and steve ……. karma will strike back, mark my words.
November 1st, 2007 at 8:09 am
If I am not mistaken, Nigeria is one of the hotspots of scam mails and spam. With 17000 windows machines ready to be usurped into a botnet, that will only get worse. Good deal, Nigerian government. Instead of trying to help your country develop, it has taken one more step towards being ruled by criminals. For now, we already know their names…
November 1st, 2007 at 8:36 am
Although it’s certainly cause for getting pissed off, this is a tactic of desperation. If MS has to *pay* people to use Windows, or give it away nearly free (as they did in China) it’s a sign that their empire is crumbling. If the quality of their OS continues to degrade (as it has with Vista), they won’t even be able to bribe people to use it.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:07 am
It’s nice that Nigerian Government used Windows on their machines. Government should use an Insecure O.S. so hackers and virus programmers can enjoy banging that 5tup1d Windows again and again. Nigerian should be very afraid that Africa uses a Linux Distro.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:13 am
[...] works to hold off Linux adoption by any means available http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ « elÅ‘zÅ‘ | Finbar Dineen — 2007. 11. 01. [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 10:03 am
This is business. You won’t win anything by whining. Try harder.
By the way, when you’re saying that MS has no ethics you’re also implying that the Nigerian government, with whom you were trying to do business, doesn’t have either since they accepted Microsoft’s deal.
November 1st, 2007 at 10:20 am
Because he cares. It’s not just about making profit. The problem is that this is a ridiculous move - if they wanted to use Windows, they ought to have bought it in the first place. This just emphasizes Microsoft’s unjust dominance, that’s the problem.
November 1st, 2007 at 10:25 am
[...] Carta abierta de Mandriva a Microsoft [ing]blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ por ibaed hace pocos segundos [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 10:35 am
I wouldn’t worry about it. Wait until they install windows on those fast, stable machines and realise what a lot of us have known for a long time.
Windows simply sucks.
If somebody installed Windows on my machine i’d be angry.
November 1st, 2007 at 10:38 am
It is simple. The kids are learning on a M$ OS, and later, they will use it at home … becouse they know it.
…
November 1st, 2007 at 10:40 am
There are rumours that the son of the ex-president of Nigeria, Obasanjo is responsible for this. This son is on the payrol of Microsoft.
November 1st, 2007 at 10:50 am
[...] you over. New Nigerian Classmate PC’s with Mandriva Linux to have MS Windows installed later.read more | digg [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 10:57 am
Microsoft rules. Mwuahahaha
November 1st, 2007 at 11:03 am
Well, as a dedicated Linux enthousiast and still being a friend of Mandriva Linux I certianly regret the way things went with this deal. I am sorry for the poor people who will use those machines, instead of benefitting from a superior OS they will have to use Windows.
But what I am really sorry for is this “letter”! It reads like the letter a little helpless and crying boy may write home after he was bulllied around by the older boys in his boarding school. Please, François, wipe your nose and face reality: this is a very very normal business deal. If you can’t sell your product in the first round, try second round with better means and a better strategy. That’s what Ballmer did, and succeeded.
One more: don’t you have a native English speaker to proofread your output? This letter is very embarrassing for someone having been related to Mandriva.
November 1st, 2007 at 11:10 am
I pity all those folks who honestly think about, or bring MS and Quality/Trust/Predictability into one sentence, without a “not” in it
You can not trust MS. Ask all their former partners or customers. MS is proven and predictable - makes me laugh. Quality products? They even managed to bloat the stolen ideas and products.
However we live in a capitalistic, unfair, dirty reality, where the stronger will win and not the better one. The only hope for Free and OS software (besides adopting MS-like dirty tactics) is to outwit MS, to be way smarter!. GPL3 is a shining example.
Lets assume the MS made a deal before the Mandriva. They surely would have obliged the Nigerians to use MS software and explicitly and only the MS software. They would bind them by several contracts, that also force them to use only MS support, services, etc. MS obviously can not understand how anyone could dare to use a PC without one of their OS-es on it!? We can consider us lucky they did not come with a PC tax yet
regardless of using Firefox instead of IE, or Linux instead of Windows 
Mandriva could also easily have done it that way. But that is all that the Linux community stands against. And that is why they don’t stand a chance against MS.
They can only try to be smarter and to make really good products (instead of only advertising them as good). Btw. a bit of good advertising would probably help, too.
They (Linux/GNU/OS community) should be the first to innovate, and also protect their innovative ideas from MS patents. And the users should finally begin to think and not only to consume what’s said to be good.
Linux, despite the obstacles, is actually gaining the market share. We still can hope and wait for an exciting future .
November 1st, 2007 at 11:13 am
This is my humble contribution written in spanish to this campaign against the Evil.
Best regards to all the Linux Community!!!
November 1st, 2007 at 11:22 am
You did get your money from Nigerians…?
why are you pissed now…?
Once you sold something, and u got your money, I am not sure how can u blame anyone.I mean the PC is their’s now, they are free to install whatever crap they want to..sont you think…?
You don’t get it, do you?
He is not pissed about the money! At least not as much as he is pissed about their helplessness in this fight.
MS is the one who is trying very hard to CONTROL you and to forbid you the use of anything except windows. They (MS) don’t think that U are free to install anything you want. Luckily, US-laws reacted as they tried to put that idea into practice.
Lets assume you wanted to by a PC without an OS or (God forbid:)) with a Linux on it, a year ago. I’m sure you would have had a very hard time finding one.
MS tried to forcefeed you with their OS by bundling the windows with all new PC-s.
Luckily they were stopped on time.
Mandriva / Linux could very easily beat MS in no time, only by adopting their dirty tactics, but that is what they are actually against.
They could oblige the Nigerians to use only Mandriva, but they did not. Now, how fair is it??
November 1st, 2007 at 11:24 am
If a so-called “customer” had done that to me, I would let them receive all of what was coming to them: Windows. I would let them enjoy their lovely, blue-screened, unstable, unsecure operating system. Let the poor be poorer.
Mr. Ballmer is not the only one who violated business morality, it takes two to tango. Let the world spread of Nigeria and Mr. Ballmer’s business practices and find a better, smarter country to support.
Do you really want to support such despicable people, or play their game?
November 1st, 2007 at 11:47 am
F*ck you, Steve Ballmer!
November 1st, 2007 at 11:58 am
[...] Intel Classmate PCs that were being supplied to the Nigerian Government. However, according to a highly-charged open letter to Steve Ballmer on the Mandriva blog, Microsoft muscled its way into the deal. "Then your people entered the game and the deal got [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 12:16 pm
Well,
Firstly let me say, what microsoft does is equivalent to what scumbags do.Secondly one thing that microsoft dosent but the linux community have is dedication
November 1st, 2007 at 12:24 pm
We already got enough SCAM from Nigeria.
Thanks Microsoft for those new 17000 new windows Zombie PC that will flood us we SPAM.
November 1st, 2007 at 12:35 pm
I’m sure he paid the nigerian politics, but they may even gave MS Windows for free. The reason is to get another country to become windows-dependant. If you make people to use Windows, they will use Windows at work because that’s what they know and they will get to pay for that.
M$’s moto is “let’em piracy our SW for personal use, and so we’ll make cash from their comercial use.”
November 1st, 2007 at 12:39 pm
[...] Bancilhon ha publicat al blog de Mandriva la següent carta oberta Steve Ballmer,President i “Ceo” (president executiu) de [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 1:01 pm
[...] Impresionante carta abierta de François Bancilhon a Steve Ballmer. [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 1:05 pm
I wouldnt worry about this, windows is a sinking ship, well vista is anyway, i work in the IT industry and Vista is pretty much a bad word, with Russia aiming to be windows free by 2009 (govt policy) and china and japan changing all thier schools to linux, windows vista has killed microsoft, DOT and DOD in the US, the NHS in the UK, have ALL stated they WILL NOT USE VISTA, and about time as soon as linux and other open source software is as popular as windows these big corporations wont be able to hold us all back with thier locked down software, the more linux and such OS’s catch on the more people will see how much more powerful they are than windows, job done, Thank You Vista!! (possibly the worst OS in the history of OS’s, and before you say, windows ME may BSOD everytime you blink, but it still runs faster than vista!!!)
November 1st, 2007 at 1:08 pm
[...] chega de conversa, podem ver esta carta aqui, mas está em inglês. Para quem não perceber nada de inglês podem usar o Google translate. mas [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 1:21 pm
[...] http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Just one gripe…
Before you send out these letters, you should have someone check your grammar and spelling.
It’s a lot more powerful of a message to read if the letter is professionally written and the prose is proper.
I get the context of the message, but found myself cringing a couple times.
November 1st, 2007 at 1:27 pm
Just a note on corruption.
A company paying officials to ensure that they get their product isn’t a “desperate move”
Here is the plan:
1. Give money to the official
2. The official decide to buy your product at a higher cost
3. ????
4. Profit
The higher cost is on the country.
Nothing specific to Nigeria
Now, I have no idea if it is what happened.
A reason (true or untrue, but which will be as a justification if bribe was indeed used) is the “R&D” (hardware, software) investment that M.S. can pull: creating a viable ecosystem vs a niche.
They can pull that stunt because their system isn’t managed with the same tools, so the student who learn windows supposedly won’t be able to manage linux (the non-standard and incompatibilities aspects (at least perceived as such) are a boon, because Microsoft can easily provide a full answer (they will certainly play down the existence of samba, apache or any standard product which would allow to create a foothole for alternatives).
November 1st, 2007 at 1:33 pm
BTW, François
Have you considered contacting the DGSE? If an official is asking that you counter a bribe (in a subtle way), they’ll be able to help (at least some counsel, if it’s a serious bribe or just a scam).
November 1st, 2007 at 1:42 pm
[...] Winfuture berichtet, hat Mandriva Boss Francoise Bancilhon in seinem Blog Microsoft und Steve Ballmer scharf attackiert. Grund für diese Attacke ist, das sich Nigeria [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Ok this is actually funny, a company makes a sell then cry’s because another company came in behind them and sells their product, well too bad. The Linux community will always cry about microsoft say they steal their ideas, while they peddel a product Open Source Linux which come in so many versions that you never really know what you are getting, every user is not a computer geek and wants to take the long road to a end goal. Mabye you are a small company and Steve did not know who you were because you spend time Blogging about how could Steve Ballmer do this to you instead of telling how good your product is and working hard on the next sale, no other company is gonna look out for your best interest not Microsoft, Apple, or even Red Hat you must first beat other Linux Builders before you look to take on microsoft.
November 1st, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Nigeria should have selected OLPC …Windows is so bad and heavy that it can not even run on the XO.
November 1st, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Well… Mandriva = Mandrake + Conectiva. Conectiva wasn’t the most ethical company in the world. Imagine that in Brazil.
We’re used to say that “unless proven otherwise, you’re one of them”. Don’t believe in companies, most of them will do anything to get everywhere. Including Mandriva.
With that in mind, come on François! Haven’t you spread some FUD around so you can get that big time contract? That’s what business is all about.
November 1st, 2007 at 2:15 pm
printed!
go on fighting! thank you!
November 1st, 2007 at 2:20 pm
You should realize too, that Intel probably had a lot to do with this. They are equally as slimy as Microsoft, especially in the division responsible for the classmate PC.
November 1st, 2007 at 2:26 pm
With something like this, M$ has probably paid the government or offered something in return. I have been a long time linux user; Madrake 8 was my first romp with linux and ive loved it ever since. Mandriva is an amazing OS much better than windows (ive been with them since 3.1 and the DOS days).
Windows imho is not a good OS for these systems, it is a huge memory and resource hog, i mean install it on a 3 year old system and then compare its performance with linux on that system, its just plain reason that you need a system specifically built for these pcs and not a dumbed down version of windows.
Microsoft’s crooked ways probably went something along the lines of “Madriva stole our IP to build its OS if you use it we’ll sue you”
I hope you guys fight it and win, you have an amazing product and even though im an Ubuntu user, you will always be my favorite OS, also awesome job on Metrissa!
November 1st, 2007 at 2:33 pm
cheaters!
November 1st, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Foreword: I am NOT an advocate of Microsoft’s business practices or products. Really. I sell enterprise “middleware” products that directly compete with them. I know where you’re coming from, but reacting as you have _in a public forum_ is not productive.
I’m sorry, but this kind of “open” message is not what I would expect from a responsible executive who is respectful of his customers and looking to grow a business. All you’ve achieved in posting this is to tarnish your own reputation.
1) Why not ask the Nigerian government instead of targeting Microsoft? Ultimately, it was the customer who chose the product.
2) This letter fails to relate any meaningful argument for use of your product or service. It paints you as the loser in a battle against a business with market power and substantial assets. Those two points might be the very ones that won Microsoft the contract.
3) It’s obvious you’re upset, but it’s never a good idea to write in anger.
4) As a leadership figure you can’t get visibly upset like this. It’s bad for company morale and tends to turn away customers. Leaders don’t focus on problems - they focus on solutions.
If this kind of tone and lack of respect for your competition and customers is typical for the way you conduct your business you should consider hiring professional sales and public relations groups and _step away_ from public forums. Let them act as a guiding force to channel your passion in a focused, constructive way.
All you’re doing is fostering the perception that Mandriva (and, sadly, the rest of we “linux kids”) are arrogant and disrespectful. That makes it very difficult for the rest of us to compete with groups like Microsoft and achieve a sale.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:03 pm
Would you entrust your country’s educational computer future to a company whose CEO writes whiny unprofessional conspiracytheories on his blog? I sure as hell wouldn’t.
Even if bribes were made (and I’m just saying hypothetically ‘if’), the reality is that for this to have happened somebody must have seen value in a Microsoft solution over your ware. It’s your fault for not being able to convince the customer otherwise, not Microsoft’s for behaving like a business.
Grow up.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Sounds like Nigeria is installing windows to further their 419 Scammers. If everyone uses windows then they can install back door government spyware to catch them.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Bob,
I’m sure he got outsold because Microsoft offered the products for negative cost + a free support contract or some such.
If you see no problem with a convicted monopoly engaging in this behavior in the developing world, I hope you enjoy the coming depression in your economy :).
Cheers!
Mark
November 1st, 2007 at 3:07 pm
[...] fan al categoriei/tag-ului “wtf”, dar era cât pe ce să-l folosesc aici. Motivul este scrisoare deschisă către Steve Ballmer a lui François Bancilhon, CEO-ul de la Mandriva, o distribuÅ£ie destul de populară de Linux [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Hi,
I read some of the comments, not all, so please excuse me …
How it happens here in my country (Bulgaria) the deal with MS… The deal was closed, w/o any competitors to be invited. The Govermentals buyed the licenses (30 000 pcs.) on the prise like you can go to the closes shop.
The problem is not only, and not mainly in MS, the problem is in people living in the country.
If you ever know how strange are people sudied in the komunist schools, you will understand the problem.
P.S.:
I do not use Mandriva, but every news regarding people who use Linux, spend effort to improve the quality of the freedom is interesting for me. I hope Nigerian customer will do their best not to spend money to MS, but for their own software ingeneers to develop this so called “killer apps”.
Wish you well Mandriva!
November 1st, 2007 at 3:13 pm
GOD Damn Linux. To hell with Linux and Open Source!!!! Long Live Microsoft!!! Linux is worthless crap
November 1st, 2007 at 3:15 pm
I love it when people get all emotional. One that was particularly gratifying was Ryan who penned this “Part of getting your point across is using proper spelling/grammer.” The irony of his awful spelling and syntax is pure joy!
November 1st, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Wait a minute …. you’re getting paid for your software, right? And then, MS is going to install Windows instead of your software, and the support calls for these machines go to MS, right?
So you’re getting paid, and you’ve got no support obligation????
Shoot, I’d send Steve a Christmas card. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:15 pm
For those of you saying, “That’s just business,” consider that there *was* a competition for the contract, where Mandriva and MIcrosoft gave it their best shot, and the Nigerian government chose Mandriva on its merits. Microsoft lost.
But to have the game changed after that competition — that takes influence and power beyond normal business, so I sympathize with Mandriva on this one.
As for François, spelling and grammar, I would bet that Steve’s writing in French would not be very polished, either.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Since i discovered mandriva in 97 i never switched OS and i work with other OSsses at work. So what can be said, it was business as usual, see the movie blood diamond, in that movie they have one expression about Africa, i guess it is “This is Africa!” to mean that is a chaotic place that is governed by guns and corrupt leaders. Don’t expect anything different from that.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:17 pm
[...] de la carta abierta que François Bancilhon, Presidente de Mandriva Linux, hace a Steve Ballmer de Microsoft con [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 3:17 pm
Mandriva won a contract fair and square. The goods a being delivered, and all of the sudden, without explanation, the client changes it mind.
Oh sure!
Microsoft had _nothing_ to do with that. Obviously it has to do with Francois writing quality and the fact that the Nigerian government woke up and realized that they should have gone with Windows from the very start.
I can’t believe the amount of poster who assume that Microsoft had nothing to do with this. Wake up folks! Microsoft made is mandatory that they _cannot_ allow Linux to win anywhere in the world and will go to any ends to ensure that this is the case.
Francois, you have my support and backing. In fact, I’m heading to the Mandriva store right now, and I’ll happily purchase a copy of Mandriva to support you.
Enough of this despotism in the world of computing. We need choice and freedom.
– J-F Bilodeau
– Proud Linux user
November 1st, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Do you suppose, it’s just possible, that maybe they’d rather use a better product? Pretty obvious, if you ask me.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:23 pm
To all those who are making comments about the author’s spelling - don’t forget, the guy’s mother tongue is french. I’d like to see how well you’d do writing something in a different language.
And to cp - yes, this stinks. It reeks. Corruption does that. If it walks like a duck …
November 1st, 2007 at 3:27 pm
A shame, Steve more than likely through in *free* windows for each machine in return for a long term support contract, of course that doesn’t include productivity software, that will be an unpleasant extra.
On the grammer/spelling, I suspect knowing that François Bancilhon more than likely speaks English as a second language and this post was a convient translation for Steve and the lazy lot of US (or is that U.S. ?) I appreciate the effort as its better than a Alta Vista translation but agree that communication at this level needs to be clean and precise.
Best of luck with these folks, they will do whatever is necessary to get their products into the hands of people that they see as a developing market.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:28 pm
through, or threw…. doh.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Is this your commercial strategy ? Complain each time you lose a deal.
MS softwares are almost free in emerging markets (http://www.microsoft.com/emerging/default.mspx) , you ‘d better spend your time and energy on improving your products.
Compete, don’t complain.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Will they install Vista and increase hardware requirements, or do what they don’t allow me to do (replace it by XP) ?
November 1st, 2007 at 3:32 pm
begin troll:
So I began in DOS 3.3, then i upgraded to 5.0 , 6.0 windows 3.1 … windows NT, 95, 98, me, xp, with some linuxes, redhat, slackware, etc in the middle and then i finished my OS evolution in Mandrake, that latter became Mandriva.
I paid for all the hardware/software from my pocket in between all those evolutions. And now those ugly, poor, ignorant, future scammers africans kids will get a free laptop that would come with the best OS i found until today for free ?!?!? NO WAY !!!! Make them known that evolution doesn’t come for free ! GIVE THEM VISTA !!! Make them know that evolution has a path and a price ! Leave them to suffer with Vista light with DRM and crippleware, don’t forget to install norton antivirus and WGA. After that when they think that they can live well without computers offer them slackware linux, them give them gentoo, and when they understand the evolution of the OS finally let them install Mandriva.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Hey, maybe the TCO of Windoze **IS LOWER** in this case. Of course, since Linux is free, that would mean that the cost of Windoze would have to be LESS THAN ZERO …. M$ is now paying people to use Windoze … wow!
November 1st, 2007 at 3:34 pm
hey its Nigeria…. they are probly gonna put hacked windows on it!!!
and spam the hell out of Steve!!
November 1st, 2007 at 3:34 pm
Don’t worry the will get what they disserve. I hope they get hacked up the wazo!
They will spend a fortune just buying applications to protect it.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:35 pm
[...] Classmate PC’s with Mandriva Linux to have MS Windows installed later. wonder woman assread more | digg [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Nigeria, a country that wants to leave all the miseries affecting the zone, choosing MS Windows as their solution for teach their students, hmmm…
And what would be teached to his students? How to find bugs? How to not make an operating system? How to not do the right things?.
Sincerely, nigerian governors, I’ll expected more of a country that is, technologically speaking, in underdevelopment. And after this surely you still ask why the more developed countries still don’t give you more support.
Cheers.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Dudes - the guy is French. His English isn’t perfect and he’s made some classic Franglais mistakes. WTF - So he should have had a native speaker edit the post? Like a f*&^ing politician? He’s human. I’m sure your English is just flawless. How’s your second language? Yeah, I know already you don’t have one.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:44 pm
Ryan and Hmmm, did it ever occur to you that English is likely not Francois’s first language? Let’s see you write a letter without any mistakes in a second language, if you are even enlightened enough to learn another language.
——————————————————–
“Interesting… but if your wordsmithing skills are any indication of your salesmanship, I can understand why they changed their minds. This letter reads like a missive written by a six year-old on an etch-a-sketch.” -Hmmm
“Part of getting your point across is using proper spelling/grammer…It’s not hard to edit before you submit…” - Ryan
November 1st, 2007 at 3:45 pm
It’s called business. Microsoft’s dominance did not come out of nowhere. It was earned hard with thousands of people working 100 hour weeks especially during the early years.
