[TriLUG] Fwd: Sign this Petition - Explain why taxpayers pay out billions to Microsoft and get nothing in return, while Linux is free!

[Steve Litt]

Jeremy,

If the petition consisted only of the first sentence, I would have
signed it instantly. But when the petition veers into spending taxpayer
dollars paying for Linux development, that opens a huge can of worms.
That gets us into alternatives for those dollars, whether those
alternatives are to roll back the recent tax rate increase on those
earning over a mil a year, or providing subsidized childcare so a
single woman can go back to work. I just don't want to get into that
battle, at least not over Linux.

SteveT

On Sat, 27 Apr 2013 08:33:14 -0400
Jeremy Davis <jeremyhwllc at gmail.com> wrote:

> I am just saying the tax payers are a victims of vendor lock in,
> highlighting Microsoft as a prime beneficiary.
> On Apr 27, 2013 5:20 AM, "Steve Litt" <slitt at troubleshooters.com>
> wrote:
> 
> > Hi Jeremy,
> >
> > It sounds like you're saying that the government is funding M$ R&D,
> > over and above the money the government pays for software. Is that
> > what you're saying?
> >
> > SteveT
> >
> > On Fri, 26 Apr 2013 23:59:13 -0400
> > Jeremy Davis <jeremyhwllc at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Dear friends,
> > >
> > > I wanted to let you know about a new petition I created on We the
> > > People, a new feature on WhiteHouse.gov, and ask for your support.
> > > Will you add your name to mine?  If this petition gets 100,000
> > > signatures by May 26, 2013, the White House will review it and
> > > respond!
> > >
> > > We the People allows anyone to create and sign petitions asking
> > > the Obama Administration to take action on a range of issues.  If
> > > a petition gets enough support, the Obama Administration will
> > > issue an official response.
> > >
> > > You can view and sign the petition here:
> > >
> > > http://wh.gov/tdGA
> > >
> > > Here's some more information about this petition:
> > >
> > > Explain why taxpayers pay out billions to Microsoft and get
> > > nothing in return, while Linux is free.
> > >
> > > Explain why taxpayers pay out billions to Microsoft and get
> > > nothing in return, while Linux is free. In contrast, using tax
> > > dollars to pay for research and improvements to Linux, as well as
> > > free open source software in general, would benefit everyone.
> > > When taxpayers pay for roads everyone benefits because everyone
> > > can drive on them. This is not the case with proprietary
> > > software,such as Microsoft, because taxpayers cannot use the
> > > software that is paid for by tax dollars. However, it would
> > > benefit the taxpaying public if open source software, such as
> > > Linux, were used for everyday government computing. Any tax
> > > dollars spent on research for patches, upgrades, and improvements
> > > would be shared benefits for all Americans who can simply
> > > download and use Linux anytime for free.