back to article Ruskie teacher fired for objection to Microsoft Office

A Russian school teacher says he was forced to quit his job because he complained that the Moscow school system requires students to use Microsoft Office. Vladimir Sorokin – a computer science teacher and deputy director at School No. 572 in southeastern Moscow – tells the Moscow Times that officials asked for his resignation …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Linux

    Easy solution to this

    Stop buying M$ products. That way, M$ can't bribe the Ruskie governments with their "donations" and "charities", and the Ruskies will give up on M$.

    Tux. Because.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Down

      What part of

      "In 2007, the Russian government ordered all of the country's schools to adopt Linux by 2011" Is so hard to understand?

      There is no consipicy here, just someone who complained to the Kremlin, which is never a good idea. He lost his job over such a stupid thing as MS v Linux, he deserves all he gets.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Why not

      stop buying Appl£, $ony, D£ll, M£rc£d£$, To¥ota, Chr¥$l£r, $am$ung or any other company that is in business to make money and you can make an amusing mix of currency symbols and alphabetic characters to show your hatred of them.

      Oh, wait - all companies want is your money. All of them have no interest in you other than your money and will lie cheat and steal to get it. You lose any chance of getting any point you have across when your argument descends to the level yours did in the first sentence when you reveal yourself to be so immature.

      Now where is the blindfolded tux icon as far too many linux 'enthusiasts' seem to have one fitted if you suggest to them that linux may not be perfect and isn't suitable in some situations.

      1. CD001

        Though...

        To be fair "To¥ota" actually looks kinda cool - though even better with a couple of adjustments

        To¥oT - like some kind of crazy owl face .... erm, ok, back to work now

    3. NB
      FAIL

      please

      would people stop this 'M$' shit? It's fucking puerile and immediately gives the reader the impression that the writer is some friendless uber-zealot with some form of higher functioning autism and an eternal aversion to sunlight. The point is valid though, if they're supposed to be moving to Linux by 2011 then they really shouldn't be using Microsoft specific training programs. I suspect in this case you could follow the money and find your answer pretty quickly though.

      1. Graham Wilson
        Grenade

        Linux is too hard and different to Windows for the average user. Linux zealots never accept this.

        @NB

        As I implied in my earlier post, Linux is too hard and much too different to Windows for the average user to easily accept. As always, it's really the basis behind such disputes. Linux zealots never accept this fact. Nor do they ever accept that Linux--not being Win-32/64 compatible--is a disaster (and primary reason) for its failure to gain a wider acceptance*.

        It has absolutely nothing to do with about how good Linux is technically. It is all to do with compatibility, keeping one's working/desktop environment, not having to retrain and not having to buy or convert applications. Simply, it's all about keeping one's existing comfort zone intact.

        Very unfortunately, Linux devotees, who are usually well skilled and have plenty of resources, never see these issues as important or significant. Despite their 'brilliance' they've a totally myopic view/understanding about how the average user works and thinks. And, despite many years of development, it's the most significant reason why Linux is still and will always be a 1%-er operating system on the desktop.

        As an IT professional who's spent many years trying to convince users to adopt Linux and failed miserably, I now find it much easier to lie back and be raped by M$. At least M$'s marketing department knows and accepts that between raping sessions I'll be with the majority and have some recuperative evenings off.

        Such a concept or notion doesn't even gel with the Linux fraternity. Being in love is being totally blind to the other's faults; but nothing makes one more acutely aware of every aspect and nuance of the raper than when one's being raped by him.

        Mandating a change to Linux in Russia will most likely fail.

        ________________

        * Frankly, I reckon 'desktop' Linux should be ripped apart, modernised and converted to Win32/64 compatibility, alternatively Linux users/developers should forget using it for desktop use and perhaps spend their efforts in getting the moribund Win-32 alternative, ReactOS, to a working stage.

        Of course, this will never happen (unfortunately, the world doesn't work in a logical coherent way, especially when there's a lot of vested interests involved (and pride at stake)).