Open source companies have to understand that you can’t make money with “free” stuff.
Open source companies have to understand that you can’t re-write the rule of free markets (also called capitalism).
November 1st, 2007 at 3:49 pm
[...] the first, and most likely not the last, open letter that has been addressed to the nice calm and open minded man we all know under the name of Steve A. [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 3:51 pm
So, what you are saying is…. the Nigerians want an OS that can actually run applications…. Wow, thats a shock. But I think it’s more that they want test boxes to send spam too.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:56 pm
you guys are nerds, they chose windows because windows owns linux.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:56 pm
[quote]#
cp said,
This is business. You won’t win anything by whining. Try harder.
By the way, when you’re saying that MS has no ethics you’re also implying that the Nigerian government, with whom you were trying to do business, doesn’t have either since they accepted Microsoft’s deal.
[/quote]
What kind of planet are you coming from ? A client doesn’t need to have ethics. A client simply accepts the best deal it is offered period.
Now I’m sure Mandriva came up with a pretty competitive deal, but these power hungry monopolistic dick heads over there at Redmond must have come up with “a better one”.
I’m just wondering if they really care about their image anymore…
November 1st, 2007 at 3:56 pm
I think you guys are missing the point… The Nigerians didn’t have a choice. How else can they create a massive ‘botnet’ of spam zombies? I’m sure nobody else has received a 419 scam. By switching to Windows, they can now have an instant 17,000 botnot to do its evil spam bidding. We can only hope that Steve et al., help out that nice young heir who needs help transferring his recently deceased father and sick mother…
November 1st, 2007 at 3:59 pm
If you’re trying to teach computer literacy it’s probably a better idea to teach dose than Linux. Many users never progress beyond rote learning which icon to click and are completely inflexible with interfaces. Dose has a fairly consistent interface and is commonly used in businesses.
Not many people outside the IT field really care about the technology underneath an OS. That’s the thing about computer nerds - they forget that a computer is a tool and not an end in itself.
It really doesn’t matter if your box runs dose or *ix. All that really matters is the learning curve - how quickly can you get up and running to use the computer as a business tool?
Computers as science tools is a different kettle of fish. But scientists should be fairly intelligent and cognitively flexible enough to learn Linux.
Any purist will shoot me down, but the real world is not pure. Deal with it and stop whining.
November 1st, 2007 at 4:00 pm
I just wanted to make a comment about this posting:
“Interesting… but if your wordsmithing skills are any indication of your salesmanship, I can understand why they changed their minds. This letter reads like a missive written by a six year-old on an etch-a-sketch.”
This is a very US centric comment. Francois has most probably English as a second (or maybe third or fourth because Europeans are taught to learn about cultures, history and languages besides their own). He is having the courtesy of trying to write this open letter using the recipient mother language (being an American, Ballmer most probably only speaks English since, to the contrary of European countries, Americans are taught to only get interested in their own closed circle).
Regards
Ramiro
Disclaimer: I am an English as a second language person (please do not bash me for any grammatical mistakes I may have done).
November 1st, 2007 at 4:01 pm
To the Microsoft apologists:
vbNullString said “I always wonder why Linux people are so hateful about Microsoft. I like Microsoft products because they work for what I want to do.” so I guess you don’t care if child slave-labor made your shoes, as long as they’re comfortable?
Bob said “sounds like you got outsold.” no, sounds like they were a victim of a mega-corporation illegally dumping its products in order to eliminate competition.
Wake up, people…
November 1st, 2007 at 4:02 pm
I liked the letter so i translated to Spanish o Castellano in http://layman-news.blogspot.com/2007/11/una-carta-abierta-steve-ballmer.html So more people can read it.
November 1st, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Hi There,
Anyone knows where I can apply to claim I replaced my Mandriva 2007 with whatever Windows version and receive money in exchange ? How much can I expect ?
Just one wish, if possible: may I still use my Mandriva 2007 afterwards ? Since I abandoned Windows on my PCs, it’s the Linux I found which satisfies me perfectly. Not even thinking to upgrade to 2007 Spring or 2008 !
November 1st, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Well… why all this? Every time that a company looses a sale it`s normal to talk very bad of the Winner… that`s normal. If Nigeria chooses Windows, is because it`s better for Nigeria and not Linux. Damned all robotic-linux-users…
Everyone have it`s own choice! Windows or Linux, choose the best for YOU! And don`t care about the other`s choice of anothers company…
November 1st, 2007 at 4:08 pm
To some people, money is not the most important thing in life - integrity is. Those who worship money will never understand this. The minions and their leaders at ms worship money. ( Oh so you think they don’t worship money - visit the Redmond Wa. area and look at some of their houses and cars and then tell me they don’t worship money ok? If you have not been here you don’t know.) They will never truly understand the ethical basis for open source software, free software or reasons for sharing information. What is that old proverb - something about they won’t get it until they discover that money cannot be eaten? Like it or not, money (greed) is the basis for most evil in this world. The actions and implied actions in this case reflect the worship of money, greed, and inherent lack of integrity of the parties involved (most of the people at ms and just a few of the people in Nigeria), and the users suffer with an inferior software product (ms) that, among many other drawbacks, promotes the discarding of millions of computers every few years because of upgrades that are incompatible with old hardware. Not so with Linux. Think of how many older computers are kept out landfills because they work quite will on Linux.
November 1st, 2007 at 4:12 pm
averagebeatboy said, Wait until they discover Windoze still runs on top of DOS and uses Winsock DLL for communications. ROTFLMAO
averagebeatboy, Win hasn’t run on top of DOS since all versions were moved over to the NT kernel.
Please dont try to help if you dont really know.
That said - they will proqbably have to install Win 95 since the other versions dont run well in a small memory box.
.. so they will be running DOS..
November 1st, 2007 at 4:14 pm
LMAO
I don’t see what the problem is. You’re getting paid for your machines and software. It just happens that the end user has decided to change parts of THEIR product THEY have paid for.
Unless you happen to be Apple, this is well within their rights.
If the right thing was to help the Nigerians got cheap computers then its worked, whether you like their choice of OS or not.
November 1st, 2007 at 4:20 pm
Did any of you think for a second that the cost of the mandriva deal + cost of windows was cheaper than the cost of a microsoft offered windows + hardware deal? If so, they may have bought the mandriva based solution just to get the hardware in the first place.
Of course we all know linux zealots love conspiracy theories.
November 1st, 2007 at 4:21 pm
That is a typical business practice. Is unethical and immoral but is very common around the world. One person here say why we are so hateful towards MS. Well is not about been hateful, is about choices. I like the freedom of choice. Yes, their stuff works, well? Sometimes and there is a place for MS in this planet. Lets put this on a perspective that some people might understand….
Is like the only car in the world is MS and we all buy MS because works, not the greatest but works. Everyone knows how to fix it. But there is one problem, they all come on one Color and one Shape… They are other car manufacturers that wants some different (like Henry Ford said… You can buy a Ford in any color as long is Black). Do we have to blame other people because they want to drive some else? Now imagine a world with the same car, color and shape.
The same is with computers. I remember a TV commercial when Apple introduce the Mac in 1984. Everybody was bald headed, wear some kind of gray suit, and they were watching an old guy telling them what to do. Some girl comes around with a sledgehammer and she hard colors on her clothes. She end up been chased and smashed the TV.
See here… http://www.apple-history.com/movies/1984.mov
That was the company that Bill Gates co founded with Steve Jobs. Going against the status quo. Now they are on the big screen TV preaching what we have to buy.
Ironic?
November 1st, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Speaking as an African linux user, I don’t think MS won anything though it may look like a great victory. The number of pirated copies of their OS in Nigeria effectively makes this victory worthless. Yes they shall get a few government contracts and many students wont be given the freedom to choose a decent OS and would end up being shoddy techs. The only loss here is to the students and workers who would carry on not knowing that there are indeed better alternatives.
Victory eh? They just handed the first few hundred Cd’s to their demise. Wait till the real Nigerian racketeers looking to make a fast buck gets hold of a few of those disks. Burn and spread shall begin and there goes their target market of ordinary consumers.
If they are indeed smart they would leave the African market to the open source guys. The open source sells support and basically charges next to nothing for the OS itself (the cost of the optical disk and manuals). Their business model suits Africa just fine… “OS free and support for sale”. But come in with MS restrictive licensing and you are beckoning to pirates to make a fast buck off you.
Mandriva there is nothing to bother about. Anyday now those MS OS disks would surface in the black market prepackaged and cracked for the convenience of the customer and there is nothing MS can to enforce proper use out there.
November 1st, 2007 at 4:22 pm
[...] Oy. Mandriva sells 17,000 pre-installed Linux systems to Nigeria, and then at the last moment Microsoft steps in and wham, the systems are all changed to XP. Or could it be Vista? Nah, too heavy for those lightweight computers. Mandriva 2008 is such a nice system, clearly best of breed this year. Poor, poor MS; having to butt in and finagle such a tiny deal. Some chairs in a certain somewhere must be pretty nervous right now. Hahahaha. [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Je suis scandalise par ces methodes et vous manifeste tout mon soutien.
November 1st, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Good Work , go on Mandriva , go on Nigeria
November 1st, 2007 at 4:36 pm
Maybe they realized that their Nigerian spam bots don’t run on Linux :).
November 1st, 2007 at 4:40 pm
[...] The CEO of Mandriva just posted an open letter to Steve Ballmer: [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Dear Mandrake Guy,
You must consider that the Nigerians intended to go with Windows all along. They probably told Microsoft that if they didn’t get the price they wanted, they’d go with Linux.
It wouldn’t be the first time…..
November 1st, 2007 at 4:41 pm
[...] por esta situación que el presidente de Mandriva, François Bancilhon, escribio una carta abierta a Steve Ballmer reclamandole el porque de su modo de actuar tan [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 4:41 pm
[...] can money buy? The answer is in Mandriva’s (previously Mandrake) open letter to Steve Ballmer: [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 4:43 pm
M$ ethics $UCK$ will all know that!!! tell us something new.
November 1st, 2007 at 4:46 pm
[...] pagado a Mandriva, ahora todos esos PC tienen Windows instalado. El CEO de Mandriva ha escrito una carta abierta a Steve Ballmer (en inglés). Para los que no hablen la lengua de Shakespeare, un miembro de Blogdrake ha [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 4:48 pm
So Nigeria has purchased your products and wants to try Windows on them,
Are you tellimg me that an open source guy like you prefers to restrict the software that should be used in the final machine?
I mean, It is their decision, have you got any proof of wrongdoing by microsoft?
If they do not have the brains to shoose the right product why do you complain regarding microsoft tactics ( and what tactics are you implying? your open letter is kind of obscure)
Oh, i forgot , you “Care” you Care that the choose Windows over linux but you do not care their system is so corrupt that foul play can be performed, do you actually understand what the word choice means?
If your product is superior they may still install it back.
has it occurred to you that maybe the first people to test the system were not familiar enough with it and decided to install windows becasue they were familiar with it ( probably the IT boss who saw it was afraid to change, happens everyday in IT)
November 1st, 2007 at 4:49 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Why Would microsoft need to care about nigeria enough to bribe them? Why would they pay anyone to install 16,000 copies of Windows? this is small potatoes.
this is what actually happenned. Some nerd pushed Linux internally and when the people who used them said, Hey why cant I print, why can’t I open this PDF, Why can’t I open this webste, Why can’t I open this word document, Why can’t I install Itunes, they realized they bought something not worth the money.
November 1st, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Hey, they’re nigerians.
The guys at the coalface evaluated and selected and will use Mandriva on Intel, the skanks in the gov took steve’s money, issued the press release and everyone’s happy.
My money is that the guys at the coalface will continue to install/use mandriva and the guys in the gov will continue to look for money and monkey boy will continue to jump around waving his press release or latest paid for gartner report.
So it goes….
November 1st, 2007 at 4:52 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 4:56 pm
“Of course, I will keep fighting this one and the next one, and the next one. You have the money, the power, and maybe we have a different sense of ethics you and I, but I believe that hard work, good technology and ethics can win too.”
Greetings from Argentina and keep the good work ( go Mandriva ! ).
–omz
November 1st, 2007 at 4:56 pm
[...] alejandrops wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 4:57 pm
[...] Bancilhon de la Mandriva, i-a trimis o scrisoare deschisă lui Steve Ballmer, în care cerea o serie de lămuriri cu privire la intruziunea dubioasă a [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 4:57 pm
[...] that hard work, good technology and ethics can win too."[Via Yahoo News/PC Magazine] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:03 pm
It’s too bad this letter was written without any proofreading whatsoever. The english is horrible and it comes off as very unprofessional.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:06 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:06 pm
>I always wonder why Linux people are so hateful about Microsoft. I like Microsoft products because they work for what I want to do.
The problem is not so much Microsoft’s products (like Windows), but the fact that the company seems to have a complete lack of moral/ethics in everything they do. I wish for them to burn in hell for all eternity for all they have done.
- Linux person
November 1st, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Francoise can you explai me why the nigerian gov muat pay for mandriva sw like you say,is this not open source sw?
November 1st, 2007 at 5:09 pm
I’m amazed at some of the posts here defending Microsoft’s actions. This is just another in a long line of Microsoft using their financial muscle to bully other, smaller companies. Just another example of their anti-trust (horrible phrase) behaviour; it is *not* just about normal business practice.
Someone put it quite nicely earlier on with the drug dealing analogy. Microsoft is a huge corporation that is swimming in simply obscene profits, so why are they worried about a little order for an African country? The reason is because as well as their overpriced, unreliable operating systems, they sell overpriced applications such as Office; once organisations such as local and national governments start to switch to Linux and other open source tools like Open Office and KOffice, they won’t be able to push these products either. The more people latch on to Open Office standards, the more Microsoft will be forced in to adopting these open standards too - all of which will open up more and more people to the possibility of using non-Microsoft operating systems.
This is why they are desperately going around making these deals that at best cannot be earning them any money and at worst will be losing them money
To the person that said they liked Microsoft because it’s always just worked for him I would say two things:
1. You haven’t actually used Microsoft very much or pushed their products very hard. In my experience it often breaks, it constantly slows down with time and is always suffering badly at the hands of attacks by works, viruses or trojans. I had to smile in Basel airport the other day as I say the blue screen of death on one of the monitors showing departure times; it can’t even do a simple task like that without falling over. The standard of Microsoft’s software is quite simply appalling - it does not “just work”.
2. Linux just works these days for the majority of hardware. Imagine what it would be like if Microsoft weren’t playing these dirty tricks to encourage people to do only closed source drivers.
The one valid criticism I have seen is the standard of François’ English, but then again, I’d love to see Balmer’s attempt to write a letter in French! François, if you ever need something like this proofread by a native English speaker, just ask, I’d be happy to give a little more back to your company. A company whose products I am very proud to use.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Hey guys, you are quite aware that everyone knows what you call it, right?
I mean… if someone suddenly changes his opinion… and installs proprietary solutions at a given same quality…. we all know the word for it.
PS: Damn the EU, they turned a “victory” for free markets into a tightlock for a single company not long ago… sad sad sad.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:12 pm
[...] Read more at Mandriva Blog [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:13 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:14 pm
[...] open letter by François Bancilhon CEO of Linux-maker Mandriva does a lot of complaining and innuendo about the Nigerian government evidently going with Windows [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:15 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:16 pm
As others have said, I would love to share this blog but the spelling and grammar are not professional enough. If someone could help edit this I would love to share it!
November 1st, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Quit pouting and let the nigerians make their decision as they see fit to do. There is no “right thing” in software, just what happens to fit at any given moment based on the combination of information available and motivations.
Focus your attention on crafting a superior product, not linkbaiting the blogosphere.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:21 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:24 pm
[...] MS subverts OLPC Filed under: Hardware, Linux, News — 0ddn1x @ 2007-11-01 16:24:15 +0000 http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:26 pm
Hey Ryan, before you go on teaching others how to use proper “GRAMMER”, its GRAMMAR you idiot. Picking on people that make mistakes, that the tactics 12 years old use to try and discredit someone when they have nothing better to add. I wonder, how many languages do you speak Ryan? Probably just english right? Thats what lots of english speakers do, because they know only one.. Why don’t you try learning more than 1. See how well you can cope then..
And next time Ryan, try to read yourself twice.. “GRAMMER”…
On another note. I know its dissapointing for Mandriva to have lost this. But unfortunately money does talk louder than ethics sometimes. And sometimes its not just about money but just being manipulated. Linux will have its share of the cake eventually. Its hard to make people see things another way when you are used to seeing one thing around all the time. Patience is the key.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:27 pm
Microsoft step is more about preventing Linux from having ground than to gain money. They could be losing money in this deal, but it’s nothing to MS. Preventing Liniux from spreading is a higher priority. Playing dirty is a non-issue for MS.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:31 pm
So, here is my take.
First: To all the peeps whining about the inconsistent grammar in his letter… get a grip. I would make a small guess (with no information one way or the other on which to base the guess, you know what worth it has) that with a name such as Francois his first language isn’t English.
Second, if this guy has proof that Steve (or his minions) bribed anyone, he should come out with it. Everyone knows, or should know by now, the lengths to which MS will go in order to profligate its crap. Why be surprised then (much less whine about it) when they do what they have always done. Could it be that they just offered up a free operating system + free support in perpetuity for the 17,000 machines? Is that a bribe? I wonder what the support contract was going to pay Francois? Maybe instead of being morally-outraged-‘bout-bribery, you are pissed now because you lost out on future revenue? Could it be that you are just sore because MS took away all the post-sales lucre that was YOUR only profit? Could be that you sold the machines at a “discount” or “loss leader” so that you could get in on the support funding stream post sales? If this is so then who *wasn’t* using the power of their pocketbook in Nigeria? … Your ability to buy 17,000 machines gives you an economy-of-scale which gets you cheap machines that you sell at-cost or below (right?), then you whine when the stream from which you were expecting your only money has now been dried up by MS who also is looking to give away something at first so that they can get FAT on the down-stream end of the seed planting. Come on, who’s fooling who here.
Oh, I guess those were my take(s).
November 1st, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Ryan reminded us:
“Part of getting your point across is using proper spelling/grammer.
“I’m sure we’re way too small for you to know me. You know, we’re one of these tiny Linux COMPANY working hard for our place on the market�.
It’s not hard to edit before you submit…”
I’d remind Ryan that
- grammer is an actor (Kelsey Grammer)
- grammar relates to the rules of language.
Perhaps editing before submitting is too hard for Ryan?
November 1st, 2007 at 5:33 pm
[...] I believe that hard work, good technology and ethics can win too.”[Via Yahoo News/PC Magazine] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:34 pm
I see the Microsoft vultures are circling here. Must be a memo from Monkey Boy himself. “Hang on the refresh button on http://blog.mandriva.com and pounce the minute Francois posts his reply to our ‘move’.” Oh, and to the [expletive deleted] who complained about English grammar, let’s see you post a comment in French.
That Mandriva got a deal at all with Nigeria is a mark of good salesmanship. That the most corrupt government made a deal with the most corrupt corporation is, unfortunately, to be expected.
Francois, we encourage you to fight. You may not win, but the process may expose where and how the money changed hands in their unclean partnership. There is not much we can do except to counter the propaganda from Microsoft, their partners and developers.
Like another poster mentioned, I strongly suspect that Mandriva will end up on most of those computers anyway. Never ask an aging invalid to do the job of a young man.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:34 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:35 pm
[...] la intención del gobierno Nigeriano para instalar Windows sobre Mandriva. Pongo una liga a la carta original escrita por François Bancilhon el presidente de Mandriva dirigida a Steve Ballmer de Microsoft (Carta) y copio la [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:38 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:43 pm
[...] la propuesta bajo una justa competencia, ahora de la noche a la mañana, como nos cuentan en el blog oficial de Mandriva, viene Microsoft y les quita el negocio asà como [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Some people and some companies are simply unethical. I won’t support them.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:44 pm
I thougth that Mandriva was bigger than this. By keepin up good work you can grow. MS and Steve _are_ shaking allready. My support for Mandriva and Linux!
November 1st, 2007 at 5:44 pm
[...] Pueden leer la carta original aqui. [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:45 pm
This is really sad!
My very first PC came with Windows 95 pre-installed in the year ‘97. I used only Windows, being naive at the time about Linux, I kept thinking that Microsoft had a grand vision of the future and theirs was the way to go. I also thought they did good work, and had some good planned for the consumers.
In short, I held them in high esteem, but now, after Vista and then this!
There’s a very huge compromise the OLPCs will be taking on. You’re actually talking about loading M$ into these machines, there’s a lot of performance to be sacrificed. Mandriva is probably better suited and more optimized to run in low-load environments, I shudder to think of how those PCs are going to perform once loaded with Windows.
Come on Steve, being referred to as M$ is just shameful, why don’t you guys re-think your dominate the world strategy? Let others work with you.
Think about this: “…the best solution will come when everybody in the industry does what is best for himself and for the group…”
Think constructive, not backstabbing and under-the-table dealing.
Show some respect for the OS universe, they’re bigger and better than you know. And yeah, there’s also the fact that they’ve been around longer and not tried to screw you over! Doesn’t that count for something?!
Grow up Steve, I hope you guys have it in you. Listen to the Open Source community. Work with them and not against them. Maybe then, your can come up with more than Vista! I’m holding out hope.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:46 pm
[...] en México, lo interesante de este asunto es la carta que François le escribio a Steve Ballmer La carta original y la traducción al [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Dear Mr Ballmer,
I’m going to buy a computer soon and i’m planning to install Mandriva in it.
