As if Africa doesn’t face enough problems (massive population explosion, rampant AIDS, widespread poverty, endemic hunger, and ethnic rivalries blossoming into genocide, to name just a few), here comes the world’s richest company telling Africans the biggest barrier to their technological literacy is not cost, but training. That’s right, even though a Windows XP license will cost you a year’s salary, it’s easier to use! So spend that year’s salary! It’s more important you have a GUI installation wizard than you feed those kids!
You know, there are times that words fail to be able to adequately describe my feelings. But I can honestly say I am not surprised. Is it really surprising that Microsoft will ignore the well-being of a continent to protect their market share? It isn’t to me. But until recently I just thought Microsoft was an avaricious corporate behemoth cranking out inferior product and using their dominant position to quash competition. Now I realize they are that, but more importantly, they are bad for humanity.
Think about that. Microsoft is actively trying to get the poorest people on earth to part with what little money they have so that they may become indoctrinated into the Windows monoculture. They would rather see the least fortunate among us pay the equivalent of a year’s salary for an XP license than surrender a small bit of market share.
This is not just aggressive. This is not just monopolistic. This blatant disregard for the welfare and well-being of the least fortunate of your fellow human beings has another adjective to describe it. Evil.
Please think about that the next time you have a software choice to make.