bonifartius ๐ผ๐
if the EU wouldn't do all kinds of virtue signalling bullshit around the globe there would be money left to fund european software projects.
people should really decide what they want.
:gondola_head: ๐ฟ 
:ignutius: 
:stargate:
>there would be money left to fund european software projects.
There a few initiative that can help that.
-Ban proprietary computing
-Don't allow tax heavens like Ireland Luxembourg, Netherlands etc...
-Tax mi/billionaires
-Allows countries to either make their own money or to borrow money to private banks without interests.
@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.
>so it was spend for spook software.
I've interacted in the past with the spooks and tbh the costs is often multiplied by 10~20 just because "they have the funds".
@mangeurdenuage
oh, absolutely. spooks and military are a giant money transfer machinery!
>i think all these monopolies we have are due to governmental spending
They play a major part in it I agree.
>very likely due to "lobbying"/corruption
That's a big part of it but it's also because they're tech illiterates.
>taxation wouldn't help
It would.
>they'd tax MS and then just puchase it back with as much in price added as they added taxes in the first place
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.
As for inside the loicense comes already with the subcontractor machine they contract with.
Breaking the mandatory OS sold on PCs/Macs should also be broken imo, hardware drivers and firmwares should be defacto under a General Public License so that all competitors make their OS/software compatible on it.
@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.
>then they should ask people who know what they are talking about.
A lot of people revolving about power people have parasitic behavior with charisma.
>they actively choose to believe salespeople instead of doing their job.
Like I said previously.
>i maintain that without corruption it would be no problem
I did not say otherwise. I'm saying it's not the only component to it.
It's not necessarily corruption, if you come to these people and say "listen I can make you save 200millions, so instead of paying a company for maintaining this costly (but sane) GNU/linux OS I propose you migrate to windows, you don't have to hire anyone now besides one dude to connect the hardware, all update are automated etc..."
Any average joe will consider that those saved $$$ will be spent on something else for the community instead (and if malicious for themselves).
But they'll be unaware of the consequences since it's indirect long term consequences (human brain is wired for short term reward punishment system).
@mangeurdenuage
> the proprietary stuff is as big because states buy it.
iirc something german gov recently renewed microsoft software for millions.