Do not hesitate to contact me to get my address in order to send me a copy of Vista for free.
Thanks in advance!
November 1st, 2007 at 5:47 pm
[...] Blog Entry by François Bancilhon on Mandriva Blog left me dumb founded Dear [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Maybe this a part of the Bill and Melissa Gates cherity foudations work.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:51 pm
[...] the entire letter sent by one guy from Mandriva to one from Microsoft. Really good [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 5:52 pm
It looks like you’re writing a letter….
Stop whinging Francois, and do your job better next time.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:53 pm
“Wow! I’m impressed, Steve! What have you done for these guys to change their mind like this? It’s pretty clear to me, and it will be clear to everyone.”
No, it’s not… I’m part of “everyone” and it’s not at all clear to me what you’re insinuating. So what are you saying? Are you trying to accuse Ballmer and Microsoft of bribing foreign government officials, which would be a felony under U.S. law? If so, have the testicles to come right out and say it… surely you wouldn’t be such a spineless coward as to make such an accusation without proof, would you?
Or perhaps you would be. Undoubtedly you’re aware that libel is legally actionable, and lacking any evidence (let alone proof) that Microsoft is guilty of such a serious offense, you prefer to spread your filthy innuendoes, counting on the rabidly anti-Microsoft Linux community to cheer you on while you throw your feces. And then you have the unmitigated chutzpah to claim to be ethical. What a crybaby.
November 1st, 2007 at 5:59 pm
[...] I believe that hard work, good technology and ethics can win too.”[Via Yahoo News/PC Magazine] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 6:15 pm
That’s despicable! Perhaps even more so from the Nigerian government than from Microsoft!
November 1st, 2007 at 6:16 pm
There seems to be an awful lot of Microsoft supporters reading this particular Linux blog entry.
I wonder where their ip leads to.
November 1st, 2007 at 6:17 pm
I’ll agree behaviour like this sucks, but there are some upsides to this. Firstly it is a huge compliment to the strength of the offer Madriva made to the Nigerian government. And secondly it offers yet an other selling point to potential customers, even those who are really considering to stick with windows. Buy Mandriva and MS will offer you free Windows after the deal is done.
November 1st, 2007 at 6:18 pm
MS To Do List:
1. Let them close the deal and ship the 17.000 machines
2. Give away, a nice car or something else to some official that’s in charge with this project
3. Give away, windows for every single machine
4. Get money back with technical support (optional)
5. Have 17.000 kids learning and growing up on windows environment every year for 5 years, which later on they’ll buy windows - PRICELESS
mission accomplished: Awareness, Brand Recognition, etc…
November 1st, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Nigeria ranked 147th out of 179 countries on Transparency International’s “Corruption Perception Index” in 2007 (with Denmark, Finland and New Zealand being the least corrupt!) which makes Nigeria one of the most corrupt countries on earth.
With the world’s largest software corporation and one of the world’s most corrupt governments working together it’s not exactly hard to imagine scenarios where things like this would have happened.
Mandriva has competed honourably and won. The only good thing I suppose is that Mandriva will save a bit of money not having to support it’s Mandriva installations…and that will allow Mandriva to pour that money into doing bigger and better things!
November 1st, 2007 at 6:22 pm
[...] install Microsoft Windows instead. Anyone, except perhaps Mandriva CEO Francois Bancilhon who, in a blistering open letter to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, accused the company of masterminding the Nigerian government’s switch to Windows. … [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 6:24 pm
We all suspect ‘Dirty Tricks & Tactics’ are at play here, but there’s no concrete proof. I await the day, when the Nigerian u-turn will be held up as yet another ’shining’ example of ‘Clueless Decision Making.’
November 1st, 2007 at 6:25 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 6:27 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 6:29 pm
what exactly is the added value of Mandriva ?
say .. compared to Ubuntu ..
November 1st, 2007 at 6:31 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 6:33 pm
WAAAAHHH!! My poor wittle penguin got trampled by the big, bad wolf! WAAAAHHH!!!
Your thinly veiled accusations are unprofessional and make you sound like a little cry baby.
Microsoft is a for profit business in a free market economy. If you can’t take your lumps when you play with the big boys then you shouldn’t be in the game. Quit whining you little pussy and crawl back into the hole in your iceberg. Your crying is just good comedy.
November 1st, 2007 at 6:33 pm
[...] Classmate PC’s with Mandriva Linux to have MS Windows installed later. final fantasy win themeread more | digg [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 6:36 pm
[...] Nadie lo sabe a ciencia cierta sin embargo François Bancilhon, CEO de Mandriva, le escribió una carta abierta a Steve Ballmer, CEO de Microsoft, dónde desestimó que hubiera maniobras sucias pero advirtió [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 6:41 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 6:45 pm
@ averagebeatboy
Dude, what time period are you living in? Windows does not run on DOS. XP, Vista, and every server OS Microsoft has made runs on the NT Kernal … not DOS.
I don’t understand why people are getting so riled about this. There is not evidence that Microsoft played unfairly. This letter does not give ANY hard facts as to impropriety on Microsoft’s part. All it gives is speculation.
If Microsoft is doing something wrong here, then sure flame away. However, wait till you know wrongness has happened. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Microsoft does not do bad things in every single business move, and we should not try to interpret everything they do as such.
November 1st, 2007 at 6:46 pm
[...] Open letter to Steve Ballmer Not from me - from Mandriva..François wrote:So we closed the deal, we got the order, we qualified the software, we got the [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 6:47 pm
To the people saying: “Once you sold something, and u got your money, I am not sure how can u blame anyone.I mean the PC is their’s now, they are free to install whatever crap they want to..[d]on[']t you think…?”
You surely are an immature unthinking person like Steve Ballmer and Microsoft in general, the believe of, just care about the sales not the people or quality, is a common Microsoft saying. François obviously doesn’t care about the money that much as he cares for the people, this is actually a good ethic. Steve Ballmer, is and has always been a joke, just a puppet which Microsoft use to show they are immature, unthinking people.Steve is actually the face of dumb in Microsoft, do you believe he actually controls anything, I mean he is the greatest joke ever in the IT world, just as the word inept can be associated with Steve Ballmer from Microsoft.
But, is good to know Microsoft fear Linux so much, and is scared to death about the progress it is making. The coming generation, is what Microsoft fears the most.
I read the letter, and thought, man this really comes from the heart of a person that do love what he is doing and care about his business in a passionate and professional way. Even though I’m not a Mandriva user, I do recommend it to friends above Ubuntu openSuse and Fedora.
November 1st, 2007 at 6:53 pm
Ryan,
It’s spelled grammAr. Perhaps you should also edit your post before hitting submit. Dipshit.
Should’ve let Microsoft have it all. The Nigerian government could’ve cleaned out their bank account and become a first-world country.
November 1st, 2007 at 6:54 pm
I have an idea.
Find out exactly what happened, why the government decided to install Windows. If it’s because MS paid / bribed the government, then make it as public and common knowledge as possible. Not because the bad press will affect MS - bad press doesn’t seem to bother them. Instead, other nations and states will see that if you switch to Linux, Microsoft will come in and dump some cash. If this idea spreads, this is not something that MS can sustain. Either the states will retain linux or hack at Microsoft’s cashpile.
November 1st, 2007 at 6:55 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 7:02 pm
Just make sure that, when the kids get the machines, they can easily re-install Mandriva on them. Since you know exactly what the hardware is, why not make a simplified LiveCD, customised for these machine (I guess you already have this for manufacturing them), and let the real end-users fix it. Good luck.
November 1st, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Microsoft sees progress in getting Windows on XO
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071026/tc_nm/microsoft_laptops_dc_3
November 1st, 2007 at 7:07 pm
[...] quite saddened and disgusted to read this open letter to “Steve” (I would guess Ballmer) from François Bancilhon from Mandriva. The Nigerian government made a deal [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 7:08 pm
This article would probably have been better without this comments thread.
But since it’s here, I’ll just say that I liked the message it got across.
November 1st, 2007 at 7:09 pm
[...] François promete a Ballmer que mantendrá una lucha contra este “atropello�, el próximo y el siguiente. Aquà puedes leer la carta de François. [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 7:12 pm
Mandriva– I am sorry that some of the above people made nasty comments about your grammatical mistakes. I’m assuming that English is your second (third? fourth?, etc) language. I think there are some minor mistakes, particularly with plural forms, but you still express yourself and your opinions very well in English. I was delighted to read your article and totally agree with the attitudes of the Linux crowd.
November 1st, 2007 at 7:13 pm
Hm.
rereading this childish tantrum by franky-boy i see no reference to any payments or goods given to Nigerian officials or Nigerians in general by Microsoft.
So where do all the utterly convinced posts by Linux lovers that resent those payments/bribes/coercions by Microsoft get their facts from?
Please post some proof of wrongdoing by MS. Otherwise you are making yourself guilty of libel by falsely accusing Microsoft.
Have a nice day.
November 1st, 2007 at 7:14 pm
What a cry baby. Microsoft is probably the only company in the world who will take a loss and give something away for free to gain market share. Oh wait…that is what all the Linux companies did from the beginning, and google and…oh maybe the point is made now.
If you want the business….offer a better deal. Until you have proof of bribery or illegal business practices, stop insinuating and whining about others business practices.
November 1st, 2007 at 7:15 pm
Señores, por lo visto la ETICA en algunos paises Africanos deja mucho que desear, y como Nigeria esta entre los primeros paises del mundo en Corrupción, que se podria esperar sino lo acontecido? No se desesperen, sabemos quienes son ellos (la gente de MOCOSOFT) asi que tranquilos, los encargados de la negociación saben que bien mal hicieron a su pais, a pesar del dinero que ganaron, eso no les alcanzara, para pagar la deuda que dejan con los jovenes que quieren y desean aprender algo diferente a Windows, y que ademas les permita usarlo como quieran… El hecho es que se ve a leguas que fue algo ploiticamente sucio, y altamente falto de etica por parte de la compañia de redmond.
Que se les puede decir…
Atte.
Osar
November 1st, 2007 at 7:26 pm
For anyone out there that thinks Open Source is “just business”, they are obviously unable to see “an inch past the tip of their nose.”
Open source is so much more than “business”, it is an ideal! It is a community of people in many different countries speaking many different languages in many different social and economic classes, all contributing to create better tools for EVERYONE in the world to use for free. It is also about giving every person the power to improve and share those tools.
The focus of open source proponents is rarely to make money, nor to lock people into using their products or any of their partner companies’ products. Their focus is most often exactly the opposite. It is to combat the misinformation, fear, uncertainty, and doubt, that those driven purely by “business” constantly spread about viable choices and alternatives in order to gain and maintain paying customers.
Open source companies and proponents rarely celebrate the payment so much as they celebrate success in educating the masses about options and alternatives. In other words, they tend to celebrate the true spread of freedom.
Thus, Mandriva, and all open source proponents, are right to see this as a loss despite being paid for 17,000 systems. It is an underhanded blow by another capitalistic giant with a history of terrible ethics. However… this community is used to this. So we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and just keep on going like we have countless times before. Just another battle in a long war. A war for freedom and education, in which the tide has slowly and consistently been turning in our favor for the last 15 years.
David M.
Linux / Open Source Support Technician
Holonyx Inc.
November 1st, 2007 at 7:31 pm
The Classmate pc has 256MB RAM according to most webpages.
I guess that *some* computer interested people in Nigeria probably
will try to install Windows. But what version of the OS? Windows XP
will probably work ok. (Vista Basic will run in 512MB RAM, but
not fast.)
But the blog suggests that Microsoft is going to supply Nigerians
with the OS for 17000 computers.
MS are running campaigns to make people upgrade their XP
computers to Vista. I find it hard to believe that the company
would give away (or sell for a low price) such a large number
of licences for an OS the company says is not good enough
anymore.
This sounds like scare tactics to me - perhaps with the hope
that other countries will think twice before buying something
lacking MS Windows.
But I guess the computers arriving in Nigeria with Mandriva
will be well received, and for the most part not modified in any way.
November 1st, 2007 at 7:32 pm
“Ryan said,
November 1, 2007 at 3:05 am
Part of getting your point across is using proper spelling/grammer.
“I’m sure we’re way too small for you to know me. You know, we’re one of these tiny Linux COMPANY working hard for our place on the market�.
It’s not hard to edit before you submit…”
GRAMMAR
November 1st, 2007 at 7:36 pm
[...] La versión original en inglés está en el blog de Mandriva en la entrada: An open letter to Steve Ballmer [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Wow guys, I am very saddened to read this. I am not a Mandriva user, but I am a supporter of pretty much anything Linux. This really gets under my skin and is something I would love to see brought to the media for a much larger campaign. Unfortunately here in the US, Microsoft has fairly large deals with all of the major news outlets, so we would either not get it at all, or get it with a different spin.
I wish you guys the best, and if there is anything myself, or anyone else from the Linux community can do to help, please don’t hesitate. Take care!
November 1st, 2007 at 7:39 pm
How much did Microsoft charge the Nigerians?
How are the Nigerian officials going to justify that extra cost?
Is the bribe that big, that can buy many people’s silence, even the top officials?
Or is Microsoft giving their OS for free?
Is, after all, Microsoft making any money out of this deal?
November 1st, 2007 at 7:40 pm
It’s business, calm down mofo. They have the same right to promote their solutions as you have, they only have more will and means to accomplish their goals. You’re using populistic tone and for that you’re scum in my eyes.
November 1st, 2007 at 7:50 pm
I’ve seen this happen time and again with the Indian government. I know that Microsoft even pays the real salaries of “IT consultants” who surprisingly agree to work for the Government for a ridiculously low retainer fee. Once they are in they push the commercial software agenda. There’s not much that can be done.
November 1st, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Well, Mandriva has been my favorite distro for years now.What can I say, it’s not fair, but when has M$ been fair? When they make you buy Vista so you can play the new “Games for Vista”? When they make little room for 3rd party software? It’s really shameful how they ruin it for small companies. They really shouldn’t. It’s why worm, spyware and virus creators target Windows so much.In the end, it’s their beloved customers that suffer. Linux will never die, Mr. Steve, whatever you do.It’s just too good. Hope you’re happy that 17,000 Nigerians will have be denied the possibility to learn and enjoy about open source software. But don’t worry, they will find out sooner or later. You just got some money out of it, maybe and that is all.And yeah, I use your OS besides my Linux, I don’t see why you can’t accept tje fact that users want Linux as an option and maybe as a replacement. Your Windows is not perfect you know, it has many flaws. But hey…you know this.
Bon soir.
November 1st, 2007 at 7:54 pm
It’s one thing to say “Gee golly can’t Nigeria install what they want? You got your money.. what are you worried about”.. That is, if you’re a completely materialistic swine like someone working at Microsoft. He didn’t write this letter to complain that microsoft screwed Mandriva out of a deal.
Francois wrote this to say “why can’t a good distro get out there without having to deal with money mongers pushing them down everywhere they go?” Which if you ask me, is a very legitimate thing to be ranting about.
UNJUST DOMINANCE
November 1st, 2007 at 7:56 pm
“This is business. You won’t win anything by whining. Try harder.
By the way, when you’re saying that MS has no ethics you’re also implying that the Nigerian government, with whom you were trying to do business, doesn’t have either since they accepted Microsoft’s deal.”
Wow, you couldn’t be any more wrong. This isn’t business, this is the corrupt modern business that soulless corporations are capable of, not any smaller companies. “Try harder” isn’t exactly the answer. You can try and try, but the one with the bigger income is gonna win, that’s the goddamn truth.
And by saying that Ms has no ethics that in no way means the Nigerian Government doesn’t have ethics, because Nigeria DOESN’T HAVE A CHOICE. If you offer millions to the poor they would jump through hoops for you. Hell you would do it too, wouldn’t you? Not because you’re unethical, but because you just plain NEED IT.
November 1st, 2007 at 8:04 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Hi,
you know the worst part? They probably deduct this from taxes! However, is is clear they must be desperate… otherwise this would not be happening…
greetz,
Paul
November 1st, 2007 at 8:12 pm
[...] Bancilhon writes (Techmeme discussion): We recently closed a deal with the Nigerian Government. Maybe you heard about it, Steve. They were looking for an affordable hardware+software solution for their schools. The initial batch was 17,000 machines. We had a good answer to their need: the Classmate PC from Intel, with a customized Mandriva Linux solution. We presented the solution to the local government, they liked the machine, they liked our system, they liked what we offered them, the fact that it was open, that we could customize it for their country and so on. [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 8:15 pm
[...] bleibt zu untersuchen, welchen Effekt Patente und Urheberrechte bei der Bekämpfung von Linux [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 8:21 pm
For you morons criticizing François’s English……why don’t you respond in French so we can see how well your French grammar and writing style is……………if not,STFU!!!!!!!…at least he can speak and write in two languages
The ONLY one who loses here is Nigeria……too bad they don’t learn from other governments that are trying to wean themselves off MS…
November 1st, 2007 at 8:23 pm
[...] quite saddened and disgusted to read this open letter to “Steve” (I would guess Ballmer) from François Bancilhon from Mandriva. The Nigerian government made a deal [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 8:24 pm
[...] and make the right choice, you will get lots of support for it and excellent services! Source : Mandriva Blog » An open letter to Steve Ballmer More - Slashdot | Mandriva’s Open Letter To Steve Ballmer , Slashdot | News On Laptops For [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 8:30 pm
..
Without time to read the comments the article merely reflects business in Nigeria. It all simply means that right now, Ballmer is the highest bidder. Mr. Bancilhon can raise his bid and get them to switch the computers back to Mandriva. At this rate, the children can soon learn both systems.
November 1st, 2007 at 8:45 pm
чето Ñ? не врублюÑ?ÑŒ, а какаÑ? выгода Мандривы от уÑ?тановки их ОС на компы длÑ? Ð?игерийцев? С чего они прибыль имеют?
November 1st, 2007 at 8:49 pm
Hmmm…Microsoft has obviously decided to team with the nefarious Nigerian e-mail scammers, and vice versa.
The impoverished kids who need so much help now and at least a couple more decades are caught in the middle between the greeds of Microsoft and corrupt Nigerian government officials.
As students’ computing needs advance, that’s an eventual upgrade cost of somewhere between $300 to $800 per user for a country with a per capita income of only $1037 per year. And, there’s also the costs of new computers to run M$’s resource-hungry products.
Congratulations, Microsoft. You just stole the country’s future without batting an eye. Relatively speaking, your actions make the Nigerian e-mail scammers appear downright legit.
November 1st, 2007 at 8:51 pm
In all fairness, Mandriva made their money. If it’s true that Ballmer did pay Nigeria (after all Intellectual Property and Nigeria probably don’t go hand in hand) then it will be Nigeria that suffer, and make themselves third world by paying out to the king of computer capitalism.
Also, they still have Mandriva which gives the Nigerians _choice_ to what they would like to do with their computers. I wouldn’t expect this case to be over by a long shot.
November 1st, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Myeah, i’ve seen this kind of behavior in past workingplaces as well. Microsoft is willing to pay insane amounts just to replace all postfix servers with exchange for example. Shows how good their products are if they are giving money to get people to use their crap, but hey..
This is a typical example of MS business ethics.
November 1st, 2007 at 8:59 pm
Ballmer agreed to white-list Nigerian 419 scammer e-mail servers on Microsoft’s corporate e-mail filters. Nice move Steve.
November 1st, 2007 at 8:59 pm
Hey François, don’t cry like a baby, because business is for men, not children. Don’t blame Microsoft If they know how to close a deal. If you’re not happy, next time improve your offer and try a different approach.
November 1st, 2007 at 8:59 pm
Steve “m$ most suck-balls” Ballmer + a miserable and corrupted country = bribery.
And for those who do not know the Mandriva Company… Mandriva is a well know company. This is an ethics company, complete different from M$.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:02 pm
If any hardcore geek smart enough to understand Kernel and OS architecture. Please come forward lets debate how NT architecture is flawed. LEts debate how Linux is superior. I’m tired of hearing Windows being called crappy. We are in 2007 and Vista Kernel (build 6000). FOr heavens sake days of 16bit windows 3.1 or WIn95 are over.
Anybody dares come forward do have an understanding of both *nix and NT architecture b4 stepping in.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:04 pm
[...] http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 9:06 pm
Sounds like sour grapes to me. I like my Linux machine, but I don’t want the ability to change my mind taken away. Sounds like Nigeria honored their agreement and will pay for the hardware and software. If they want to smash it, burn it, or use it as landfill, it’s up to them. And Americans should be glad at least one American owned company is still doing well.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:18 pm
das zeigt doch mit welchen mitteln MS$ opperiert
November 1st, 2007 at 9:19 pm
[...] [here and [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Amazing how quickly the M$ trolls appear, must have hit a raw nerve there. And those complaining about the grammer, get a clue, this is the blog of a non-native English speaker, I’d like to see Ballmers attempts at French…
November 1st, 2007 at 9:27 pm
They are just giving money back to the community.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:30 pm
François,
you are right, we all know what MS did to change the Nigerians minds.
It’s really sad if a company has to do such things to get their products sold and it isn’t the first time MS utilizes all power and a lot of money to keep their market share (especially I’m referring to the Office Open Document Format voting)…
Don’t hang the head! Keep up the good work you and your team is doing!
