@mangeurdenuage
the proprietary stuff is as big because states buy it. i think all these monopolies we have are due to governmental spending (very likely due to "lobbying"/corruption). taxation wouldn't help, they'd tax MS and then just puchase it back with as much in price added as they added taxes in the first place.
all the bullshit they are spending money on. most of which isn't even helping their own population, only enriching their friends (like the pfizer deals). they really need to get _that_ side in order before even thinking about taxing some more or creating more inflation by making more money backed by nothing.
@mangeurdenuage 1.2 billion in 2023 going to MS from germany alone
@mangeurdenuage ah, it's 1.2 billion for all kinds of software licenses, 198 million went to MS. most of the other licensing costs were by things like the defense ministry and ministry of interior so it was spend for spook software.
@mangeurdenuage
oh, absolutely. spooks and military are a giant money transfer machinery!
@mangeurdenuage
> That's not how it work everywhere here in france for example in education the licenses are a "gifts" which MS gets taxes deductions on it.
yeah in education the licenses are "free" as well here.
i think the other licenses for the bureaucracy aren't free but the usual volume licensing.
> taxation
may help short term, but it's an arms race ;)
> That's a big part of it but it's also because they're tech illiterates.
then they should ask people who know what they are talking about. they actively choose to believe salespeople instead of doing their job.
i maintain that without corruption it would be no problem to go free software in most places. for example: munich had done LiMux for years, then some friend of MS got elected and they killed the LiMux project going back to MS again.
@mangeurdenuage
> the proprietary stuff is as big because states buy it.
iirc something german gov recently renewed microsoft software for millions.