Category Archives: Microsoft

Another chapter in my 11-year struggle to secure basic email services from my university: 2022

Posted on November 10, 2022 by cpbl

On Hallowe’en 2022, my ability to send email from my professional address at McGill University suddenly stopped. I’ve previously documented my ongoing struggle in this war against monopolization and corruption of open standards by Microsoft, who has McGill willingly by … Continue reading →

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Posted in Alpine, Alpine, Microsoft | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Using Email at McGill university: Ongoing suffering of an open-source user, year 9

Posted on October 29, 2020 by cpbl

It’s 2020, and the world has changed. Well, yes, there’s that, but I meant that the world of email has changed. For reasons I won’t speculate and rant about here, the problem of spam has not been solved, and email … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Alpine, Alpine, GNU/linux, McGill University, Microsoft, software, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

iClicker under GNU/Linux

Posted on September 4, 2012 by cpbl

Electronic “clickers” are personal wireless transceivers carried by every student in a lecture hall and are used for in-class feedback and assessment in teaching. At McGill, we have just switched to a new clicker system that is all about integration with … Continue reading →

Posted in GNU/linux, McGill University, Microsoft, software | 2 Comments

McGill University firmly embedded with Microsoft

Posted on September 5, 2011 by cpbl

This is the nearly incredible story of how one of Canada’s great universities has become such a buttress of the Microsoft monopoly that it cannot even provide for a new faculty member the normal ability to send and receive email. … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, GNU/linux, McGill University, Microsoft, software | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Tied selling of Windows O/S with computer hardware in Canada: a complaint to the Competition Bureau

Posted on November 4, 2010 by cpbl

To follow up on my recent victimization by the “Microsoft Tax”, I filed a complaint with the Canadian Competition Bureau, the federal agency charged with investigating anti-competitive behaviour. I think I understand their response, which I’m including below, but there … Continue reading →

Posted in GNU/linux, Microsoft, software | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Microsoft tax and Windows refund in Canada: Lenovo

Posted on October 16, 2010 by cpbl

I am one of those (quietly) rabid Microsoft opponents. I believe Microsoft represents a collossal market failure, in that it has added very little in innovation  towards making better software. Instead, its innovation has nearly entirely been in capturing and … Continue reading →

Posted in GNU/linux, Microsoft, software | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments