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Russian Teacher Fired For Complaining About Having To Use Microsoft Software
from the it's-that-damn-paperclip dept
While there's been a lot of attention paid in the last couple of months to Russia's use of Microsoft to charge nonprofit groups they don't like with copyright infringement (something that Microsoft is now trying to reverse), there was also another controversy in Russia a few years back concerning Microsoft. You may remember that Russian prosecutors were threatening to send a Russian school headteacher to a Siberian prison camp due to "pirated" software on school machines. In that case, the school had bought what it thought was legitimate copies of the software that later turned out not to be. The guy was found guilty, and while the court did spare him from being sent to Siberia (which really was one of the options), they did fine him half his monthly salary.
In response to this high profile case, many Russian schools started to switch to Linux, and in response to that, Russia apparently declared that all schools should switch to Linux-based software by 2008.
However, apparently that didn't actually happen. Glyn Moody points us to the news that another Russian school teacher has been fired for complaining that his school still used Microsoft software. Even though the 2007 order required schools to switch to Linux, apparently a training system the government is making the school use requires Microsoft Office. So the teacher filed a complaint, pointing out the contradiction in orders... and for his efforts he was fired.
This seems like a fairly ridiculous response to someone simply pointing out a contradiction in the rules, doesn't it?
In response to this high profile case, many Russian schools started to switch to Linux, and in response to that, Russia apparently declared that all schools should switch to Linux-based software by 2008.
However, apparently that didn't actually happen. Glyn Moody points us to the news that another Russian school teacher has been fired for complaining that his school still used Microsoft software. Even though the 2007 order required schools to switch to Linux, apparently a training system the government is making the school use requires Microsoft Office. So the teacher filed a complaint, pointing out the contradiction in orders... and for his efforts he was fired.
This seems like a fairly ridiculous response to someone simply pointing out a contradiction in the rules, doesn't it?
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"I don't get paid enough" ... "I had to buy these supplies with my own money"
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of course, there are always a few greedy ones who want more, no matter what they get, but for the most part, once people are paid a decent wage, the issue of money is off the table, and they can complain about the work, instead.
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"ridiculous response"
Heh. You don't read your own blog, obviously.
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Heh
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Can't help myself
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I hope MS doesn't try to sue them for defamation now.
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Today in the news. The StNick worm struck today using P2P technology, and a zero day flaw it replaced approximately 80% of all installed copies of windows with Ubuntu. There was no comment from MicroSoft as their phone switch was windows based ...
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DH: You went over my helmet?
Spaceball: Not exactly over, sir. More to the side. It'll never happen again.
DH puts on his schwartz ring
Spaceball: Oh, s**t! Not that!
DH: Yes, that!
DH fires the schwartz ring.
Though that punishment should really be inflicted upon Bill Gates for perpetuating such a bloated piece of crapware as Winblows in the first place.
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Welcome to mother America tovarich
As for going over the manager's head, nobody in Russia would do that unless they were a)desperate or b) crazy. I'd guess desperate. When your higher ups decree that you use one piece of software, then insist on your using another that uses a different OS what are you to do? I'd be willing to bet this person was stonewalled by the middle management and only tried an end run as a last resort.
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1. Schools were supposed to switch by the end of this year as this is the year when licenses for software bought for schools (which by the way includes photoshop cs2) expire (yes, Russia's government somehow managed to spend a shitload of money to buy time-limited software licenses)
2. Russia's training system requires Windows and Internet Explorer (due to a few activex controls)
3. The headteacher of the school with pirated software was not threatened to be sent into a siberian prison camp (only to jail). And by the way after he was found not guilty by the court (look into wikipedia for ponosov's case) the headteacher sued the government back for moral damages and won the case.
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