    4. Graham Wilson
      Grenade

      Damn fool, doesn't he realise that Linux isn't Win32 compatible?

      Damn fool, doesn't he realise that Linux isn't Win32 compatible?

      Come to think of it, most of the Linux devotees (Mr 1%-ers) who read these pages don't realise it either.

  2. frobnicate
    Unhappy

    after he complained to the Kremlin

    those are the key words, believe me. Nobody loves trouble-makers complaining over one's head.

    1. John Savard

      Well, that's just it

      If the Kremlin wants its policies to be obeyed, then clearly he should be re-instated, and the people who fired him should themselves be unemployed. Obviously, if people at the bottom aren't free to inform those at the top of failure to comply with directives, the directives will not be obeyed.

      It may be that there is a perfectly good explanation as to why this training system requires an exemption from the general policy. But there is nothing improper in asking for clarification of the apparent contradiction. Attempting to suppress this is open defiance by his immediate supervisors of their supervisors, and that is what has to be stamped out ruthlessly if one is to have any kind of a functioning organization which actually does what it has been directed to do.

      Of course, while Linux is good, having invaded Georgia, Russia's leaders appear to be evil. Thus, it would be better for Russia to collapse into anarchy than to revert to Stalinism. But if they had a good central authority, brought to power by an enlightened electorate in free and fair elections, then effective top-down control would actually be a good thing.

  3. Wang N Staines

    OK

    Some sushi are on their way to his house now.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Going to get more of this.

    Who is funding the bulk of that "russian silicon valley" thing again?

  5. Trib
    Gates Horns

    "There has to be freedom of choice."

    There is a choice. Use it or quit!

  6. Llanfair
    Black Helicopters

    Anymore complaints, then one word and one number

    Polonium 210

  7. Paul Crawford Silver badge
    Unhappy

    Corruption most likely.

    Given Russia's communist past, and its deep suspicion of the USA, it always amazed me that they even allowed MS operating systems to become so common (OK, pirated in the past) rather than insisting on something they have control over. Remember this?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSAKEY

    So most likely there are officials in a position of power who stand to lose over the choice here, and they are pissed that he has spoken out over this matter.

    Get them while they are young - MS and the church both know that.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Gates Halo

    In Soviet Russia....

    Microsoft own you.

  9. Tommoxyz

    A good cause

    A good cause doesn't pay the bills....choose something worth complaining about.

  10. Goat Jam
    Gates Horns

    "the people who feed the school"

    You have to wonder how much money Microsoft provides in the form of "incentives" to the individuals who run the "Moscow Institute Of Open Education" eh?

    It seems that the tactic of "If you can't win on your merits then bribe the decision makers" is still very much alive and well in Redmond.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    And you think.

    That that's just Russia, happens all over the world, complain about a managerial choice trouble, show it to be wrong, you get fired, or go over your managers head, that'll do it too.

  12. Chris Green
    Jobs Horns

    He tried to follow the directive and sought clarity

    Unfortunately, that clarity was clearly very murky indeed.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I am not a number

    "School No. 572"

    That sounds like something out of a bad cold war movie...

  14. mhenriday
    Thumb Down

    Hardly surprising to hear that Microsoft has its tentacles

    cozily wrapped around the Moscow city administration - one can only hope that now that Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov has finally got the boot, the new mayor can clean up some of the corruption for which that administration for which that administration was noted. Perhaps then, it will be possible for ordinary teacher to question Microsoft's attempt to maintain its monopoly position in the city's school system....

    Henri

  15. The Fuzzy Wotnot
    Boffin

    WHOOP! WHOOP! WHOOP!

    QUICKLY, PRESS THE INDEPENDENT THOUGHT ALARM NOW!

    Someone in Russia, working in "dead-ucation", is trying to think for themselves, they could be dangerous by encouraging students to follow the same reckless path! We must all serve the corporate entities, it is our destiny! Do not defy them!

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