Before reading further... Are you looking for great Linux hosting from a company that cares about GNU/Linux? Pick Dreamhost hosting, get a 10% bonus to the disk space (and support Free Software Magazine in the meantime!)
Looking the gift horse in the mouth
- 2007-01-02
-
Write a full post in response to this!
I believe, by now, everyone has heard of Microsoft’s attempt to bribe bloggers by giving them free laptops running Vista. More amusing is that, in response to the publicity they received when they were caught out, they have now asked for these machines to be returned, thereby making Microsoft look all the more stupid as well as foolish. But out of this comedy of errors, it is worth briefly considering the history of computing from the perspective of free computers.
At one time, back in the late ’70s, and early ’80s, it was often, in fact, common, for computer companies to give free hardware out to be reviewed. Often, the cost of their (then) new toys were so great that without seeding the reviewer market, there would be few who could afford to buy them for a review. This is especially true considering that most reviewers received maybe at most a few hundred dollars compensation for a particularly good article, while most equipment back then ranged between $1-20K in price.
For some, writing reviews in exchange for free hardware had become a professional goal in itself, including for a (in my opinion) particularly mediocre science fiction writer. The general agreement, however, in all these cases, was that the gift must be disclosed, particularly in the article that was written. Those that received such gifts, as well as those providing them, understood this basic ethical premise explicitly.
While I generally never wrote reviews, occasionally I received evaluation or donated hardware for other valid reasons. For example, the FSF recently received a generous donation of a replacement machine for their shell server, fencepost. This they disclose very publicly. Very recently, my own project received a nice little PPC hardware donation from Genesi (who supports the PPC port of Gentoo among other activities) for use in our work on Telecenters for emerging communities, which I have the first opportunity to mention today. These are donations that are acknowledged and public. Those who perform reviews do much the same.
What Microsoft chose to do is break yet another important ethical code of conduct and in doing so not only harmed those it tried to entice with free gifts, but society as a whole through their anti-social behavior.
Write a full post in response to this!
Similar articles
Do you like this post?
Vote for it!
Copyright information
This entry is (C) Copyright by its author, 2004-2008. Unless a different license is specified in the entry's body, the following license applies: "Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved and appropriate attribution information (author, original site, original URL) is included".
Biography
David Sugar: David Sugar is an active maintainer for a number of packages that are part of the GNU project, including GNU Bayonne. He has served as the voluntary chairman of the FSF’s DotGNU steering committee, as a founder and CTO for Open Source Telecomm Corporation, and currently owns and operates Tycho Softworks.
- David Sugar's posts
- Login or register to post comments
- 2016 reads
- Printer friendly version (unavailable!)




Looking for Linux hosting, reviews, coupons, etc.? See out user-voted list
Best voted contents
-
How do Drigg and Pligg compare?
Tony Mobily, 2008-08-17 -
The top 4 internet flame wars about free software
Andrew Min, 2008-08-16 -
What if copyright didn't apply to binary executables?
Terry Hancock, 2008-08-29 -
The Bizarre Cathedral - 18
Ryan Cartwright, 2008-08-17
Similar entries
Buzz authors
All news
Other sites
- The Top 10 Everything (Dave). The good, the bad and the ugly.
- Free Software news (Dave & Bridget). All about free software -- free as in freedom!
- Book Reviews: Illiterarty (Bridget). Book reviews, blogs, and short stories.
Hot topics - last 60 days
-
Self-signed certificates and Firefox 3 - a possible solution
Ryan Cartwright, 2008-08-05 -
Dictators in free and open source software
Tony Mobily, 2008-07-22 -
Why sharing matters more than marketshare to GNU/Linux
Terry Hancock, 2008-08-01 -
Why did Javascript/AJAX mop the floor with Java, Flash and Silverlight? Or, why open standards eventually win
Tony Mobily, 2008-07-30 -
Do we have a "Vista for Dummies" yet?
Laurie Langham, 2008-07-11
Hot topics - last 21 days
-
What if copyright didn't apply to binary executables?
Terry Hancock, 2008-08-29 -
An open letter to Barack Obama and the DNC (or, change video formats)
Anthony Taylor, 2008-08-27 -
Webmin: can a graphical front end for system administration replace the command line?
Gary Richmond, 2008-08-31 -
Being open about "open" (source)
Steven Goodwin, 2008-08-20
Dedicated server
Looking the gifthorse in the mouth
Submitted by tuxicity on Tue, 2007-01-02 06:26.
Vote!The biggest mistake MS made is to forget to acknowledge the fact that the company is rich, tries to monopolize their business and has a lot of power, but at the same time is showing its weakness by this "bribing Ferrari" affair, giving bloggers and readers a good time bashing this powerful institute.
Bribing is one of the oldest ways of getting more power, once that power is peaking however bribing can turn against you, for we all love to bash the powerful, invincible institutes, specially when we are forced to use their stuff like unwilling slaves.
http://tuxicity.wordpress.com/
Hmm...
Submitted by Anonymous visitor on Tue, 2007-01-02 15:04.
Vote!I don't have a problem with Microsoft ending out Vista machines for write-ups. I agree that everything must be transparent, but is it Microsoft's fault if the blogger fails to disclose how he got the machine? In this case, it seems that Microsoft isn't the one breaking the code of conduct, it's the bloggers who fail to provide full disclosure. What was Microsoft to do, send out a massive press release listing all the people to whom it sent these Vista laptops?
-Chris Karr
www.aetherial.net / books.aetherial.net
Hmm is right
Submitted by Anonymous visitor on Wed, 2007-01-03 20:26.
Vote!The problem is not that MS sent these computers out to the bloggers; the problem is that it was never mentioned that these were "review" PCs. In fact, one blogger stated that the original information he received specifically called the computer a "gift". Of course when all the negative press started, he was contacted again to say that it was for "review" and had to be returned or given away when he was finished.
Mircosoft is always mean and
Submitted by Anonymous visitor on Sat, 2007-01-06 01:49.
Vote!Mircosoft is always mean and selfish. when my college switched to linux, a Microsoft representative came and offered more than 100 windows xp copies for free !!.
MS also allowed selling Windows XP copied CDs inside the campus for less than $2!. Linux was getting the heap ,no doupt about it !.
recently all labs running windows xp ,as always :(.
MS gaint is also targeting curopted governments , as promoting the E-goverment sh**t , how come a country with more 40% of it's population under the poverty line runs windows on government offices WHILE THERE IS A FREE ALTERNATIVE ?