[vox] Microsoft selling anti-Linux speech on CD

[vox@lists.lugod.org]

Microsoft selling anti-Linux speech on CD
Partners to pay for brainwash?
By Fernando Cassia :Wednesday 22 October 2003, 13:30

"Public relations wizards concoct and spin the news, organize phony
'grass-roots' front groups, and conspire with lobbyists".

"Toxic Sludge is Good for You: lies, damn lies, and the Public Relation=
s
Industry".

IT IS NOT news that Microsoft would like to see the Linux airship go
down in flames like the Hindenburg. In June 2001, the PR wizards at the=

Vole's (Microsoft) Marketing Department created a document titled 'Part=
ner
Guide:
Competing with Linux'. It was a training course for Microsoft partners
who were obviously getting increasing competition from Linux.

That document was dissected and debunked at the time. But now some of
our readers whispered to us that Microsoft is selling an updated -we
guess- version of this marketing weapon of mass destruction, in the for=
m
of a CD-ROM disc to their "Business Partners" which is linked from the
web page dedicated to the company's sales and marketing efforts. (link =
at
bottom of page)

The web page advertising the CD once read, according to Google's cache:=

"Make the Case: Training CD for Competing with Linux - Get the latest
training to help you better communicate the business value of Windows
solutions to your customers". But apparently the tone has been changed
to the more radical: "Get everything you need to convince business and
technical decision makers to build their systems on the Microsoft=AE
Windows=AE platform instead of Linux .", perhaps hinting about the urge=
ncy
of the brainwashing.

According to the Vole, "business partners" that pay around five dollars=

plus shipping will get the shiny little brainwash CD, chockfull of "Cos=
t
value Benefits, Case Studies, Interactive Demos, Workload Comparisons,
and Analyst Reviews". The names of the "analysts" are not provided, but=

one is also supposed to believe that are some objective case studies in=

there, like one titled "Windows Wins Against Linux Every Time ".

We'd love to read the contents and the analysts quoted. So you know
where to mail one such CD to, if you have access to one. Below is the
link to order your own personal Microsoft PR Brainwash CD . Be warned,
it's like entering the Twilight Zone... =B5

*(In an ironic twist, the url path includes the phrase
"competitivesellinglinux" ;)

http://members.microsoft.com/partner/salesmarketing/salestools/competit=
ivesellinglinux/cd_promo.aspx?camp=3Dwwwlinux91103&origin=3Ddm



Robert White=