Russian Teacher Fired For Complaining About Having To Use Microsoft Software

from the it's-that-damn-paperclip dept

While there's been a lot of attention paid in the last couple of months to Russia's use of Microsoft to charge nonprofit groups they don't like with copyright infringement (something that Microsoft is now trying to reverse), there was also another controversy in Russia a few years back concerning Microsoft. You may remember that Russian prosecutors were threatening to send a Russian school headteacher to a Siberian prison camp due to "pirated" software on school machines. In that case, the school had bought what it thought was legitimate copies of the software that later turned out not to be. The guy was found guilty, and while the court did spare him from being sent to Siberia (which really was one of the options), they did fine him half his monthly salary.

In response to this high profile case, many Russian schools started to switch to Linux, and in response to that, Russia apparently declared that all schools should switch to Linux-based software by 2008.

However, apparently that didn't actually happen. Glyn Moody points us to the news that another Russian school teacher has been fired for complaining that his school still used Microsoft software. Even though the 2007 order required schools to switch to Linux, apparently a training system the government is making the school use requires Microsoft Office. So the teacher filed a complaint, pointing out the contradiction in orders... and for his efforts he was fired.

This seems like a fairly ridiculous response to someone simply pointing out a contradiction in the rules, doesn't it?
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Filed Under: open source, russia
Companies: microsoft


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  1. identicon
    Scoot Dub, 28 Oct 2010 @ 2:57pm

    Every teacher should be fired any time they complain. It is the only reason I hated teachers, constantly complaining.

    "I don't get paid enough" ... "I had to buy these supplies with my own money"

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. icon
    sehlat (profile), 28 Oct 2010 @ 3:03pm

    "ridiculous response"

    Hey, Mike, you're talking about a bureaucracy here. You were expecting maybe sweet reason?

    Heh. You don't read your own blog, obviously.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. icon
    ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 28 Oct 2010 @ 3:17pm

    Heh

    "Your potential. To get fired."

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. icon
    Steven (profile), 28 Oct 2010 @ 3:22pm

    Can't help myself

    In Soviet Russia, complaint fires you!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. icon
    Mike42 (profile), 28 Oct 2010 @ 3:24pm

    Re: Can't help myself

    This would never happen here in the U.S.A.!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. icon
    Nastybutler77 (profile), 28 Oct 2010 @ 3:29pm

    Please Sir; can I have some more software?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 28 Oct 2010 @ 3:35pm

    I had teachers that criticized Microsoft Operating systems.

    I hope MS doesn't try to sue them for defamation now.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. icon
    kyle clements (profile), 28 Oct 2010 @ 3:43pm

    Re:

    I don't know what country you are coming from, but in Canada, teachers ARE paid enough, and oddly, they don't complain about not being paid enough.

    of course, there are always a few greedy ones who want more, no matter what they get, but for the most part, once people are paid a decent wage, the issue of money is off the table, and they can complain about the work, instead.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 28 Oct 2010 @ 3:44pm

    Re: Re: Can't help myself

    In Soviet Russia, this would happen in USA.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 28 Oct 2010 @ 4:07pm

    Russia will play ball for now since they want to get into the WTO. After they saw what China gained for doing so I doubt this will go any further, the teacher is a casualty of much higher interests and Russia is not a democracy so there is little people can do about it.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 28 Oct 2010 @ 4:08pm

    Instead of bringing toys to children, Saint Nick should install Ubuntu on all Russian school computers in one night.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 28 Oct 2010 @ 4:21pm

    Re: Re: Re: Can't help myself

    Nope, you would be sued into servitude which would result in the same thing.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. icon
    Wesha (profile), 28 Oct 2010 @ 4:23pm

    Mike, he was fired for complaining to the President, not for complaining in general. No manager ever appreciated subordinates complaining directly to higher-ups bypassing "over his head".

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    TDR, 28 Oct 2010 @ 4:53pm

    Before Helmet chimes in, I thought I'd throw this out here (since the previous comment made it spring instantly to mind):

    DH: You went over my helmet?
    Spaceball: Not exactly over, sir. More to the side. It'll never happen again.
    DH puts on his schwartz ring
    Spaceball: Oh, s**t! Not that!
    DH: Yes, that!
    DH fires the schwartz ring.

    Though that punishment should really be inflicted upon Bill Gates for perpetuating such a bloated piece of crapware as Winblows in the first place.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 28 Oct 2010 @ 5:31pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Can't help myself

    Shhh...I didn't want them to know I talk to myself.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. identicon
    Jason, 28 Oct 2010 @ 5:33pm

    Re:

    Dude, not even Linux geeks say "Winblows" anymore. I mean, come on, that's SO Vista!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. identicon
    abc gum, 28 Oct 2010 @ 6:06pm

    Re:

    Johnny can't read? Tough, get over it already.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. identicon
    SLK8ne, 28 Oct 2010 @ 10:32pm

    Welcome to mother America tovarich

    Since the US seems to be heading down the same road (government wise) as Russia, look for more of that here. Of course it also means we're heading down the same road economically too. Anybody got a wheelbarrow I can borrow? I need to buy a loaf of bread.

    As for going over the manager's head, nobody in Russia would do that unless they were a)desperate or b) crazy. I'd guess desperate. When your higher ups decree that you use one piece of software, then insist on your using another that uses a different OS what are you to do? I'd be willing to bet this person was stonewalled by the middle management and only tried an end run as a last resort.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Oct 2010 @ 1:19am

    Several errors in the article.
    1. Schools were supposed to switch by the end of this year as this is the year when licenses for software bought for schools (which by the way includes photoshop cs2) expire (yes, Russia's government somehow managed to spend a shitload of money to buy time-limited software licenses)

    2. Russia's training system requires Windows and Internet Explorer (due to a few activex controls)

    3. The headteacher of the school with pirated software was not threatened to be sent into a siberian prison camp (only to jail). And by the way after he was found not guilty by the court (look into wikipedia for ponosov's case) the headteacher sued the government back for moral damages and won the case.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  20. icon
    Hephaestus (profile), 29 Oct 2010 @ 7:46am

    Re: Re: Can't help myself

    Yeah you only get fired for complaining about muslims ...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  21. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 Oct 2010 @ 7:56am

    Re:

    [citation needed]

    link to this | view in thread ]

  22. icon
    Hephaestus (profile), 29 Oct 2010 @ 7:56am

    Re:

    Wouldn't that be a kick in the pant ... the "saint nick worm"

    Today in the news. The StNick worm struck today using P2P technology, and a zero day flaw it replaced approximately 80% of all installed copies of windows with Ubuntu. There was no comment from MicroSoft as their phone switch was windows based ...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  23. icon
    Wesha (profile), 29 Oct 2010 @ 8:12am

    Re: Re:

    Poor monolingual coward, learn to use google translate :-b

    link to this | view in thread ]

  24. identicon
    tax cpe, 31 Oct 2010 @ 2:34am

    ...

    Sounds real bad for the teacher! He got two bad deals on a single mistake... tsk tsk tsk!

    link to this | view in thread ]


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