November 1st, 2007 at 9:35 pm
You know this is free enterprise. If you do not like competition then start a commune. I lose deals to competitors and brush it off even when they do things that I do not like. However, I do not whine and cry like my 7 year old when it does not go my way. Grow up! Then again the world today tells us that if things do not go the way you like then cry and whine until everything goes the way you feel it should. I guess that those of us that act like adults and work for a living are in the rare these days.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:36 pm
One more for the trolls, if that’s just business in Nigeria and Mandriva needs to suck it up, how would you react if that was your local school being forced into paying twice for an OS with their limited funds???
November 1st, 2007 at 9:38 pm
[...] This is disgusting. I hate when the market can’t function without the richer party pulling crap like this and turning the tables. Why the Nigerian government would rather put a non-current OS on the laptops that their students will receive is beyond me. Students will learn a lot more on computers that allow them to learn instead of charge them later for upgrades. Not to mention that it’s not going to run as well as Linux… [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 9:43 pm
To those who say “this is business, stop whining and compete”, I say, this is not business. It’s bribery. It’s cheating the market, because a mediocre product is allowed to beat out a superior one through bribery. In the end, everybody loses except Microsoft. The Nigerian kids certainly lose.
The ones who need to hear the message “this is business, stop whining and compete” are precisely Microsoft.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:45 pm
The naivete of the Linux jihadists on this thread is laughable. I have worked in business for my entire career. This kind of thing happens all the time. You make a good deal and a competitor swoops in at the last minute and takes it away form you. It’s terribly disappointing but it’s not cheating. Blaming the customer or the competitor just sets you up to take the fall again. Your competitor probably made a better offer. The customer wins. You learn to be more careful next time and make sure you have the right value for the customer.
Francois probably paid his bribe and still lost the deal. No wonder he is upset. You can like him or you can hate him but you cannot convince me that Steve Ballmer would do that. Never. Bribing government officials is against US law and the business conduct policies of every major US corporation. The penalties are severe. Is it even remotely believable that Steve Ballmer would risk his job and his career for a relatively insignificant deal in Nigeria? It’s just not a credible hypothesis. Grow up people. He probably just made them a better business offer.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Hy François!
We now what are you feeling!
I’m Mike from Russia. In my country problems like this is standart situation
And I want to say that Russian Linux Users with you, friend!
PS: Sory if my English is bad
November 1st, 2007 at 9:47 pm
[...] “we shall pay for the Mandriva Software as agreed, but we shall replace it by Windows afterward.  [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 9:49 pm
[...] el dÃa de ayer, François Bancilhon de Mandriva publicó una carta pública a Steve Ballmer (CEO de Microsoft). En ella, se presenta como una “pequeña compañÃa que hace una versión [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 9:51 pm
[...] бы то ни Ñ?тало, иÑ?пытаннаÑ? в Южном федеральном округе, воÑ?производитÑ?Ñ? Microsoft в Ð?игерии. Ðто говорит о многом: и о том, что Ñ?обытиÑ? в РоÑ?Ñ?ии [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 9:52 pm
well spoken François. Thank you for enlightening the world on this matter. The picture of how evil the MS empire actually is gets clearer every day.
November 1st, 2007 at 10:01 pm
OUI! ~ From an American, Mandriva may have made their money, however, Linux is not about the money but about Freedom. Freedom empowers students in Nigeria. These students may someday be the ones to lift Nigeria out of darkest Africa into the light of prosperity.
November 1st, 2007 at 10:14 pm
I think this is just funny, An open letter to a CEO of a company with 40,000 + employees. Tell me you are going to make a large difference in the world with your software. Tell me you have a better product than anyone else. Prove to me you are more stable than what is already out there. Prove to me that when your software is installed on 90+% of the worlds computers that there will be limited flaws.
Why did you have to make a custom version of your software? Was the hardware they wanted? Can’t I just throw together any box and have your software run it?
I appreciate anyone who tries to make an OS work. But if you expect not to be competition with the biggest kid on the block you have to be joking yourself. Not to mention you are in competition with every other flavor of Linux.
This open letter just sounds like you’re a whiner, and not someone who will take down or become a software giant. It seems like you already let them win.
November 1st, 2007 at 10:17 pm
This isn’t an argument of which OS is better. Maybe in a perfect world all the little children would know how to write code for Linux and everyone would share everything among themselves, but right now, this is not the case. Windows is the dominant OS and has the most software. I don’t understand why everyone is calling foul on here with theories of bribes and conspiricy. Does anyone on here know even one of the indiviuals involved in the Microsoft/Nigerian government negotiations. Does anyone know the details of the deal. Or is it just popular to speculate that every business deal Microsoft wins is done by bribery and bullying. Like they are really eager to do business that way after losing millions upon millions of dollars in anti-trust law suits. I’m sure they are just itching to get sued again.
As soon as any of you finger pointers presents some solid evidence of wrong doing, I will join you in crying foul. Until then, please STFU with your “theories”
November 1st, 2007 at 10:21 pm
[...] Mandriva: An open letter to Steve Ballmer Have you ever read 419 Eater? Perhaps you did all the research, fact checking, etc to make sure [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 10:23 pm
i must confess, i think this story is thoroughly entertaining
why do you @ mandriva cry?
yeah, they’ll throw your software away and replace it with windows, which is not very nice of them, but you got your money, so just quit whining…
ps: steve really is an ugly bast*rd, but microsoft rocks anyway, and besides, all big companies do business this way
there just is no place for ethics in business
November 1st, 2007 at 10:24 pm
Uhmm…I think it’s spelled GRAMMAR, not GRAMMER…nice going jenious!!
November 1st, 2007 at 10:26 pm
[...] una carta abierta (version en español aqui); François Bancilhon, de Mandriva se queja del “reciente [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 10:28 pm
[...] http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 10:30 pm
It is business, the fact that Nigerian government paid to have Mandriva pre-installed should have shown it works for them and it meets their target of a LOW COST hardware+software.
But would any of you think Nigeria has so much extra dollars lying around to pay for another 17,000 copies of Windows and find it fun to have someone re-installing every single machine? Without trying the O/S (Mandriva) they had agreed it would serve their needs? Would you?
I mean try to multiply your empathy skills and think as if you’re living in developing/under-developed country, being one of their leader, demanding some LOW COST hardware+software, then remove the software paid for. I totally agree they have all the right to do so, not picking sides here. Does it make sense though? What could motivate them to waste the money? How much they’re paying for the new O/S? Any violation of anti-dumping regulations? Wouldn’t it make sense at least to try using what was paid for (and previously tested to work for their application)?
Might have seen a similar situation when OLPC got the contract for Vietnam, then Intel jumped in. Haven’t seen the result of it, but it’s all business.
In the end. Don’t mess with ‘Macrohard’, they might make your own country hang you. Don’t get me wrong, I use ‘Micro$hit’ too. Don’t shoot.
November 1st, 2007 at 10:37 pm
Has anyone noticed the specs on the Classmate PC? Microsoft has sold Nigeria a bill of goods. When Nigeria loads Windows on the classmate PC, it will slow to a crawl. It is well below the specs for Vista, and it’s the bare minimum for XP.
If Mandriva wants Nigeria to dump Windows, all they have to do is show the difference in performance between Windows and Linux. At that point, it would be clear whether the Nigerian government was bribed to accept Windows, or whether it was a legitimate decision based on TCO or features.
I get the feeling that Nigerian politicians don’t have enough technical knowledge to understand what they’ve gotten themselves into! It’s like the classic luddite CEO who went from selling sausages to running a “tech” company. Such a CEO doesn’t understand technical requirements, they are only looking at the marketing hype.
November 1st, 2007 at 10:38 pm
Well Well Well
I hope people will see the reality of the M$ domination. I hope the windows community will open their eyes to what’s happening. It’s time to escape the windows “Matrix” & become a member of a community with some dignity & ethics.
I’m a Mandriva club member & proud of this open letter well done for publishing it…..
November 1st, 2007 at 10:43 pm
it shows ms is scared of lots of children growing up with something not made by them.
they do not care about the children, they want windows users. Any which way…
November 1st, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Dear Sirs,
I AM NGOBI ABDULLAH NKOMO, THE WIDOW OF THE FORMER MINISTER OF
EDUCATION IN NIGERIA; I HAVE IN MY POSSESSION SEVENTEEN THOUSAND MANDRIVA LINUX LICENSES FROM MY INHERITANCE. I NEED YOUR HELP TO MOVE THESE OUT OF THE COUNTRY…..
November 1st, 2007 at 10:44 pm
My guess is that this is a WIN-WIN for the corrupt people running the Nigerian government. The kids get nice cheap computers. Mandriva makes some nice money from the Nigerian govt. And the corrupt politicians get to pocket a whole bunch of money from Microsoft without sharing with anyone (or using it to improve their country). As long as corrupt people run Nigeria it’s always going to be a shit hole.
November 1st, 2007 at 10:48 pm
Baseless accusations of a crime are equally criminal in nature. It is called slander. Be very careful with accusations unless you can produce the proof upon which they can be based. The rants of a ticked-off CEO hardly qualify as such.
Maybe your lack of professionalism as apparent in the writing quality of this “open letterâ€? could provide clues as to why MS’s software will replace yours.
November 1st, 2007 at 10:52 pm
Ballmer didn’t pay Nigeria… MSFT offers Windows + Office to government for pennies [literally]. And windows and office for the price of dirt is better than LINUX for free.
November 1st, 2007 at 10:53 pm
[...] Open Letter to Steve Ballmer [Mandriva] [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 10:55 pm
Mandriva will have a good answer to this :
I hope they will ship customized installable CDs in order to set up a dual boot Windows / linux ….
regards,
glyj
November 1st, 2007 at 10:57 pm
Hello Francois,
never mind the fact that nigeria chooses MS. I guess they will know very soon whats the real deal about having windows installed on a computer (brrrr, aweful). Even if MS has captivated the nigerian government with lousy promises and other things, nigeria will see that it will take more than $$ to establish something good.
November 1st, 2007 at 10:59 pm
[...] Bancilhon von Mandravia schrieb dem korrupten Big-Boss gestern einen offenen Brief, in dem er unter anderem die Frage stellt, was er denn getan habe, um Nigeria umzustimmen, nachdem [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 11:03 pm
above link fixed —
“Nigeria: Microsoft Contributes 47 Percent to Nigeria’s IT and Economic Growth�
“Commissioned by Microsoft, the study covers the areas that comprise 99.5 per cent of the global IT spend with Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa as countries in focus for Africa.”
November 1st, 2007 at 11:10 pm
[...] pagado a Mandriva, ahora todos esos PC tienen Windows instalado. El CEO de Mandriva ha escrito una carta abierta a Steve Ballmer (en inglés). Para los que no hablen la lengua de Shakespeare, un miembro de Blogdrake ha [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 11:11 pm
I just have to laugh out loud at these amazing comments
“… when you’re saying that MS has no ethics you’re also implying that the Nigerian government, with whom you were trying to do business, doesn’t have either since they accepted Microsoft’s deal.” — cp
Gee, you just figured out that Nigeria is one of the most corrupt crap-countries in the world? Dear cp, I peg you at no less than 60 IQ points for that brilliant deduction.
In case the rest of the world is wondering, YES Nigeria is a playground for dirty spammers and the Official African Producer of uneducated bribe-dealing halfwits destined for positions of political power. The rest of Africa is nearly as bad.
I wonder if Mandriva expects to be paid in money, guns or slaves.
November 1st, 2007 at 11:15 pm
M$ likely GAVE the OS to the Nigerian government but told them that they would have to pay for Office apps such as Word, Money, Access, and anything else that is not included in a default ‘doze install. Steve likely told them that reguardless of the OS installed there would be additional charges for software such as OOO or multimedia apps. So with that in mind what difference would it make to the Nigerian Govt. what OS is installed if additional apps with still cost them money? It does not matter what Steve Ballmer did to convince them to change OS’s, it boils down to a matter of ethics, something that M$ is not familiar with.
Of coarse Steve Ballmer may have told them that if they installed M$ OS as a show of good faith between M$ and Nigeria, Steve would send them a Western Union money order for 3 times the amount that was agreed upon for payment if they would be so kind as to cash the check and send the remainder back to M$.
If your not fond of Linux, you have no right to comment on this matter (unless your name is Steve Ballmer, then we want to hear from YOU)
November 1st, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Hello François Bancilhon & Co,
You did well by saying your mind, I supposed. But you owe this community a lot.
To start with I would like to know who was your contact person in concluding your so called deal with Nigerian government?
What make you think what you think you think on the project?
I would also like to know who and who is involved in your so-called deal between Steve and Nigerian government?
I must confess you are a bad market to begin with, especially when you felt that the business deal if anything to go by would not be favourable to you in near future.
Why do you and like minds in this community go back to the drawing board?
It is not enough to make accusations, but proving the same.
And for those of you who may have used unpalatable words on Nigeria, what you fail to recognise is that most of the corruption emanate from developed countries like yours and for your notice, Nigeria is not the most corrupt government, especially if you take a look at corrupt index.
François Bancilhon, do not forget to response to my quieries because I am concerned? Otherwise you are carrying false rumour!!
November 1st, 2007 at 11:25 pm
[...] the client essentially handed the contract to Microsoft. So Mandriva CEO François Bancilhon called Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer out for dirty [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 11:34 pm
[...] An open letter to Steve Ballmer [Mandriva’s blog] tr { border: 0px } td { cellborder: 10px} table { border: 1px solid black } [...]
November 1st, 2007 at 11:36 pm
Hey François;
It’s nothing you can really do about this situation.
After all you are talking about a Country base on it’s history, who sold their family members into slavery to folks masquerading as mercenaries such as ‘Microsoft’. History tends to repeat itself… hence, they can be bought, and that will never change!
They have a history of selling it’s soul.
**These are my opinions only and in no way are they meant to offend anyone. If for any reason you feel the need to contact me in any way regarding this post, especially for inappropriate wording or a perceived derogatory statement, please feel free to contact me. I am all over the internet and you can find me there.**
November 1st, 2007 at 11:51 pm
Dear François:
Sorry to hear that things went wrong. But to be honest with you .. your open letter higly suggests that Microsoft ( a convicted monopolist ) paid a bribe to a politician ( probably several of them ) in Nigeria ( wich is a country that ranks 123 in Transparency International’s ranking of the most corrupted nation’s on earth ).
http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2007
The thing is that there’s not much of a news in there .. I mean .. I wouldn’t have expected less coming from both of them playing together.
You still have a your way through admin law .. and you can still denounce both of them on and at a higher level ..
Yet still, the open letter was a good idea indeed ..
Maybe you should stop looking for business on that side of the earth .. they seem to like getting a bowl of mud for breakfast .. and that’s something that won’t change overnight, regardless of who is in the other side of the market. That’s to say: stop loosing you time and energy on already lost causes.
Try and aim higher .. not only will it guarantee you more secure business .. but it will also give you better publicity and notoriety.
Hope your lawyers can work this thing out. There seems to be plenty of room for them to play in this matter.
Blessings
Gonzalo
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:09 am
Many 3rd world countries use the threat of going Linux to extract the best deal from Microsoft. I read somewhere that Thailand government did the same thing to Microsoft.
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:14 am
[...] pagado a Mandriva, ahora todos esos PC tienen Windows instalado. El CEO de Mandriva ha escrito una carta abierta a Steve Ballmer (en inglés). Para los que no hablen la lengua de Shakespeare, un miembro de Blogdrake ha [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:22 am
[...] preinstalled GNU/Linux Mandriva to install Microsoft Windows. The CEO of Mandriva blogged in an open letter to Steve Ballmer “Hey Steve, how do you feel looking at yourself in the mirror in the [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:27 am
[...] Classmate PC’s with Mandriva Linux to have MS Windows installed later. lara croft hardcore sexread more | digg [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:28 am
[...] - Mandriva Blog » An open letter to Steve Ballmer And then, today, we hear from the customer a totally different story: “we shall pay for the [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:32 am
Francois
I’m a Nigerian in the UK and while I totally sympathise with you, I must tell you something about the Nigerian market: Its the bulls that win the day, ALWAYS. Microsoft has obviously played on the Nigerian sensibility with hype and a little bit of ‘Extra Marketing’. In other words giving them an offer they cannot refuse. I personally have not used your product, though I intend to, Microsoft has established a dangerous monoploy in the African market that will only get stronger unless other players who are out there make more effort. The Nigerian market is just starting, it will get bigger.
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:35 am
just put a post up on my about this post. I hope it helps to gain a bit more support
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:35 am
Dear Sir or Madam,
You don’t know me, but I am the President of Nigeria and I have a lucrative proposal for you to consider. Our IT Department bought 17,000 licenses for a commercial Linux distribution and has stored them in a back office where nobody will ever think to find them. Each of these licenses is worth $2.5 hundredthousand dollars on the open market. I am soliciting your help in transporting these licenses out of Nigeria so that they can be sold on eBay. If you agree to help with this, for your effort and discretion, you will receive twenty percent of the total value, or $50 thousand USD per license. Please send me your name, address, phone, cellphone, social security number, bank account numbers, and a three-quarter and left profile photographs so that we can begin our transaction in full confidence. Yours truly, Umaru Yar’Adua.
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:42 am
[...] Menea esto lo más fuerte que puedas! [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:43 am
[...] Menea esto lo más fuerte que puedas! [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:46 am
Well, i am pretty sure mandriva will win in the long term!
Nice letter btw
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:54 am
Hey guys can you make something to the bios or somethign around the bios that can’t be messed with, so that it will definitelly NOT allow the machines to have windows on it?
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:59 am
So you do have proof of shenanigans, right? You certainly don’t offer any in your “open letter”.
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:08 am
Does anybody know the config of the machines being supplied?
it would be interesting to see what is supplied.
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:08 am
Oh, by the way, for all people here asking for a “proof” : http://allafrica.com/stories/200710310695.html should be a good start.
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:24 am
Mr. Bancilhon,
This post is *so* close to libel it’s not funny. If you have evidence that Microsoft engaged in illegal or immoral activity - for example, bribery or kickbacks - then post it. Otherwise, you’re propagating exactly what you (correctly) criticise Microsoft for propagating when they complain about the (supposed) patent violations in Linux code: FUD.
Yours,
Duncan Bayne
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:26 am
M$ isnt about capitalism its about coporatism/facism the marriage between coporations and goverenment. They dont compete they use the dirtiest off illegal activities to force people to do what they want. They buy politicians to force their products sown everyones throats you have almost no choice but to use their products in a business environment does this sound like capitalism or free market at its best NO it sounds like corporatism.
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:26 am
Steve Balmer es un ladrón sin ética.
François te damos todo el apoyo desde la comunidad Linux de Argentina.
Algún dÃa se les va a terminar el dinero para boicotear excelentes proyectos tecnológicos.
Fuerza Mandriva.
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:37 am
Lamentável…
Fica aqui minha indignação…
As vezes o governo do Brasil faz coisas similares também.
Não tenho muito o que dizer, coloco muita fé nos produtos da Mandriva Conectiva, que sempre serão melhores e melhores.
—-//—-
Lamentable…
It is my indignation here…
There times the government of Brazil also makes similar things.
I do not have much to say, I have much faith in the products of Mandriva Conectiva, that always will be better and better.
[ ok, my english is bad, poor... ]
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:40 am
You do realize that Bill Gates was in Nigeria just a few weeks ago.
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/stupid/nigeria-asks-if-bill-gates-is-a-mooch-307889.php
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:56 am
I think it’s fair to say that Ballmer is a bit of a nutter from the many myths trailing after him. However if you’re up against Microsoft are they going to send in their pet poodle or top rottweiler. It’s Ballmer’s job to be a complete animal.
Don’t get mad get even, go sell the Nigerian government some Parallels or VMware stuff so they can run both OS’s effectively and get the benefit of both softwares.
Brad
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:06 am
An interesting story. Considering that the Nigerians are noted for shady deals, and that M$ is also well known for dirty tricks, it is NO surprise that they get along so well. Don’t worry, wait until all the bugs start to show in Ballmers’ lousy software.
Rob
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:29 am
[...] Please take the time to read an open letter, written by François Bancilhon, Mandrivas CEO (I guess), where he adresses Steven Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft. Here is the link: http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:31 am
…maybe they just wanted a universally compatible product, not another tiny voice in a crowd of slashdot-addicted anti-corporate unable-to-accept-authority supported vulnerable-source apps.
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:33 am
Boo Hoo. The last CEO who whined this much was Sun’s McNealy - look what happened to that company. Do what I always try to teach my children: compete smart and hard and be relentless, don’t blame others for your shortcomings, don’t whine and - yes - always proofread…
Remember that somehow Microsoft got the drop on IBM too back in the day - it is possible to win, but not by feeling sorry for yourself.
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:36 am
Although I do not agree with the alleged methods used by Microsoft to finally get away with this deal (note that I do not say win since it is obvious that they did not), and this kind of unfair way of doing business must be denounced each and every time, I must say that we shouldn’t be too surprised at this point…after all that is the way they have being doing business since their former president sat down at IBM and said he will deliver something that he did not had at the time yet..
As for the Nigerians, too bad they don’t know great from acceptable..which suggests they have deeper problems than putting computers in the classrooms…
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:45 am
From the above comments it’s clear to me that most people didn’t got the real issue.
It is not about having the client choosing another product. If it was like that, client would choose it in the first iteration. In the initial procurement…
What it is in stake is Microsoft’s moves to block Linux projects. It is not paranoia. Is real life.
Even with 95% of the desktop market, Microsoft use unethical (in some cases I know, even illegal) means.
I’m responsible for Caixa Magica (http://www.caixamagica.pt), the portuguese Linux dist, and in the last ten years I had assist to Microsoft play in Portugal:
- Sabotage of a dual-boot project in Ministry of Education for 14.000 PCs (imposing the use of their loader, even if every time Windows was re-installed , Linux CM vanished)
- Pressure over the Ministry Of Justice in the Portuguese Parliament stating that a major blackout in elections Mainframe was due to a Linux Destop migration
- Blackmail one of the top 10 municipalities saying that if they continue to test Open Source solutions they would ask for the licenses of 50% of illegal installed software.
Only for stating the not obvious ones (such as CT173 - OpenXML portuguese commission blocking Sun and IBM presence due to “lack of chairs”,lobbying against standards legislation,…).
The pressure is so, that we now have a rule not to publish any information about major migration projects. Best to be unknown that be a target of Microsoft “black department”.
Enough is enough.
This will only end with one of two: when clients (governement, enterprises,…) realize they are Microsoft-dependent and move on to alternatives or when we all (open source companies) give up.
François’ letter is clear. Do not count with us giving up.
We are just starting.
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:50 am
[...] para lá não, mas minha opinião sobre as atitudes da Microsoft e seu SEO já devem ter enchido, então vou apenas publicar a tradução para que todos entendam o que o François Bancilhon disse a …: Caro Steve, Oi, aqui é François, da [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:58 am
Hey this could be a good thing!. With the Nigerian Spammer now on MS products, we should see less spam because of “MS” Server outages
PS: No really this is very poor sales practice & i hope they get caught this time.
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:09 am
Unfortunately, from what I read on your letter, I can only conclude that you still didn’t get it. There are ways of playing. You can play ethical. Or not. The question is: do you want to win? If yes, than know the enemy. See how it plays. Watch its moves. Study it. And than strike. No mercy, no rest untill you see it defeated. That’s how they play. They only go for a battle they will win. No matter the arms. You really want to fight them? Well, this is, maybe, the wrong question. I should ask you: do you really want to SURVIVE? Do get it wrong. by now, they are thinking in ways of getting rid of you. Evereybody has some weakness. If not the company, maybe the men that rules it. Find it and strike. Or else, be defeated. They will not give up. Nor show any mercy upon you. See the history. Read it. Remember Netscape? That’s how they play.
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:25 am
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:28 am
I am living in India and here the situation is probably similar. India is known to be corrupted up to grass root level; means post office, bus conductor, teachers, police men, etc
There is little change for a developing country to come out of their misery before they seriously consider to fight corruption. Companys like MircoSoft have an easy go in those countries. Bribing a few high officials does the trick. One can only hope that this people wake up in time. They pay the bill anyway in the end.
The time of falsehood is coming to an end. We live more and more in a global community where ‘deals’ are on the table the next morning and more and more peole are aware the the human race has to develop collectively and that include 2/3 of the world in a develpment state right now. If MS has only it’s only profit in mind they will pay the build in price of such behaviour
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:30 am
That is harsh. I feel for you. Keep working hard.
That said, I don’t understand how this has anything to do with ethics. Microsoft made a business decision and presented the best deal for them and for Nigeria. Why is that unethical?
If Microsoft has to do this on every deal, they will go out of business, so they won’t. If competition keeps up, they will start to lose ground.
My fear is that too many people will scream “unethical” and look to a government to regulate business and more unethically “pick the winners.”
This appears to be a completely ethical business transaction is which both parties believe they are better off than where they started. You just happen to have lost the deal. Wasn’t an even fight and they used tactics you couldn’t, but life isn’t always fair. Complaining about the unfair world is childish.
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:38 am
#
Do you suppose, it’s just possible, that maybe they’d rather use a better product? Pretty obvious, if you ask me.
#
Huh? They chose Windows, far from the better product. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate Windows, I choose Linux because its a better OS and gives me a lot more freedom for what I choose to do with my PC.
I do hate the suits at Microsoft, they are like the evil villain trying to take over the world who keeps escaping over and over
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:40 am
Most likely, they find Mandriva not up to the task. They need a pc that can proved productive (not that Mandriva is not productive) with less learning curve. You know, majority of government servant (teachers, clerk etc) are not tech whizz. Surely they find Mandriva unuseable as they dont know how to use them and nobodys there to teach them. This is not the first time government contract for linux got dump you know.
IMHO, until linux has extremely low learning curve, has lots of application support, it will never reach the mainstream.
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:20 am
You gotta hand it to Steve and M$. Great sales guys! Maybe a stint in the faltering US automobile industry would be a nice thing too.
As for you Mandriva guys, how does it feel? Not pretty I guess.
Pitty this is the financial world. If this were a real-life legal thing Steve would be locked away for… well… let’s say a couple of years and he’d get some special attention from the inmates
But I guess these are the pathetic signs of a dying dynasty. This is different to the power-plays M$ has done in the past decades. this has the feel of desperation of open refusal to live in a competitive industry. Taken with what happened on the OOXML votes in Sweden (?) it does cast serious doubt on where M$ is going in the future.
For everybody else the question will be whether the IT (Linux) world survives the thrashings of a dying and desperate M$. For all those who want a preview of what will happen please read any book on the history of IBM.
Cheers
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:25 am
Hopefully the European Union knows about this Microsoft deal and will
take action in the European Courts to fine Microsoft again for their practices.
Some companies never learn.
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:33 am
People, get a clue. Nigeria was actually pretty smart here. They paid a lower price for Mandriva, and Microsoft essentially gave them Windows et al FOR FREE. Nigeria could decide in a few months that it no longer wants Windows, and it could reinstall Mandriva. But it still retains the Windows licenses. Get it? They got both.
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:35 am
“Ryan said,
November 1, 2007 at 3:05 am
Part of getting your point across is using proper spelling/grammer.
“I’m sure we’re way too small for you to know me. You know, we’re one of these tiny Linux COMPANY working hard for our place on the market�.
It’s not hard to edit before you submit…”
Grammer? or maybe … grammar
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:36 am
Take easy…
Pay a ticket to Disneyland (to nigerian costumers) and get back your OS on Classmate
Regards,
Renato
P.S. In Brazil is the same
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:48 am
ese Steve Ballmer, es un hijo se su reputisima madre, pero pero son los idiotas de nigeria que como dicen por aca en mi pais “con dinero baila el perro”,
November 2nd, 2007 at 5:04 am
Less whine on the next point release please.
November 2nd, 2007 at 5:06 am
Earlier, some asshat named Chris on November 1, 2007 at 3:22 pm said:
“Do you suppose, it’s just possible, that maybe they’d rather use a better product? Pretty obvious, if you ask me.”
The only thing that is obvious is that some high-ranking official is counting some pretty hefty coinage in exchange for this bush-league switcheroo. But someone made the best point earlier — anytime Microsoft has to pay a nation to use its software, then the end is near. Get used to it, Chris.
Meanwhile, regardless of Francois’ not choosing a better translator (and he should have), the message is still a good one. I don’t use Mandriva, but I support Francois’ position on this. Allez, Francois! Allez, Mandriva.
November 2nd, 2007 at 5:18 am
Hahaha- you got ‘ol Redmond scared now. So scared they had to PAY OFF a third world country to NOT distribute linux. What does this say about who has the better product.
Grassroots projects like this will soon force Micro$oft to release MS office for Linux. When they do, it’s game over.
November 2nd, 2007 at 5:38 am
You should be happy you closed the deal. Hope you got your money.
You should really not hold back though. If you have some specific to say, SAY IT. Otherwise, you really look like a serious CRY BABY!! After all, you did close the deal right? Or did the Nigerians change their mind at the last minute and this is your way of deferring blame for not being able to close the deal?
I don’t hear the folks at Canonical or Redhat crying like this…
November 2nd, 2007 at 5:39 am
I think they will have to switch back to Mandriva once they see that after installing Windoze, the machines have slowed down to half their speed.
November 2nd, 2007 at 5:40 am
[...] little KDE device, the Intel Classmate PC, gets some startling news at the Mandriva blog site. I don’t know the background of this situation, but I doubt that such strong words from the [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 5:41 am
[...] Alt1040 mencionan la referencia a una carta abierta que publicó François Bancilhon y está dedicada ni más ni menos que al mismÃsimo Steve Ballmer [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 6:04 am
The following views do not reflect that of anybody but myself, so if you want to sue me Steve, its not hard to track me down
Steve Ballmer, you are a criminal
November 2nd, 2007 at 6:13 am
Hi, Just to be practical, the only people that has the most rights to question this is the people getting the laptops. Basically, why is their government buying 2 set of OS for one PC. The guy would did the initial selection should be fired unless he shows that they have more money for M$. In that case, why are we paying for M$? And so I wonder.
November 2nd, 2007 at 6:21 am
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 6:26 am
You’re not the only one who refuses to go to Canossa. I do, too.
While my current distributions of choice are Ubuntu and Slackware, I like your spirit, and your refusal to bow down to Microsoft. May you continue to land deals like the Nigerian one. I hope you land 100 such deals, and then 100 more!
PCLinuxOS is based on your distribution. Like its parent, it too is user-friendly and makes a very nice desktop.
Microsoft truly is afraid if they’re playing this hard for a country like Nigeria. They do the same in my country, the United States. I trust you’re aware of their machinations in the State of Massachusetts regarding OpenDocument….
–SYG
November 2nd, 2007 at 6:29 am
2potap:
Country not matter. They sell computers with preinstalled software. It’s a normal way, which use and Microsoft.
November 2nd, 2007 at 6:31 am
Funny how nobody has a reason SteveB would get on a plane, fly to Nigeria just to spread around a few bucks to sell Windows??? If anyone did anything from Microsoft, it was the local nigerian office… Now what would have happened if Microsoft lost business to Mandriva? no big whoop, right?
How about providing some proof before you pass the crap dudes.
November 2nd, 2007 at 6:57 am
This is business.
Steve gets his job done. Need to work harder….
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:18 am
Microsoft Sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mandriva Rocks!!!!!!!!1
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:18 am
[...] Mandriva Blog » An open letter to Steve Ballmer More ranting against Microsoft. I’m going to try to reduce mine, as I now think it a waste of time. (tags: linux opensource windows microsoft mandriva open-source education via:lwn.net) [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:20 am
Probably fell for the variety of viruses available for Windoze!!!
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:46 am
No worries there. The Nigerian Gov’t will kick themselves once MS starts acting up, crashing and doing what it does best - acting faulty!
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:10 am
Dear Mr Banchilhon,
I like your fighting spirit in the face of adversity. And i like the fact that you’re telling those bastards that money is not the end of it. What is wrong is wrong and should be protested.
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:20 am
@Nathan
People like you are not Microsoft’s target customer because you weren’t going to give them your money anyways.
At least the Nigerians know which side of the bread is buttered.
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:31 am
Microsoft is a criminal organization and understands nothing but coercion and limiting consumer choice to maintain their software monopoly.
The sooner Microsoft goes out of business the better.
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:37 am
Steve Ballmer you must D*E with your f@ck*ng windows!!!!!!!!! I use Mndriva for a few month but its realy the best Linux-distributive )))
sorry for my bad english. and Hello from Russia ))
November 2nd, 2007 at 9:01 am
The essence of this letter seems to be ignorance of how capitalism works.
Nothing illegal was done. Mandriva made a sale and made some much needed money. Microsoft made a deal and is having their software installed.
So nothing legally wrong happened here! It’s just business. If you want to compete, then suck it up and start competing! Don’t cry.
November 2nd, 2007 at 9:16 am
[...] Open Letter to Steve Ballmer [Mandriva] [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 9:26 am
@potap, прикинь, вÑ?ÑŽ Ñ?трану на линукÑ? подÑ?адить…нее, никакой выгоды…
Ðто же какой маркт от них убежал…иÑ?кренне Ñ?очувÑ?твую, правда Ñ?ами капитализм проÑ?или ))
November 2nd, 2007 at 9:41 am
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 9:46 am
[...] Ballmer ha convencido al gobierno nigeriano para lo contrario. Con motivo de tan magna decisión, François Bancilhon (responsable de Mandriva) le ha escrito una interesante carta abierta a Steve Ba…. So we closed the deal, we got the order, we qualified the software, we got the machine shipped. [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 9:58 am
[...] gelernt Man könnte glauben, dass man im Leben lernt. Microsoft tut das nicht. Geschrieben von Leo am Freitag, 2. November 2007 um 09:57 in Netzwelt no comments yet, be the [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:06 am
[...] An open letter to Steve Ballmer. Larry Dignan: If you’re going to bash Steve Ballmer, don’t hold back on the ammo. [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:13 am
Have a look at :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dare_Obasanjo
This guy is a Manager at Microsoft and….guess… SON of the Nigerian President.
Any questions?
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:21 am
[...] http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:29 am
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:35 am
Those computers are so light, you should do a speed test with common tasks between an MS-version and a Linux version, and publish those. And repeat that every month, because I’m sure the Windows PCs will get slower over time due to viruses and other malware. No lab conditions, just provide two schools with 2 types of PCs, and randomly select a computer every month.
You only have to inform people so that they can make their own choice.
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:44 am
Who in their right mind would voluntarily choose the bloated, closed, ugly, slow, horrid, _insecure_ sorry excuse for an operating system… windows?! I’m with you all the way François… Its called bribes btw…
-Mike
http://amigaweb.net
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:56 am
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life! [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:02 am
Microsoft is a f***ing cancer.
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:05 am
I will never give money for Nigeria, they do not need charities, they have Microsoft now.
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:11 am
La vergogna di Microsoft: grazie al potere del vile denaro la Nigeria non avrà Linux…
[...] [La lettera originale sul blog di Mandriva] [...]…
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:15 am
My deep condolences.
Another stab in the back for a fair market in the os-software-industry and free software in general. Another step back for new innovation and choice, one step ahead for Microsoft-monopoly and arbitrariness of a single commanding vendor.
Anyway I bet Steve will looks in the mirror with pride, stroking his potbelly, because this way of business without any ethics worked for them for all these years.
I sincerely hope that this here get’s much attention by the media.
Best wishes for the future ‘Mandriva’
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:21 am
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:25 am
It is really entertaining how most of the posters in this blog bash a CEO of a company. You even kick him with feets because he does not use correct grammar in his second or third language. In most cases, the people who are calling names are sitting in a closed box, speak one language and still run the worst operating system in world, while waving the american freedom flag and support the criminal actions by Microsoft and claim it to be the right thing to do in big buisiness and capitalism. I personally run OS-X and linux. I develop some of the Servers you guys are using, and anyone who think that a MS operating system will actually support, and develop nations such as Nigeria, really doesnt have a clue about technology and true innovation.
Good luck Mandriva, and lets hope that there are some smart kids over there who will dual boot Linux and Windows
…. Windows for the typical patching, fixing and laughable GUI and Linux for actual technology research 
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:27 am
[...] has decided to replace Mandriva Linux with Windows from Microsoft Corp. on Classmate PCs. See his open letter to Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer, where he blames the Redmond, Washington software giant for queering [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:32 am
[...] http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ http://blogdrake.net/node/9488#comment-42451 [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:37 am
Wow, more bitching from a Linux distro because Microsoft won a deal? Unheard-of!
Sorry, but Microsoft makes a better product. You know why? It doesn’t abuse my time.
I’ve tried to use Linux. I’ve tried Ubuntu, and Debian, and Fedora, and countless other distros (yours included) throughout the years. And every time, I’ve run into problems which are so simple to fix in Windows, but take HOURS of my time to attempt to fix in Linux. And I say “attempt”, because 90% of the time, the “solutions” don’t work, and I’ve wasted another hour of my life trying to make something simple (like, a Flash plug-in for Firefox in x64?, to name one of MANY!) work.
A friend of mine said, “Linux is only free if your time is worthless”. Microsoft products work easily, the first time, and don’t waste my life with trivial issues and setup. I can get a Windows Vista box up and surfing the internet, playing games, watching movies, doing ANYTHING you want, in under 2 hours. I’ll take a little “insecurity” (and Windows is only insecure if you’re an idiot) for that!
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:51 am
[...] per l’acquisto di PC Intel Classmate a basso costo. L’accusa, resa pubblica in una lettera aperta al CEO di Microsoft Steve Ballmer, afferma che l’azienda di Redmond si sarebbe intromessa [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:53 am
We will wait for Nigerian Government to return back to Linux Community. You are always welcome. Cheers
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:01 pm
Steve, you did a really great job!! Congratulations.
Mandriva, that’s business, not a game.
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:05 pm
[...] Bancilhon put out an open letter to Steve Ballmer in response to the events of the [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:16 pm
I understand that business wise some dirty trcks went on. But do not take it personal, especially considering this is Nigeria. It is one of teh most,if not THE most, corrupt place on Earth!
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:32 pm
[...] 2, 2007 at 1:32 pm · Filed under Companies, Mandriva, Microsoft An open letter to Steve Ballmer from Mandriva’s [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Man, the smell the smell.
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:49 pm
Just a thought… how many of you had even heard of Mandriva before this so-called “open letter” was linked to death on the net?
Ah, there’s nothing better than free publicity
Francois might as well have spoke of the bigfoot and 9/11 conspiracy theories for all I see.
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:59 pm
Maybe Steve have to use a big amount of sleeping pills to have a comfort night…
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:08 pm
[...] Avec une informatique émergente aux couleurs de Windows, le choix du mono couleur n’a pas laissé… [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:30 pm
[...] An open letter to Steve Ballmer. “We actually closed the deal, we took the order, we qualified the software, we got the machine shipped. To conclude, we did our job. And, the machine are being delivered right now… ..Now, we hear a different story from the customer : “we shall pay for the Mandriva Software as agreed, but we shall replace it by Windows afterward.â€?” [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Nigeria is one of those countries where any business deals are accompanied by some sort of kickback (bribe) to one or another gov. official. MS obviously just bribed someone enough to change their mind.
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:35 pm
[...] http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Pfft, this is so boring. Same old scenario of the OS representative turning to childish, emotive pleas, bowing down to big business. Who’s surprised that MS got this one? If Linux is going to compete with big business, it needs to be agressive like big business. Conspiracy theories aside (and all the ones on this page are nothing more), there were two product in the running. If Microsoft can offer one for money, when the other is free, they did a pretty good job at marketing and selling thr product. Unfortauntely that what’s it’s about in any business with any product and the sooner Linux can get some big projects and stop moaning the better.
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:39 pm
[...] But Microsoft entered the game and played the worst ever thing, read more >> [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:45 pm
[...] is an Open Letter to Steve Ballmer from the lead of Mandriva. I too had my comments to this but as am running back home, will add it [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 1:49 pm
[...] que o CEO de Mandriva, na súa carta (traducción ao castelán) non é quen de dicilo directamente, vouno dicir [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Bill: “Well done Steve - how much did it cost us?”
Steve: “5 Hummer and 200 AK-47.”
Bill: “Very well done - that was even cheaper than OOXML!”
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:08 pm
When ppl(Nigerians) “want to” jump into PITS??? Why the hell are we worrying bout it..
We did our bit.. Nows its for them to choose…
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Poor country + corrupt governement = Big business deal
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:13 pm
I think a great bribe happened to come into Steve’s pocket. Just accidentally…
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:20 pm
As a U.S. company Microsoft comply with two major pieces of anticorruption legislation:
* The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)
* The Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Convention
Don’t they?
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:35 pm
To Ryan who posted at November 1, 2007 at 3:05 am
> Part of getting your point across is using proper spelling/grammer.
When you can write French as well as this French company can write English you can criticise their grammar. (written in original – British – English)
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:38 pm
[...] François Bancilhon writes an open letter to Steve Ballmer regarding the news that Mandriva Linux will be replaced by Windows XP on the 17,000 Classmate PCs for Nigerian schools. We actually closed the deal, we took the order, we qualified the software, we got the machine shipped. To conclude, we did our job. And, the machine are being delivered right now. [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:41 pm
When you’ve reached the point where you’re bribing corrupt politicians or officials instead of concentrating on making your product package a legitimately better and more attractive solution… When you don’t realize that this sort of unethical practice only has a limited lifespan… When don’t seem notice that your own product is lagging further and further behind what your competitors are offering… And you think you can keep getting away with it… then its only a matter of time… Empires rise and empires fall… Toward their end they are usually dirty and messy and pathetic like this.
Long live Mandriva. Boycott Microsoft. That is all.
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Oh for crying out loud. Get off your soap boxes. This is, in fact, just business. And who loses here? Mandriva? No, they got paid. Microsoft, no, they made money too. The Nigerians? No, it was their choice to pay for both and they got both. Now they can choose.
I support both the Linux and the Windows platforms. Each has its place and does what I need it to do. That’s all that matters. This continuous whining of the “downtrodden masses” of Linux supporters is just tiresome.
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Ah… Money have left François Bancilhon’s hands - here it and has recollected words “ethics”, “conscience”.
Well and present here, I look, with a rage have rushed on protection Tux - it is possible to think, from it dollars have. Already ridiculously is all equally that I shall start to prove, that Coca-cola is abruptly, and Pepsi - merges. Friends, how many it is possible to be free of charge extreme fans of this or that advertised idea? Yes, advertising different happens - at Ballmer it one, at Jobs - another, and at тов. Francois - the third. But all of them of money заколачивают. That François Bancilhon likes to press “freedom” and on “validity” is still does not mean at all, that it is better, than at Big Bills.
