How to Win Enemies and Lose Influence

Ever wonder what happened to Alexander Ponosov, the headmaster charged with using illegal copies of Microsoft software in Russia?

Alexander Ponosov, the principal of the Sepych rural school in the Perm Region, resigns to get engaged in the open source software promotion, Mr. Ponosov reported today February 1st when speaking to a CNews correspondent.

Alexander Ponosov has become widely popular early last year, when he was charged with using pirated versions of the Microsoft Office software in the rural school, where he was the principal. Then the criminal case against the rural teacher from the North Urals village Sepych attracted wide attention. Mikhail Gorbachev, the USSR former president, spoke in defense of Mr. Ponosov, while after the current RF president Vladimir Putin said the proceedings were complete nonsense, Mr. Ponosov’s prosecution actually stopped.

Moreover:

he is already engaged in the open source software promotion and promulgation. Because of the investigation and proceedings Mr. Ponosov has become Linux great adherer. He tells CNews, the Linux OS is installed on the computers of his friends, acquaintances and the school, where he is currently working. Mr. Ponosov names the Linux OS installation on the computer of the vicar his ‘latest feat on the arena’.

Microsoft certainly knows how to win enemies.

The Biter Bit

This is why I just love it when Microsoft gets on its high horse about "piracy":

Schools in the Perm region will soon quit buying software from commercial companies, said the region’s Education Minister Nikolay Karpushin. The announcement was made in line with the report on ensuring “license purity” in the region’s schools.

According to Nikolay Karpushin schools would start using freely distributed software like the Linux OS, Russky office and Open office desktop apps, Ekho Moskvi reports. “Buying business and commercial programmes from producers is quite expensive”, the Minister said.

...

Nikolay Karpushin’s statement on the software license control in the region’s schools coincided with a scandalous court case against a Sepich school principal. The Prosecutor’s Office of the Vereshagino district has initiated a criminal case of copyright infringement against a school principal, Alexander Ponosov. The man is accused of illegal use of Microsoft products which resulted in a 260 thousand rubles ($9,8 thousand) damage for the company.

(Via The Inq.)