Hi,
I will be writing petition to my government (Poland) to try to get them to ban Windows at schools. I believe it should be illegal to force children to use systems that are paid and use children’s data for AI and advertising.
Maybe you will do it as well? Let’s end this insane practice.
100% agree and support your determination. Unfortunately, however, it’s not gonna happen.
Currently, Microsoft (and other companies, but mainly Microsoft in Poland) offers schools and universities discounted Windows licenses, as well as very cheap or straight up free Microsoft 365 packages for all students. It comes with 24/7 technical support, which education facilities desperately need, since staff is tech illiterate and they can’t (or can, but won’t) afford IT departments.
Furthermore, Poland is an American puppet state, and won’t make any decision that substantially hampers American interests. As we’ve been shown many times over, even in just the last two years.
It’s so obvious that children and students, especially university students in tech fields, should work mostly with FOSS, unless a FOSS option is unavailable (very rare cases). Not only would they get more meaningful knowledge and skills, but the country would reduce its dependence on the US Empire as well. If only governments ever did the obvious good thing.
Even if this won’t push it throughout it stars people talking about it which is already good.
Also; used to work in a small polish school that run everything on Linux, only windows was a VM for some state software for documents.
I agree all public institutions should use foss. But what makes you think Poland is an american puppet state?
It’s not just Poland, but like half of the EU. Not due to faults of their own, for the most part, but as usual due to the US Empire forcing weaker countries to do its bidding, and meddling in their elections.
Poland’s current president is an obvious American asset. Whether he works or worked directly with the US or not - he has clearly demonstrated that his loyalties lie with Washington. Just like the previous president, and the one before him, and so on.
Most of the government remains very much pro-US, and pro-Israel as well, both of which are closely tied. Government officials, like the current prime minister, may publicly criticize the US, but then go back to discussing terms favourable for the US or sanctioning Chinese companies at Washington’s request behind closed doors.
The Polish government still continues to buy American-made military equipment.
Just last week prime minister Tusk publicly defended the terrorists who bombed the Nordstream pipeline, echoing both Trump’s and Biden’s rhetoric.
Last year he invited Netanyahu to Poland, completely disregarding the ICC warrant for his arrest. Just as the US was putting sanctions on the ICC for said warrant.
All major Polish companies are being purchased by American corporations, putting the entire Polish economy at serious risk in an event of a conflict between the EU and the US. The government introduced legislation to protect Polish companies from being acquired by foreign ones, but it conveniently ignores any transactions with American companies. In addition to all EU countries, which makes sense, and some more questionable ones such as Israel, Australia, or the UK.
The list goes on and on. A lot of what the current one, as well as previous governments do tends to benefit Washington disproportionately more than it does the EU or even Poland itself.
Not to mention it still appears so lost in its American delusions that it seriously thinks the US will do anything to aid Poland in case of a Russian attack.