Because Francois Bansilon likes to eat well and not in Fast Food, goes not on Peugeot, and this all demands the certain capital investments… It is time already a brain to itself to not break and to not write down itself in ordinary propagation and advertising.
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:08 pm
[...] (via François Bancilhon, CEO Mandriva Linux) [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:27 pm
[...] consiglio di leggere direttamente le parole di François Bancilhon nella sua open letter to “Steve� (Ballmer, ovviamente), indirizzata a Microsoft, e per conoscenza al governo della Nigeria, [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:31 pm
[...] pagado a Mandriva, ahora todos esos PC tienen Windows instalado. El CEO de Mandriva ha escrito una carta abierta a Steve Ballmer (en inglés). Para los que no hablen la lengua de Shakespeare, un miembro de Blogdrake ha [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:33 pm
[...] an open letter to Steve Ballmer (CEO, Microsoft Corp.), Francois Bancilhon (CEO of Mandriva) blasts the Microsoft CEO implying [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:35 pm
For those who blame François’ spelling and syntax, do you think that Steve Ballmer speaks French? This letter is about the tactics that Microsoft might have used in order to push for the replacement of mandriva with windows. Now, let’s guess.. How would one go about convincing an official to change his/her mind?
I personally disagree with the way these tables are compiled but Nigeria certainly doesn’t score well in the world corruption league (or scores very well, depending on the ciew point)
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:38 pm
What’s the point of this letter? An open letter? How about sending it right to him? This seems kinda like just talking behind someone’s back.
Business is tough; no need to cry about the outcome. You mention it yourself that when they entered, it got more competitive. You won the battle, but forgot about the aim of the war and M$ beat you in the end.
It would be more productive for you to learn from this rather than complain about it; at least that way there’d be a chance you wouldn’t repeat the mistake.
In the end, this has zero negative impact for Nigeria. There would be no compelling reason for them to change the deal unless they got some cash out of it…at this point we’re just talking about how “free” the computers that are being given out really are. Nothing in the world is free; you need to understand that.
You got beat; man-up and admit it. If you’d rather cry about it, there’s probably better jobs suited to you than CEO.
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:41 pm
[...] Mandriva Oh Microsoft - What are you doing??? I don’t like monopol companies. No! But please, read for yourself here. [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:46 pm
[...] there is a blog post by Mandriva CEO François Bancilhon indicating that while Nigeria bought the computers loaded with a customized Mandriva distribution [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:46 pm
Nigeria has a very bad corruption record as quantified by this table:
http://www.transparency.org/news_room/in_focus/2006/cpi_2006__1/cpi_table
Don’t worry about it, Nigeria were just using you as leverage
to get the best deal from Microsoft.
Be thankful that microsoft has to stoop to these depths.
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:50 pm
[...] pouvez lire la lettre de François Bancilhon à Steve Ballmer sur le blog officiel de Mandriva. « MSN Messenger sur votre mobile. Téléchargez-le gratuitement ! [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Hi Francois,
Après avoir testé Mandrake, par “philosophie politique”, j’ai été décu, il y a bien des années par Mandriva. Je suis donc devenu un Ubuntu-user comblé. Néanmoins, je dois admettre que la nouvelle 2008 est du bon boulot. Un sacré coup de chapeau en tout cas et bravo pour cette lettre ouverte murmurrant tout haut ce que Microsoft fait comme coups bas
Encore plusieurs coups de pied dans cette infâme fourmilière et peut-être que l’opinion va se retourner contre elle….
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:59 pm
[...] leer la carta original en inglés o si lo deseas también existe la traducción al castellano de la [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:12 pm
A corruption case? If it’s so, the justice can do something?
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:30 pm
The Nigerian govt has every right to change the software on the laptop.
The extra labour costs necessary to convert the laptops shows this to be an illogical maneuver. The software costs will be higher unless Nigeria’s govt made a deal with MS for free OS, Office Suite, and AV/AS.
The performance of these units will suffer, since Windows generally requires more resources. The TCO will be higher, as Windows OS requires more maintenance to keep it running smoothly.
I wonder if the warranties will be voided since the OS has been changed? Many of us have encountered something similar when we remove MS Windows and install Linux ; )
At least Mandriva can use the influx of cash.
Cheers,
Alex C.
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:35 pm
When you fail, it is your fault.
Instead of learning from yor failure, as smart companies do, you prefer sending this non sense letter. That will keep you out of any learning to win next opportunity.
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Man has it right, where’s the proof? Also, as a company, you don’t seem to understand how corporations work. As CEO, I doubt Ballmer has time to go around the world bribing officials… If there was any salesmanship, it was done by the Nigerian office of Microsoft. The Nigerian govt is probably not above soliciting bribes (how did Mandriva get in?) either, so you might want to check that out. Get some proof, compete better, or get out of business.
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:40 pm
[...] can read more here. No Comments, Comment or [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:50 pm
[...] aperta a Steve Ballmer Oggi tramite il blog di Felipe, Pollycoke sono venuto a conoscenza di questa lettera aperta, scritta dal CEO di Mandriva, François Bancilhon, a Steve Ballmer. L’ho tradotta e [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:55 pm
Maybe because Mandriva is just one of 10.000 linux distro’s, and Windows is the defacto industry standard.
If you are running a government, and you have to choose between:
a. A linux distro that my students have a 1% (a very very high estimate) of using in real life (that is working for a company)
b. A M$ solution, they will use in at least 50% (a very very low estimate) of the companies they will ever work for.
Now what do you choose to best prepare your students?
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:57 pm
[...] Qui la lettera di François Bancilhon a Microsoft…. [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Anony
“And by saying that Ms has no ethics that in no way means the Nigerian Government doesn’t have ethics, because Nigeria DOESN’T HAVE A CHOICE. If you offer millions to the poor they would jump through hoops for you. Hell you would do it too, wouldn’t you? Not because you’re unethical, but because you just plain NEED IT.”
You do agree that most of this bribe money goes to corrupt officials, towards fancy mansions, hot babes and sports cars, don’t you? Not much of this actually goes to the poor who REALLY need it. Nigeria definitely doesn’t have a choice. Microsoft hasn’t offered them a choice. It was the officials who were (supposedly) bribed. They cannot, hopefully, be said to have a NEED for the aforementioned items.
Other than that, I agree with the frustration expressed in the letter, though I do wish that it was a bit more professional with a proofreader fluent in English.
For those who ask, I also speak Hindi and am in the process of learning Spanish. Nor do I expect Francois’ English to be perfect. I do wish, however, that he had taken help from someone who’s English is.
Cheers from a newly initiated and proud Mandriva user.
November 2nd, 2007 at 5:17 pm
[...] pagado a Mandriva, ahora todos esos PC tienen Windows instalado. El CEO de Mandriva ha escrito una carta abierta a Steve Ballmer (en inglés). Para los que no hablen la lengua de Shakespeare, un miembro de Blogdrake ha [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 5:20 pm
[...] An open letter to Steve Ballmer (tags: corruption) [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Okay, first of all, for all you dingbats who keep posting that “Windows is obviously better” or that “whining is inappropriate to being outbid”, I invite you all to return to the real world. The facts are, Microsoft lost the bidding, yet somehow still got the contract because the government mysteriously changed their minds at the last minute. I don’t know about you, but that sounds awfully fishy to me.
Two, anyone who’s job isn’t directly indebted to the Microsoft machine knows full well that Microsoft is completely unethical and are willing to do ANYTHING to make sure people run Windows and only Windows. As for the claim that Windows is better than anything else out there, well, I suggest you get out into the real world sometime and wake up.
Three, “It’s called business. Microsoft’s dominance did not come out of nowhere. It was earned hard with thousands of people working 100 hour weeks especially during the early years.
Open source companies have to understand that you can’t make money with “free� stuff.
Open source companies have to understand that you can’t re-write the rule of free markets (also called capitalism).”
Microsoft’s dominance occurred on the strength of convenient timing, IBM getting hit with antitrust allowing Microsoft to hide behind them and take over the market, and use of massive amounts of money to buy out and/or bankrupt anyone who got in their way. Even when MS/DOS was first released it wasn’t the best of it’s kind; it was a cheap CP/M clone, and DR continued to kick it’s ass with DRDOS for years. Microsoft has always been a follower in the computer market, using the Windows monopoly and their war chest to muscle others out so they can rule.
Fourth, “Open source companies have to understand that you can’t make money with “freeâ€? stuff.”
Tell that to Google and Red Hat. They both do it, and do it very well.
Fifth, has everyone on planet Earth forgotten that there are reasons for doing things other than to turn a huge profit? For God’s sake, money is not the solution to the world’s problems!
November 2nd, 2007 at 6:46 pm
CLOSE WINDOWS!
Open Source.
Vivat Linux
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:16 pm
[...] Interesting read: Mandriva Blog » An open letter to Steve Ballmer [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:22 pm
Thank you François
I Love Linux. I don’t know if it will ultimately survive. But I hope Windows just lose.
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:23 pm
BUSINESS LESSONS FOR THE CAPITALISM LOVERS:
Big Supermarket Vs Little Store
The supermarket comes to the neighborhood
and starts selling stuff “below cost”
example: buys product A at 10$
and sells it at 9$
It’s purpose is “people not to buy from little store”.
Supermarket doesn’t care if making a loss,
has plenty of money in the bank
(little store has not).
Soon little store out of business.
Now, big supermarket all alone.
Oh what a happy day!!!
Now can sell at any price it wants to,
the product it wants to.
Poor customers!!!
Capitalism by nature promotes monopoly.
That’s why smart Americans created anti-monopoly laws.
So capitalism can live on.
Otherwise people will totally reject it,
and turn into some other form of social structure.
Monopoly tactics threaten the survivor of capitalism!!!
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:02 pm
[...] Links: 0. http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/10/30/1939229&tid=146 1. http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:06 pm
[...] e così avere la mia dose quotidiana di verità , se mai ne esiste una. Certe però sono un pugno allo stomaco. Altro che [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:28 pm
francois is emo
quit whining and grow up, nigeria is corrupt as hell, you should have known that they won’t be honest and stay with your crappy os…
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:38 pm
[...] a la lista linux de la PUCP una carta abierta de François Bancilhon (CEO de Mandriva) a Steve Ballmer (CEO de Microsoft) con motivo de la [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:45 pm
[...] a Bancilhon non è andato giù questo cambio improvviso di rotta e ha pubblicato una tagliente lettera aperta destinata a Ballmer. Uno dei passi più significativi è il [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Now I’m not entirely certain of this, but I am pretty sure.
If the Microsofts gave them the operating system at a reduced price or for free, I believe the US laws would require them to do the same or match for the US government.
If, instead, they paid or bribed the customer then that breaks a federal law in the US which many in the US will remember as the Lockeed Tristar event for which people went to jail here.
Try to find out which and since I live in Washington Dc and a lawsuit only costs about $120 to file let me know.
The world don’t need no windows and it don’t need no Gates.
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:54 pm
[...] Mandriva Prohibida su copia total con o sin fines comerciales. Copias parciales deben citar la fuente. [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 9:05 pm
Yes,
Steve knows the names, I am pretty sure! *******
Maybe the guys in Nigeria are smart enought to see were the enemy is!
Keep on fighting Mandriva!!!!!
cheers
Logo (form Germany)
November 2nd, 2007 at 9:10 pm
[...] http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 9:20 pm
[...] La lettera aperta a Steve Ballmer (CEO di Microsoft) che, a firma di François Bancilhon, si può leggere sul blog di Mandriva è un atto di pubblica accusa nei confronti di Microsoft e delle sue – per così dire – “aggressive” politiche di vendita e di conquista del mercato, più volte e per lungo tempo oggetto di aspre critiche sia da parte della comunità opensource che degli organismi di governo e controllo, nazionali e internazionali. [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 9:34 pm
Hej there,
I must admit that Mandriva is not my favourite Linux distro but I have the deepest respect for your open letter and the way you openly take on Microsoft. I wish you all the best!
Alexander (Stockholm, Sweden)
November 2nd, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Hello François,
I think we all know the business ethics of M$, and the business ethics in West Africa are notorious too. Mandriva One an excellent OS platform, supporting tools and very good apps. I’m sure that with the cut-down XP version or whatever MS plans for is not going to match the professional offering that you have. I would suggest that you propose a pilot with Mandriva, to run in parallel with the MS solution. Additionally it could be regarded as a fall-back solution. OK, it will cost you in terms of support and so on but I hope you can persevere with it.
A note to those who criticized François’s English. François wrote this in a foreign language. Please write back to him correcting him in impeccable French, or apologize.
Best, JohnS….
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:01 pm
[...] Linux se encarga de distribuir en su blog una carta abierta dirigida al CEO de Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, donde manifiestan su reacción ante las acciones que [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:11 pm
[...] Mandriva, sitesindeki bir blog yazısında, Microsoft CEO’su Steve Balmer’e açık bir mektup yazmış ve Microsoft’u müşterilerini etik olmayan taktiklerle çalmakla [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Behind you 100%, Mandriva. I’m an Ubuntu user myself, but I’ve heard great things about the Mandriva distro. Keep up what you’re doing
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:26 pm
[...] INCREDIBILE [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:33 pm
Peut-être que Monsieur Ballmer s’est contenté de faire essayer windows pour avoir une comparaison avec mandriva. Si c’est le cas, je comprends parfaitement la décision de votre ex client.
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:44 pm
the pc.. is perfecly win-compatible? i hope no… it would be a pity! otherwise… what the performances with win on?
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:08 pm
[...] Noticia completa [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:13 pm
Steve L
In business I believe it is considered unethical to continue competing once your competitor has a firm order. Being a linux developer I don’t know what exactly makes it unethical as opposed to just inter-competitor “sportsmanship”.
Naturally, after the transaction is complete it’s perfectly ethical to go to the customer and make another offer. Maybe that’s what really happened here, or perhaps MS botched the timing.
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:20 pm
QUOTE> Poor customers!!!
Capitalism by nature promotes monopoly.
That’s why smart Americans created anti-monopoly laws.
So capitalism can live on.
Otherwise people will totally reject it,
and turn into some other form of social structure.
Monopoly tactics threaten the survivor of capitalism!!!
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:22 pm
[...] Mandriva Blog » An open letter to Steve Ballmer We actually closed the deal, we took the order, we qualified the software, we got the machine shipped. To conclude, we did our job. And, the machine are being delivered right now. Now, we hear a different story from the customer… (tags: linux microsoft mandriva windows nigeria letter ethics) [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:32 pm
SO WHAT? When we all get to heaven, none of this will be worth a damn.
When I read all this human trash talk, I stroke my beard and just go on with my life. I have no advice for the mindless. — Doug Rosbury
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:36 pm
Interresting Blamer is able to sell Windows after a customer buys Mandriva. I state it is because he would rather have Windows than Linux. He was forced to buy Linux but prefers Microsoft Windows.
I do not think it was a hard sell at all.
November 3rd, 2007 at 12:16 am
Support Mandriva. Share this pic or similar ideas
November 3rd, 2007 at 12:30 am
Bad news.
November 3rd, 2007 at 12:46 am
Maybe you should spend your time developing a better product at a better price. Mandriva has come a long way, but apparently there is still room for improvement.
November 3rd, 2007 at 1:00 am
Well. I think it’s clear . Nigerian Governement is corrupted. Microsoft has paid them.
Nigerian had a chance to educate people, they lost it. Fuck ‘em !!!
November 3rd, 2007 at 1:11 am
[...] Read the letter here: http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ [...]
November 3rd, 2007 at 2:08 am
If the U.S.’s Republican administration only had the balls that the European Union did when dealing with Microsoft’s illegal anti-competitive tactics, this might never have happened.
November 3rd, 2007 at 2:23 am
/me vomit sur steve..oops
November 3rd, 2007 at 7:01 am
To Hmmm and Ryan, and to all the others who pointed out the English mistakes in Francois’s open letter:
English is not Francois’s native language, I guess, but French. But he did get his issues across. That’s the most important thing. You might be native English workers, that’s why you’re pointing out the mistakes, but you’re missing the point entirely, like Microsoft does. In my eyes, you are nothing but poor apologists for the company that you defend.
To Francois: way to go!
November 3rd, 2007 at 10:19 am
That is really hard. I am an Ubuntu user myself but I am running Mandriva on a few machines, too because of the good hardware support. I was happy about the message about the PCs going to be shipped with Mandriva. And now that. It reminds be a bit to the ISO votes about Office Open XML…
November 3rd, 2007 at 10:31 am
[...] blog di Mandriva c’è una lettera aperta indirizzata al CEO di Microsoft Steve Ballmer; vi si legge una giusta rabbia (vista la [...]
November 3rd, 2007 at 11:25 am
[...] I believe that hard work, good technology and ethics can win too.”[Via Yahoo News/PC Magazine] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the [...]
November 3rd, 2007 at 11:40 am
[...] … La mia risposta sarebbe uguale a quella della lettera di François Bancilhon di mandriva! (qui originale. Ma la gente non capisce, anzi insiste:- eppure danno tanti soldi per le loro fondazioni [...]
November 3rd, 2007 at 11:52 am
Defend your ideas.
Mandriva is my “lean Linux” favorite distro and if Mr Microsoft has more money than you, he hasen’t the best OS.
Don’t give up, the next deal will be the good one.
Anyway GNU/Linux is coming from everywhere : on the dell website, on the french administration, in my university…
Things evolves…It just took time.
Bat toi pour tes idées…
November 3rd, 2007 at 12:04 pm
[...] pagado a Mandriva, ahora todos esos PC tienen Windows instalado. El CEO de Mandriva ha escrito una carta abierta a Steve Ballmer (en inglés). Para los que no hablen la lengua de Shakespeare, un miembro de Blogdrake ha [...]
November 3rd, 2007 at 12:12 pm
[...] Grund? Keine Angabe bisher. Mandrivas Chef zeigte sich enttäuscht und reagierte mit einem offenen Brief an Steve Ballmer. Hier die [...]
November 3rd, 2007 at 12:24 pm
here is some support from germany for you guys:
I translated your letter into german. So everybody here can make up their own minds … if there is any doubt about what happened anyway …
http://www.tecchannel.de/blog/?p=332#more-332
November 3rd, 2007 at 3:03 pm
May I advise Mandriva to contact the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate this case to find the sudden change of course by the key public officials of Nigeria who committed this breach of contract.
I suspect a contract scandal in this case.
Tax-payers in Nigeria would be interested how their public funds are being spent.
Cheers and God bless.
November 3rd, 2007 at 4:44 pm
I have investigated this matter and to be honest and transparent, Mandriva’s CEO François Bancilhon, did not tell us the whole truth on this deal.
Please, see “Intel Donates 3, 000 Classmate PCs To Nigeria” on http://gatewaytosuccess.blogspot.com/, to understand the background of this case.
Microsoft has no business with Mandriva in this case and this François Bancilhon’s Open Letter to Steve Ballmer is totally a waste of time.
Direct your grievances to your vendors in Nigeria and not to an innocent man.
Cheers aand God bless.
November 3rd, 2007 at 4:51 pm
[...] Dear Steve [Ballmer], We publish a Linux Distro, called Mandriva Linux. You should try it, I’m sure you’d like it. (François Bancilhon in http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/) [...]
November 3rd, 2007 at 4:52 pm
I really dont what the problem is here.. MSFT come in and closed the deal. How they did it is another story..
but the baseline is simple.. tis the pennguin vs M$ and M$ won.. no biggie.. !!
November 3rd, 2007 at 4:57 pm
[...] Pismo mozete pronaci ovde. [...]
November 3rd, 2007 at 5:22 pm
Ne t’en fais pas François, bientôt le gouvernement Nigérian va pouvoir gouter à tous les maux dont nous sommes vistimes… Bientôt il va pouvoir se demander comment il peut faire une partition pour utiliser un OS fiable tel que Linux puis à se demander comment il va pouvoir tout migrer. D’ici là il va connaître les virus, les failles de sécurités, les plantages, les bugs, les écrans de la mort… et j’en passe et j’en passe… Le gouvernemant Nigérian est bien à plaindre…
Un pauvre utilisateur de W….s
November 3rd, 2007 at 5:41 pm
CORRUPTION? Corruption is government intrusion into market efficiencies in the form of regulations. That’s Milton Friedman. He got a goddamn Nobel Prize. We have laws against it precisely so we can get away with it. Corruption is our protection. Corruption keeps us safe and warm. Corruption is why you and I are prancing around in here instead of fighting over scraps of meat out in the streets. Corruption is why we win. (Syriana)
(We = = USA)
November 3rd, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Dear François,
Your letter show ignorance on your part about black people in general and Nigerians in partucular. Nigerians may be poor now- but they are certainly not stupid!
Your assuption- even though you have dealt with nigerians is that they are ignorant about both business issue and they do not have they technical savvy to make their own decisions- it’s nothing but pure racism. Not racisim out of malice- you seem to demonstarte a sincere ignorance about the abilities of africans.
Incidentlly, only French young people spend more time in education than Nigerians in the whole world- you can check that out
Do you seriously Think Nigerians- some of the best educated people in in African , if not in the world are not clever enough to change from your OS to microsoft’s.
As a person of Nigerian parentage, when i first read about your deal I was alamed about you supplying your OS to nigerian schools. From what I know about Nigerians everybody used microsoft anyway- Every Nigerian I know- including the teachers who would be using this machnines use microsoft.
The delivery of machine s that are rugged by your company is just the perfect thing for nigeria and her schools.
To me it sounds like the best business outcome- from the point of view of the customer.
