Requiring Software Freedom

An Anonymous Coward writes: "CNET is carrying a story about the increasing momentum that Open Source software and 'Software Libre' are gaining in Latin and South America and Europe. A certain company from Redmond WA USA is mentioned several times in the article as the impetus to free foreign governments from certain onerous licensing agreements (not to mention the cost savings involved). It is interesting that some of these governmental entities are actually requiring the use of Software Libre, not just encouraging it. Maybe it's time to visit Rio?"

April Fool's day?

[rkent]

Waitaminnit -- The operating system we all know and love is gaining a following in South America, with the ensuing increase in demand for programmers familiar with that OS (us!) in beautiful, inexpensive beach locations with scantily clad people everywhere?

No way. It must be april fool's day.

Whoo hoo!

Microsoft spokesman Ricardo Adame sez:

[mcfiddish]

"Technology should compete on its merits in a free market."

Gosh, he won't last long at Microsoft thinking like that :)

Re:Good!

[rgmoore]

C'mon, give up! We all know there is no viable business model in running a foreign country!

Now this is obviously not true. Everyone knows that running a foreign country is a very profitable business, so long as you take the following steps:

• Give fat government contracts to your friends and relatives
• Give important contracts (i.e. ones that actually must produce results) to the company that offers you the largest kickback
• Embezzle heavily
• Stash proceeds in a Swiss/Cayman Islands bank account
• Hotfoot it out of the country one step ahead of the revolution

By following these simple steps you can make running a country a very profitable line of work. Do be sure, though, not to miss that all important last step.

Visit Brazil!?

[Dirk Pitt]

snip from poster---
Maybe it's time to visit Rio?

snip from a Yahoo! news item---
Elat estimates 100 to 200 people are killed every year by one of the 100 million bolts it says hit Brazil annually and make the country the world champion of lightning strikes.

Do you really think this is a good place to visit for people who sit at computers all day?!