They get rugged machines good for their situation, and an os they are used to
I think for once Nigerians have let common sence rather than money to prevail.
Maybe you should press our advantage that they loved your machines to keep your relationship with the Nigerian govermenmt going, so that you get more contracts from the country- Nigerian is a huge country with millions of young people eager to learn. A well considered stategy and long term view by your country in a frican may in the end popularise your OS there as well- believe me there are ways to beat microsoft in a country like nigeria- I mean software design wise
November 3rd, 2007 at 5:54 pm
C’est un peu dur pour leLinux, et pense que c’est un grand combat pour l’éternité.
Que Mandriva se batte pour qu’il ait aussi uneplace assez bonne sur le marché du net
Pas de trop commentaires à ce propos
Merci
November 3rd, 2007 at 5:57 pm
[...] מהחבילה ×”×?מורה ×?בל בהמשך הסיפור קיבל ×ª×¤× ×™×ª מוזרה כשממכתב של ×‘× ×¡×™×œ×”×•×Ÿ (יו”ר ×ž× ×“×¨×™×‘×”) עלה ×©×”× ×™×’×¨×™×? הודיעו ×œ×ž× ×“×¨×™×‘×” ×›×™ [...]
November 3rd, 2007 at 5:59 pm
Dear François,
This truly is a very funny story. With a smell indeed.
Please don’t give up, and try to sway the schools and government of Nigeria once more, please let me know if I can help.
17.000 new PC users growing up on expensive and buggy microsoft systems is not something nice to the world.
I myself am running on Linux, and must say am very happy.
Stable, fast, and in case of a problem there is a full community and many forums out there with people just waiting for me to post it so they can fix it. I love this community, and think this is what makes humans human.
I’ve nothing against windows, am not an addict of Linux, will not force anybody to my point of view, but simply feel better, and in the meantime do not get virusses, have money left for the family, do not have to pay for upgrades every year for virus scanners which slow down the system, license keys for software I need for daily use (like office) which are upgraded yearly and needs more money to stay in there, and I can give a 100 other reasons.
To be fair, I possibly could name 5 reasons also to forego linux. 5, not more.
And have alternatives for those.
Sure hope Nigeria changes their mind again, I’m sure they can use their upgrade money in a better way also. And giving 17.000 kids the microsoft brainwash is not good for this world.
Sincerely,
Heyme
November 3rd, 2007 at 6:53 pm
[...] letter from Mandriva to Steve Ballmer The letter says it [...]
November 3rd, 2007 at 7:17 pm
[...] Il comunicato originale di Mandriva. [...]
November 3rd, 2007 at 8:16 pm
Is it possible?! It is a idiotism of Microsoft! PR, not IT! :((((((((( Durty
November 3rd, 2007 at 8:49 pm
I admired Microsoft.. they are obstined like predators..
I think, today if you want to rule the world you need to work like a comunity, not simple attacking people´s dreams, works and ideas..
Linux is not just a simple O.S., but it´s like a new idea of social organization, a new paradigm of software´s bussiness.. i hope they understand it soon!
Congratulations to Mandriva Team, you are amazing!
November 3rd, 2007 at 9:47 pm
> Gee, you just figured out that Nigeria is one of the most corrupt crap-countries in the world? Dear cp, I peg you at no less than 60 IQ points for that brilliant deduction.
Well, with your high IQ you should have understood that I wasn’t exactly defending the nigerian government but pointing out that indirectly insulting your customer in an open letter isn’t a very wise business move… Heck, why would you do business with them in the first place if you know they’re corrupt?
And when I said “this is business”, I wasn’t defending Microsoft either (we both know they’re not saints). In any case, whining isn’t something I expect from a CEO. If a customer exploits the fact that you’re a newbie to use you as a “rabbit” to drive the prices down (assuming there was no corruption involved, which we don’t know) you learn your lesson, don’t repeat the mistake and target markets that Microsoft won’t target as easily.
November 3rd, 2007 at 10:17 pm
I promise you,
Microsoft and their affiliates will become unimportant as a fly on a horses shit.
Thats not my goal but it will be a side effect on my affords.
Sincerely,
Fim Fischer
November 3rd, 2007 at 10:21 pm
First for the message:
People should realize that when a small company like Mandriva bid against a larger and better capitalized monopolist (97% market share), they often expect to get the value of a reference contract so as to win future business. When the well funded competitor Microsoft pays the small company’s local Nigerian business partner a $400,000 marketing fee to uninstall Mandriva and replace it with Windows, it is 1) dumping at negative cost; and 2) directly an anticompetitive business practice designed to cause the smaller competitor a loss that it can ill afford, ultimately driving the smaller competitor out of business.
This anticompetitive business practice allows the monopolist to continue to extract monopoly rents from all other consumers. The only entities getting an economic break are the local Nigerian business partner, who earn an extra $400,000 or $25 per machine for installing Windows. Everyone else looses.
Secondly, the who enjoys publishing random (noise) excerpts of other articles in multiple languages at least 40 times, all starting and ending with [...] in the above blog comments clearly shows a strong ability to have intellectual discourse [...not...]. Thanks buddy and please do respond another 40 times — stay up all night and enjoy yourself. You know you can do it at least 40 more times because you have something to prove, don’t ya??? How about 400 more times. Yes, yes, 80 more times. No, 800 more times. Prove it.
November 3rd, 2007 at 10:28 pm
Reminds me of Microsoft’s “standard” Open XML. Guess how Nigeria voted in the first ballot round?
http://www.noooxml.org/ballotresults
November 3rd, 2007 at 10:30 pm
Perhaps they saw in Windows a better OS than Mandriva (which is a BIG peace of crap when you compare it to others Linux distributions) …
Francois, your attitude is pathetic. You’d better have to go on and fight, rather than crying like that ! Assume your ideas ! Fight !
Oh, just something : I’m an Unix (Aix, Solaris, HP/UX, Linux) sysadmin for several years now !
November 3rd, 2007 at 10:31 pm
Oh just one word : you really deserve Open source movement with this “open” letter. So you’d better have to delete it !
November 3rd, 2007 at 10:49 pm
People do love battering the Nigerian Government.
while I don’t like this decision, I like even less some of the comments I see here…
Show anybody a recent version of linux, they love it, then they ask, does it have msword? nope. coreldraw? nope… dreamweaver? nope… you can keep it.
Nevertheless, I’m one of those countless, and nameless Nigerians comfortably using linux (foresight, mandriva, ubuntu and debian)… oh yes, and not sending you poorly worded emails asking you to help hide untold millions of dollars.
November 3rd, 2007 at 10:52 pm
Unfortunately, this sounds like a typical Nigerian business deal. As evil as MS may be, they are only taking advantage of Nigeria’s political situation. Like it or not, bribes are required to conduct business in Nigeria (I am not saying you did, but typically they are.) If the Nigerian leaders can get 25% of the contract value from MS and a possible percentage of your contract value as well, why wouldn’t they? If you still think they did you wrong (which they may have), fight the corruption not MS. Now, do I think they are idiots for choosing to install a MS OS when they have a good version of Linux… absolutely!
One other side note, since many schools are built by the oil companies and not the Nigerian government so maybe you were targeting the wrong market.
Kristle
P.S. For those of you commentators who criticized the English translation… the letter is a translation and the French version appears to be grammatically correct.
November 3rd, 2007 at 10:58 pm
[...] questa ironica lettera che uno degli uomini di Mandriva indirizza a Ballmer c’è da chiedersi se Microsoft sia [...]
November 3rd, 2007 at 11:58 pm
Microsoft is very worried about linux sellings. This time the strategy wins.
But I think it will become harder to do these things.
In some countries, like Venezuela, despite the money, microsoft will fail. The sucess of Linux in those countries will grow curiosity of many others….
…. Sad, but true, the death of microsoft is about to happen, we don’t know when, though.
analysis (in french, published at HEC a french high school for business )
http://www.adullact.org/IMG/pdf/doc-157.pdf
November 4th, 2007 at 12:55 am
It is a sad day when people criticise someone for poor grammar outside of their native tongue.
What happened will eventually come to light, but I would guess that M$ have made a very sweet deal that the Nigerian government could not refuse. I’m sure that their negotiations were sneaky and underhand, as are most of M$ business practices (IMHO).
At least this will bring publicity to the cause
-Colin, Gentoo Linux user
November 4th, 2007 at 1:41 am
Microsoft is a very a shameless company. They are again not telling the truth about exactly what is going on. As a Nigerian, it is time for the Nigerian EFCC and the ICPC to take a serious look at Microsoft activities in the country. What do you call it, when the client selected Mandriva Linux OS over Windows XP back in August of this year in a bid and Mandriva since August worked with the client to customized the operating system for the Nigeria school children and teachers. The product is delivered and people love it. The client was planning to order 100,000 new Intel Classmate PCs this year with the already proven Mandriva Linux OS and a strong chance for more Intel Classmate PC opportunities next year.
Then, Microsoft could not stand loosing a deal to Mandriva, came up with a so called marketing contribution (bribe, money laundering) of $400,000 USD according to IDG News of November 2, 2007 for the client to launch a marketing campaign for Intel Classmate PC and Windows XP all over Nigeria. How do you launch a marketing campaign for a deal you never won in the first place. We are not all fools and bribe taker in Nigeria. Lots of Nigerians are good and highly educated. From where I come from in Nigeria, this is bribery and money laundering covered up as marketing collateral. This is also another form of technology slavery. Microsoft technology slavery program. If you sincerely believe that clients should be free to choose the OS and applications best meet their needs. Nigeria chose Mandriva Linux OS back in August on the Intel Classmate PC. They ordered 17,000 with Mandriva Linux OS. Microsoft just can not let it go. You are locking Nigeria and her people into your closed and stolen technologies even when in your country (USA), governments (Federal, States and Local), corporations and educational institutions are moving away from you to Open Source software.
We happen to know that Mandriva West Africa is owned by a Nigerian who has contributed a lot to ICT developments in Nigeria and other West African countries. He is not the type that would offer a bribe. We also know that this project is funded by public money.
We know that Microsoft is afraid that if they allow Mandriva to continue and show the Nigerian people a better technology and at the same time an open technology, Microsoft will never be able to kill the Open source movement currently growing all over Africa. Microsoft also know that other countries in Africa will follow Nigeria. The best think to do is to sabotage Mandriva by using their money to bribe. Shame on you Microsoft.
You have already succeeded in enslaving all the Nigerian OEMs. Stop. Let me assure you (Microsoft) that we are not going to let you get away with this. We are going to protest everywhere you have your marketing campaign. We are going to call every elected officials, EFCC, ICPC and Chief Justice of Nigeria. We are going to mount an international protest outside of this country and we are going to look at Nigerian law and international law for any violations and follow the rule of law that you don’t seems care about.
November 4th, 2007 at 4:28 am
To whom it may concern,
I think the nigerian country made a very good deal. Not only will they install windows, but also linux on dual bootable machines. Always thought of nigerians of clever business man and woman. Why get 1 of you get 2 for the price of 1? Of coarse the children will learn both windows and linux at the school. Linux will have a big future. Nigerian poeple could profit along if they will have the change to enter the Open Source market in the near future. Not only wil this boost economy but it will be evidential for survival when natural resources of the country will run dry. They also will expirience the stability of Mandriva. And just one more remark: what about applications, anti-virus software, bandwidth of the net to maintain windows? Look again, and don’t think this was a lost deal. People aren’t that stupid anymore and decide for themselves. Closed source is coming to an end and sooner then you can imagine.
Regards to all
November 4th, 2007 at 4:34 am
I wonder if MS also paid for the ram upgrade and upgraded processor, will provide free support, a free copy of Office,
November 4th, 2007 at 11:33 am
An official reply - ‘proof’ they played fair … ^^
November 4th, 2007 at 11:36 am
Link quoted on the newspage of “ct’ “, the biggest and most respected IT-magazine in europe: http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3708961
( http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/98419 )
November 4th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
As a Naija man, I am really sad about this incident.
While I must make it clear that Linux is my preferred platform, I really couldn’t care what platform my government chooses to use to conduct its business, whether Microsoft or Open Source, or even the expensively priced Macs.
My concern is very simple: the waste of public funds in this whole project. Simple question, what would Nigeria stand to gain by paying for technical support that she would never use?
November 4th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
François, don’t blame Steve to have played the well known Nigerian game. Mandriva is not the first company to have lost a contract after its award. It’s very common in Nigeria as one of the most corrupted country. It’s just a matter of dash and the solution (it’s never too late) for you is the same: dash the right people to revert their decision again. And this game will end when Nigerians from all parties (including yours) will be full. Sometimes, it takes time (2-3 years). Bon courage
November 4th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
[...] una volta che Microsoft ne ha preso la gestione pubblicitaria. Questa è la traduzione di una lettera aperta scritta dall’amministratore delegato di Mandriva Linux (una volta Mandrake) a Steve Ballmer, [...]
November 4th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
[...] Bancilhon, from Mandriva, has accused Microsoft of playing dirty in a deal with the Nigerian Government to provide hardware pre-loaded with Mandriva’s Linux [...]
November 4th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Nigerian: CONGRATULARIONS !!!
95% of the world uses Windows, why would you stay on 5% side ???
November 4th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
Fast facts about Microsoft Nigeria
Year established:2000
Number of employees:20
Function/focus of office:Drive sales, develop and manage the channel, as well as improve the experiences of customers and partners in Nigeria and Ghana
Key leaders in office: Gerald Ilukwe - Country Manager, Lanre Onasanya – SMS&P Manager, Martin Nwoga – Services Lead, Uloma Umeano – Marketing Manager
Key partners:Infosoft/Infographics, CIS Ghana, IPMC Ghana, ATDS, DCK, Bitrax-Axxent
Key customers:Federal Government of Nigeria, MTN Communications Nigeria, Ghana Telecoms, ADB Bank Ghana, UBA Plc, Vmobile Nigeria, NLNG Limited, Zinox Technologies, Omatek Computers Limited
Provide an overview of key challenges your local employees face
We face two primary challenges here. Firstly, there is a marked lack of awareness among businesses and consumers around intellectual property rights, software piracy and copyright issues. Investment in legal software is often lower on the list of corporate priorities. This makes the sales process challenging and tedious.
The second challenge is to manage customer expectations regarding technical support. Many of them are not used to paying for consulting or support services (especially at Microsoft rates!) and, to make matters worse, many people almost expect it as a free benefit of having licenced software. This is made even more difficult given that open source software is perceived as ‘free’.
Provide a brief summary of your office’s strategy growth (include snapshot of past, present and future)
Microsoft Nigeria was founded in 2000 with a team of four people as a satellite office of the Microsoft West and Central Africa presence in the Ivory Coast. We became independent of Abidjan by 2002 and today we are proud to have achieved a 40% year-on-year growth over our last five years of operation.
Our business has witnessed significant growth in COEM, telecommunications, financial services and the public sector. We expect this to continue in the short to medium term. We are also building our services business to cope with increase demand for product support and consulting.
In December 2004, we opened a satellite office in the Nigerian capital of Abuja. The Abuja office will be responsible for managing the Enterprise Agreement that Microsoft signed with the Nigerian government last year. We also plan to bring the benefits of technology to bear on primary, secondary and tertiary education institutions.
Provide a brief overview of citizenship activities in your country or region
The citizenship activities in Nigeria and Ghana are operated primarily under the Partners in Learning (PiL) banner.
PIL
To succeed in what is rapidly becoming a global digital society Nigerian students need to gain experience of information and communication technology (ICT) and schools must be supported in their endeavours to provide this.
To this end Microsoft and representatives of the government (via the Educational Tax Fund) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that marks the local roll out of Microsoft’s PiL programme.
With PiL, Microsoft focuses initially on training and developing the ICT skills of the teachers. Once that is completed, they can lead training and effectively enhance the experience had by their students.
We work closely with those teachers and other educational leaders - such as SchoolNet - to help develop the curricula such that technology can play a greater role. And we offer the support and resources necessary to underpin the success in the classroom.
In addition to supporting schools with technology and training, the ETF and Microsoft are seeking to establish a forum of strategic organisations that can help develop a roadmap for increasing ICT literacy among Nigeria’s society. Such a forum would naturally support the technology drive in the education sector. And it would help to develop a Teacher Training Methodology (TIM) that could act as the future standard for schools across the country.
This is not about the sporadic donation of technology or the one-off signing of a document of intent. We are here to create sustainable long-term models for the transformation of technology’s role in the education sector by bringing our resources, practices and programmes together in partnership with the efforts of the Nigerian government.
Fresh Start for Donated Computers
To assist the government of Ghana to help primary and secondary schools benefit from the possibilities created by information and communication technology we launched the ‘Fresh Start for Donated Computers’ programme in Accra, the capital of Ghana, in MONTH.
The move forms part of the company’s investment in training, education, capacity-building and computer skills development across Africa. It is also a component of the greater ‘Partners in Learning’ initiative – the global programme that aims to empower teachers and students to achieve their full potential by providing technology and training in education.
The Fresh Start for Donated Computers programme is designed to provide licenced copies of the Windows 98 and Windows 2000 operating system to schools that are using personal computers (PCs) – Pentium II processors or older – that have been donated to them.
Donated PCs are a fundamental part of educational programmes around the world; it is estimated that there are around 600 000 such computers in schools across Africa. The challenge comes when the hardware is supplied without the legitimate operating system licence.
By virtue of its nature the Fresh Start for Donated Computers programme supports the high-profile Nepad eSchools initiative – the primary objective of which is to ensure that every African youth leaving school has the necessary ICT skills to compete in the digital age.
Our fundamental goal is to ensure that the latest technology is made available to students and teachers. Through the Fresh Start for Donated Computers programme, we will be helping schools to upgrade the donated computers that they rely on for the developmental growth of their students.
The Lagos Digital Village
Last year Microsoft joined forces with the Lagos State government (via the Ministry of Technology) to establish the Lagos Digital Village. The project is based at in Ebute Metta (in Lagos) and aims to create “a new generation of Nigerian youth who are well-equipped with appropriate IT skills and are therefore well positioned for personal development, nation building and global participation.
The project was commissioned on 28 May 2004 with the launch of a high-speed Internet café for the public (via a grant from the Nigeria-America Information Initiative). Since that time, courses have continued to be run on first steps (intro to computing), intricate details (how to build your own computer), work better (office productivity tools) and great leap (the Net and Web). Programme lengths range from three weeks to two months, depending on the course. Fifty-five students graduated in September last year.
What are some unique features/benefits about your physical(ly) work space?
We have two offices in Nigeria – one is centred on Victoria Island in Lagos, the commercial and corporate capital of Nigeria, enabling us to service our corporate and vertical market customers. The other is in Abuja, the actual capital of the country and the political hub. This office allows us to work closely with the Federal Government – one of our largest and most important customers in the region. Our main office in Nigeria is located in Victoria Island in a building on the oceanfront, so we have a fantastic view of the Atlantic!
What do you want Microsoft employees around the world to know about your office or region?
From a business point of view, Nigeria represents one of the most rapidly-growing markets on the continent. There is a great deal of local and foreign direct investment with many of the world’s largest multinational IT (and other) companies maintaining a direct or indirect presence here.
While there is an incredible potential and vast natural resource, it’s important to remember that Nigeria is still fraught with the socio-economic dichotomies often prevalent in developing African nations. There is a large digital divide, a definite disparity in income levels around the country and a large population.
Nigerians are proud people, which is why we at Microsoft call ourselves the “Green with Pride� team. The ‘green’ comes from our national colours: the Nigerian flag is green and white. The ‘pride’ element, as mentioned, is an accurate description of the general psyche of the typical Nigerian. It also denotes the work attitude that we have at our offices here. We are proud that Microsoft, one of the largest and most successful companies in the world, has instilled absolute trust in local talents in the management of its affairs in Nigeria. Microsoft is 100% multinational and 100% proudly Nigerian. (Oh, yes, and we sing too - we have a brilliant team anthem!)
November 4th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
Bonjour,
Je cherchais à moderniser W98SE !
J’ai changé d’horizon pour mon plus grand plaisir : Mandriva 2007 Spring SuperPack !
Beau cadeau pour mes 60 ans et 20 ans d’informatique . Aucune comparaison à faire !
Le gros bill et ses $ n’arrivent même pas aux orteils de mes cochons bretons que j’insulterais en traitant le gros bill de cochon !
De toute façon tout ce qu’il a pondu après W98SE est raté : XP, Vista ne servent que d’attrapes-vers ! Son empire crève et plus vite il disparaîtra, plus vite le monde libre et Mandriva que je soutiens haut et fort s’en porteront mieux !
Mort au gros bill et à ses nuisances, mort à l’esclavagisme !
Libérez-vous de vos chaînes d’esclaves et venez nous rejoindre chez Mandriva !
Didier de Bretagne ( France ) .
November 4th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
This is not about business by Microsoft. I believe and knowfrom History that some Nigerian in the Education sector has been bribed by Microsoft. This is not about clout. A deal is a deal unless somme millions of bribery dollars has changed hands. Microsoft should redeem itself and end corruption in Nigeria by allowing deals to proceed.
November 4th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
I don’t understand what all this fuss is about,Someone buys a laptop or PC that comes pre-installed with windows (also paying for the software) then remove windows and install mandriva no one complains.
Then he do the opposite and everyone takes up arms.
Lets face it the Nigerian government wanted a good cheap hardware deal and they got it and they probably also got a good deal on OS from Microsft as well. So they went for it. What is this Francois complaining about? Wasnt he paid or did they violate a contract that he can sue them for? If they did he can go ahead ad sue and stop whinning.
Did he ever go to Nigeria to protect his investment? Or did he just read up all the drivel and nonsense about Nigeria being a corrupt country full of spammers like the rest of you and decide to stay away as far as possible.
On spam: I recieve more spam on people trying to sell me viagra or sell me a home ownership loan or even winning a lottery than Nigerians trying to get me to move millions out of the country and I treat them all the same way: I trash them.
Lets concentrate on the real issue being poor marketing and follow up and leave Nigeria’s ethics or lack of it out of the issue
November 4th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
“Maybe you should spend your time developing a better product at a better price. Mandriva has come a long way, but apparently there is still room for improvement.”
What’s better than zero? Oh, sorry, Microsoft will go to any lengths to undercut anybody else, even to the point of giving Windows for negative prices.
November 4th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
[...] una volta che Microsoft ne ha preso la gestione pubblicitaria. Questa è la traduzione di una lettera aperta scritta dall’amministratore delegato di Mandriva Linux (una volta Mandrake) a Steve Ballmer, [...]
November 5th, 2007 at 12:04 am
[...] per l’acquisto di PC Intel Classmate a basso costo. L’accusa, resa pubblica in una lettera aperta al CEO di Microsoft Steve Ballmer, afferma che l’azienda di Redmond si sarebbe intromessa [...]
November 5th, 2007 at 12:12 am
“Money talks higher…..”
in the near future quality will talk higher
November 5th, 2007 at 1:12 am
First of all, this is all conjecture about what Microsoft may or may not have done. For so many of you to assume that something illegal went on when no facts are in eveidence just kills your credibility. Get a grip. As amusing as these posts from the Linux fanatics are, you just make yourselves look like nutcases when you post rants like these.
Secondly, what the Nigerians do or don’t do with their new machines is their business. Posting open letters to the world insinuating that something illegal took place is just bad business. To complain about a competitor’s ethics while being unethical in the writing of the letter is like the pot calling the kettle black.
Lastly, as to the grammar issues in the letter, it doesn’t matter that French is his native tongue. He wrote the letter in English, and it should have been proofread by someone that had good English skills before he published it to the world. In that regard, not only was the letter indicative of poor ethics and a cry baby mentality, it was also indicative of poor quality control. I would have second thoughts about any company that represented themselves in such a childish and poorly written way as they have.
Maybe he should have written it in Microsoft Word and let the grammar checker show him his mistakes…
November 5th, 2007 at 1:41 am
Golpe baixo Steve!
tsc tsc
November 5th, 2007 at 3:42 am
This is how the business is being done around the world. It would be the same for Mandriva. All companies in the world does that whether through bribery, organising games with hugh winning price and pretend to lost the game to the customer, free “Working trip” with only one to two days of factory visits and the rest of the “Working trip” in pub, strip shows, site seeing etc.
Come on, wake up. All the companies are corrupted no matter what they tells you about the ethics, their company regulation that does not allows them to do all the above etc. They still find creative ways of putting money in their customer’s hand.
Companies rule and individual like us we will be slave for them for the rest of our lives other than those who are born with monies and power. This is market capitalism at work.
So, live with it.
November 5th, 2007 at 3:55 am
To those who pointed out that English is not François’ native language:
I know it is not. But this is no friendly handwritten note he sent to his pen friend in Redmond, it is the official statement of a CEO of a company which claims to be a competitor in the world wide corporate market. It would have taken only a couple of minutes to have it proofread by somebody. I am pretty sure that Steve B. would have thought about such a thing.
As for the whole letter, it’s not the first time the Mandriva CEO addressed the public after a lost deal. Remember the Ubuntu deal with the french parliament? Mandriva lost that one and the CEO complained in public that Ubuntu played unfair because they used the backing of Shuttleworth’s money to make an offer Mandriva could not match.
Let’s take just these 2 incidents and M. Bancilhon’s reactions: What do these reactions tell other corporate decision makers about the spirit of this company?
Mandriva is not selling groceries on a village marketplace, they decided some time ago that they want to make deals with the big boys. What do those big boys think about such a letter? That’s the main point. Maybe that these 2 letters did more harm to the company than the lost deals.
November 5th, 2007 at 7:17 am
I am a Nigerian Linux advocate who is as disappointed as the next person that our school children will not have Linux on the Classmate PCS. However, I am disgusted with all the mudslinging and slanderous innuendo. If Francois or anybody has any proof of any wrongdoing then they should please notify the EFCC (www.efccnigeria.org) who will be happy to look into the matter.
November 5th, 2007 at 7:17 am
I can’t understand why “mandriva haters” or people that think “mandriva sucks” come at this blog to say a lot of bullsh*t…
I read things like “you should spend your time on doing a decent system”… well… so, what the hell are you doing on mandriva blog? I’m not defending the way the letter was made, I don’t see any REAL anti-ethic facts… BUT we don’t know all the facts, so…
For these people, go spend your time with the “other system”. Win Apps? Well, I can run a lot of them from Mandriva and I was really shocked when I noticed that some of then run even better than on their native system. (No joking)
November 5th, 2007 at 8:34 am
[...] le blog de Mandriva, la distibution Linux on peut lire une lettre ouverte de François Bancilhon à Steve [...]
November 5th, 2007 at 11:06 am
[...] Now, we hear a different story from the customer : “we shall pay for the Mandriva Software as agreed, but we shall replace it by Windows afterward.�full story here [...]
November 5th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
For the folks from the Mandriva community and for all the GNU/Linux developers in general there is an old Chines saying: “A one-thousand mile journey starts with a single step.” so don’t give up the fight !
November 5th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
[...] que afinal os computadores vão utilizar, Windows. François Bancilhon, CEO da Mandriva, redige uma carta aberta a Steve Ballmer ( o malabarista), acusando esta situação de ser um acto de sujo, ao que Steve Ballmer [...]
November 5th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
When all the Windows troubles start (like virus problems and additional software etc), Nigeria will turn back to Mandriva.
November 5th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Very surprisingly Microsoft took the time to answer to the allegations, mentioned in Bancilhon’s letter without giving a single proof.
Of course Microsoft denies any wrongdoing in the affair. “Microsoft has a strong relationship with the government in Nigeria…… Microsoft operates its business in accordance both with the laws of the countries in which it operates and with international law…… Micorsoft believes individuals, governments and other organizations should be free to choose the software that best meets their needs.”
Cited from:
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3708961
Now we all make comments every now and then about the “Evil Empire” and the bad boy in Redmond. But there’s a difference between such a comment in a webforum during a discussion and an official public statement of a company executive. Bancilhon should feel lucky that Microsoft did not take the time and the effort to start a law suit.
November 5th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
No people here that can admit that there should be another point of view?
Last Microsoft operating systems are very good, stable and much more easy to use than Linux ones?
Even the Mandriva, with all those KDE toys, is only a copy of Windows shell…
November 5th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
[...] Find English and French versions in: http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ [...]
November 5th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Come on guys! Seriously, you wonder why the mass market isn’t taking on Linux in numbers? There’s a number of reasons, but comments like:
“I am proud to be a linux user and i’ll die as a linux user.”
“MS is like a drug dealer”
And then moaning about ethics. Come on - this is business.
Maybe, just maybe Microsoft presented a really good business case, stating the TCO on a volume licence agreement compared to the Mandrivia option. The cost would be reduced due to the volume licence agreement anyway, and that also includes free technical support to MS.
Whilst Linux is a great platform, it’s still nowhere near Vista or XP level yet. Whilst Linux is free or very cheap this is OK - but if you compare Vista against Linux and remove the cost out of the equasion then the worlds most popular OS is probably going to win it.
That’s just business, we’ve had the same thing happen to us (our company is a web development company. Got Phase 1 done, but support went as they got their system redone by a competitor before we even finished development) Get over it, stop whining like children and start working as a commerical entity rather than hobbyists.
November 5th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
François,
What are you whining about. You have sold your PC you already have your money. If the Nigerians would say, we don’t want to pay for the software because we install Microsoft Windows i could understand your complaining. But you have deliverd your goods, and got payed. What is your problem, if the Nigerians want to convert the machines to a Sony Playstation, that is not you problem, it is their right because they have bought and payed for the goods. I can’t understand all those whining of Linux community against Microsoft, I use Linux myself and the company uses Windows. Linux is not heaven and Microsoft is not Hell. If you look at companies as Suse/Novell and Red Hat, it is no open source anymore (they are copieing the Microsoft marketing strategie).
François, stop whining and use a better sales team
November 5th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
What else to expect of American monopolist company (run by bald monkey and convict)?
But, this prove one thing: GNU/Linux (generally speaking) is coming to desktops!!! Keep up the fight!!!!
November 5th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
[...] Primero parecÃa que Mandriva habÃa convencido al Gobierno Nigeriano de pasarse a Linux. Luego Microsoft anuncia que el contrato se lo llevan ellos. Viniendo de uno de los paÃses más corruptos del mundo no nos extraña. Por supuesto en Mandriva se han enfadado y han escrito una carta abierta. [...]
November 5th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
[...] über seinen Frust und indirekt darüber, dass Microsoft Nigeria bestochen habe. Seinen offenen Brief richtet er direkt an Steve [...]
November 5th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
[...] Leer la carta de Francois Bacilhon. 17000 arreglo bacilhon bajo computadoras costo francois linux mandriva microsoft nigeria [...]
November 5th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
[...] full letter can be read at mandrivas [...]
November 5th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
[...] Noticia original:http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer [...]
November 6th, 2007 at 4:38 am
[...] operating system with Windows XP. Mr. Bancilhon wrote about this issue in a highly publicized “Open Letter to Steve Ballmer.” I wanted to follow up with him and get his take both on this deal and on larger issues related to [...]
November 6th, 2007 at 6:06 am
[...] hecho desde Mandriva le escribieron una carta abierta a Microsoft donde se preguntan ¿que habrá hecho Microsoft para lograr que el Gobierno de un paÃs en vias de [...]
November 6th, 2007 at 6:47 am
[...] Mandriva ФранÑ?уа БанÑ?илон (François Bancilhon) в Ñ?воём блоге напиÑ?ал открытое пиÑ?ьмо Стиву Баллмеру, полное Ñ?арказма. Dear [...]
November 6th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
[...] http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ [...]
November 6th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
[...] but Mandriva’s CEO has no doubt: Microsoft, and so a wounded François Bancilhon wrote this open letter to Steve [...]
November 6th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
[...] Bancilhon, French editor of Mandriva Linux, recently published an open letter to Steve Ballmer on Mandriva’s corporate [...]
November 6th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
[...] post completo en el blog de Mandriva Posted by Carlos Filed in [...]
November 6th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
[...] by isilanes on November 6th, 2007 I have posted about an open letter François Bancilhon, CEO of Mandriva, wrote to Steve Ballmer, CEO of [...]
November 7th, 2007 at 12:21 am
[...] Bancilhon, le patron de l’éditeur français Mandriva s’interroge dans une lettre ouverte sur les méthodes employées par Microsoft pour imposer Windows sur 17000 portables destinés à [...]
November 7th, 2007 at 7:43 am
[...] after ordering thousands of PCs with Mandriva Linux installed, has suddenly decided that they will instead install Windows: … entered the game and the deal got more competitive. I would not say it got dirty, but [...]
November 7th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
[...] Mandriva haya perdido un gran pedido procedente de Nigeria. La información se encuentra en una carta bierta publicada en el blog de la [...]
November 7th, 2007 at 10:37 pm
[...] before: little company mugged by Microsoft. So I was inclined to be sympathetic to Mandriva’s complaint against Microsoft last week. Until I looked into [...]
November 8th, 2007 at 1:53 am
[...] vs Microsoft Acabo de leer sobre una carta abierta que le envÃo el CEO de Mandriva al queridisimo Steve Ballmer sobre el incidente de las PCs en [...]
November 8th, 2007 at 5:22 am
[...] 21st. But maybe that is part of Ballmer’s buddying up to Anil, too. Maybe he’s pulling another Mandriva in India, [...]
November 9th, 2007 at 6:36 am
[...] That’s precisely what Nigeria did. Having used the Classmate with Mandriva installed, I simply can’t find any flaws in the system that would lead to such a switch. No deficiencies compared to Windows, no performance problems, no installation problems, nothing. Mandriva just works in this setting and works well. No wonder François Bancilhon was angry. [...]
November 9th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
[...] to technology. When Mandriva’s CEO first blogged about Nigeria paying for their Linux distribution on new PCs they purchased, but then will wipe it for Win…, I say there is something fishy in the deal. However, I find this insufficient evident to say [...]
November 9th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
[...] I’d be interested to know whether or not this change of heart came about because of Bancilhon’s letter or if someone at the top of the food chain saw that the order was changed to Microsoft software and [...]
November 9th, 2007 at 10:58 pm
[...] I’d be interested to know whether or not this change of heart came about because of Bancilhon’s letter or if someone at the top of the food chain saw that the order was changed to Microsoft software and [...]
November 9th, 2007 at 11:36 pm
[...] de ler uma carta aberta ao Steve Ballmer, escrita pela [...]
November 10th, 2007 at 12:42 am
[...] do technical support too). Mandriva announced it on their blog on October 30. On Halloween, they posted that the Nigerians were saying “we shall pay for the Mandriva Software as agreed, but we shall [...]
November 10th, 2007 at 3:47 am
[...] La controversial carta que envió el presidente de la distribución Linux Mandriva (conocida como Mandrake) a Steve Ballmer de Microsoft por haber persuadido al gobierno de Nigeria para eliminar Linux de las Classmate PCs e instalar Windows al parecer dio resultado. [...]
November 10th, 2007 at 3:56 am
[...] the folks at Mandriva were–pardon their French–pissed. CEO François Bancilhon broke out the whup-ass (another French term) and fired off a public letter [...]
November 10th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
[...] consiglio di leggere direttamente le parole di François Bancilhon nella sua open letter to “Steve� (Ballmer, ovviamente), indirizzata a Microsoft, e per conoscenza al governo della Nigeria, [...]
November 11th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
[...] Suppose customer A buys a product combination X + Y, and hires B to install the product for them. Suppose you are the vendor of Z and had hoped the customer would buy X + Z. It looks like you have lost the deal: but someone came up with an ingenious solution. This is how Microsoft reacted when the Nigerian government choose to buy 17,000 Intel classmate PCs with Mandriva Linux (I use it myself: not the biggest Linux distro, but smooth in use). This is what happened from Mandriva’s point of view. [...]
November 11th, 2007 at 11:53 pm
[...] Linux. Concluso l’accordo è successo il peggio, stando alle informazioni espresse dal CEO Mandriva François Bancilhon, il governo Nigeriano faceva marcia indietro dopo una breve comunicato alla software house, [...]
November 12th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
[...] when Mandriva’s CEO François Bancilhon all but accused Steve Ballmer of dirty dealing in an open letter. Wow! I’m impressed, Steve! What have you done to these guys to make them change their mind [...]
November 12th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
[...] 31st, when Mandriva’s CEO François Bancilhon all but accused Steve Ballmer of dirty dealing in an open letter.Wow! I’m impressed, Steve! What have you done to these guys to make them change their mind like [...]
November 12th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
[...] when Mandriva’s CEO François Bancilhon all but accused Steve Ballmer of dirty dealing in an open letter. Wow! I’m impressed, Steve! What have you done to these guys to make them change their mind [...]
November 12th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
[...] when Mandriva’s CEO François Bancilhon all but accused Steve Ballmer of dirty dealing in an open letter. Wow! I’m impressed, Steve! What have you done to these guys to make them change their mind [...]
November 12th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
[...] when Mandriva’s CEO François Bancilhon all but accused Steve Ballmer of dirty dealing in an open letter. Wow! I’m impressed, Steve! What have you done to these guys to make them change their mind [...]
November 12th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
[...] when Mandriva’s CEO François Bancilhon all but accused Steve Ballmer of dirty dealing in an open letter. Wow! I’m impressed, Steve! What have you done to these guys to make them change their mind [...]
November 12th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
[...] when Mandriva’s CEO François Bancilhon all but accused Steve Ballmer of dirty dealing in an open letter. Wow! I’m impressed, Steve! What have you done to these guys to make them change their mind [...]
November 15th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
[...] att installera Windows istället. Det har föranlett Mandrivas VD Francios Banchilon att skriva ett öppet brev till Steve Ballmer på Mandrivas blogg 31 oktober. Han skriver bland annat: Steve! What have you done to these guys to make them change [...]
November 15th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
[...] An open letter to Steve Ballmer: “Then, your people get in the game and the deal got more competitive. I would not say it got dirty, but someone could have said that. Your team fought and fought again the deal, but still the customer was happy with the CMPC and Mandriva. We actually closed the deal, we took the order, we qualified the software, we got the machine shipped. To conclude, we did our job. And, the machine are being delivered right now. Now, we hear a different story from the customer : “we shall pay for the Mandriva Software as agreed, but we shall replace it by Windows afterward.” Wow! I’m impressed, Steve! What have you done to these guys to make them change their mind like this? It’s quite clear to me, and it will be to everyone. How do you call what you just did Steve? There is various names for it, I’m sure you know them.” [...]
November 17th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
[...] http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ [...]
November 17th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
[...] e diventata esperta ….( vedi Nigeria :Mandriva vs Micosoft) [...]
November 20th, 2007 at 11:47 am
[...] aste gutxi batzuk, Nigeriako gobernuaren erabaki susmagarri baten berri izan genuen, Mandriva-tik Steve Ballmer-i zuzendutako gutun baten bitartez. Honen arabera, itxuraz, Nigeriako gobernuak, bertako ikastetxeetako prezio baxuko 17.000 [...]
November 21st, 2007 at 11:39 pm
[...] edindiÄŸim adreste önde gelen linux dağıtımlarından Mandrivia’nın CEO’larından François Bancilhon [...]
November 22nd, 2007 at 6:53 pm
[...] read more | digg story [...]
November 28th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
November 29th, 2007 at 12:24 am
[...] on (or back) to Microsoft again, remind yourself of the Mandriva/Nigeria incident: Wow! I’m impressed, Steve! What have you done for these guys to change their mind like this? [...]
November 30th, 2007 at 9:06 am
[...] François Bancilhon, director de Mandriva, contestó a este giro de los eventos con una carta abiert… [...]
December 2nd, 2007 at 9:32 pm
[...] by wilsonyang on December 2, 2007 I come across this letter from a friend, I think this type of letter should Never be sent in the public. It should be [...]
December 8th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
[...] http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ http://blogdrake.net/node/9488#comment-42451 [...]
December 10th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
[...] http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ [...]
December 11th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
[...] But no sooner is the ink dry on the contract than Mandriva CEO François Bancilhon is informed that they’ll still buy the computers, but now they’re going to be wiped and have Windows XP installed on them. Not Vista, mind you, but XP, because Vista can’t even make it in Nigeria. François wrote a scathing blog post about it. [...]
December 13th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
[...] A carta original foi publicada a 31/10/2007 e pode ser lida aqui!. [...]
December 29th, 2007 at 4:48 am
[...] Turn Webapp Monster into gOS Mandriva Upset with Microsoft/Nigeria 419 scam Classmate PC Linux Reversal Microsoft Denies Involvement in 419 Scam Say Hello to Chumby, the Linux Clock! IBM & Novell [...]
January 9th, 2008 at 6:52 am
[...] Mandriva’s CEO is not happy with Ballmer and Microsoft. Mandriva has been working a deal with the Nigerian government where the Mandriva Linux operating system would be in place on 17,000 PCs. [...]
January 10th, 2008 at 3:04 am
[...] PC’s with Mandrake Linux installed on them. However the very next day, Nigeria had mysteriously changed its mind and was going with XP instead. Coincidental? No. This to me is evident fear of Linux in a [...]
January 10th, 2008 at 3:52 am
[...] menos que en otro oscuro episodio de “Microsoft contra la raza humana”, similar al de Nigeria. Cuando leo que alguien “está trabajando con Microsoft”, no puedo pensar otra cosa que [...]
January 10th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
[...] But no sooner is the ink dry on the contract than Mandriva CEO François Bancilhon is informed that they’ll still buy the computers, but now they’re going to be wiped and have Windows XP installed on them. Not Vista, mind you, but XP, because Vista can’t even make it in Nigeria. François wrote a scathing blog post about it. [...]
January 31st, 2008 at 2:59 pm
[...] bet there’s gonna be another Open Letter here from Mandriva ( season 1, Season 2) , and I really wonder why the french Police did not choose the French software solution here. [...]
January 31st, 2008 at 4:10 pm
[...] Por aquà para leer la carta abierta a Steve Ballmer. [...]
February 4th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
[...] para la libertad y el sistema capitalista… Ha amenazado al software libre con patentes, con presiones sobre sus clientes y distribuidores, de todas las maneras posibles. ¿”Comprometidos con la [...]
February 12th, 2008 at 10:07 am
[...] Apparently on Thursday a representative from the Nigerian government contacted Mandriva informing it that once the initial order of 17,000 had been filled, the country will terminate the agreement and switch to Windows on the education PCs soon after. Bancilhon seemed to equivocate the move to a stab in the back from the tone of his letter, which appeared on the official «blog.mandriva.com». [...]
February 13th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
[...] Find English and French versions in: http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/ [...]
March 3rd, 2008 at 8:49 am
[...] An open letter to Steve Ballmer Wow! I’m impressed, Steve! What have you done for these guys to change their mind like this? [...]