You guys don’t see what they’re scared shitless about? It’s the fear of an EU-based true open source Android fork/competitor.
Also when they say FOSS will not contribute to “economic growth”, they mean Alphabet’s. Greedy pigs.
Google criticizes Europe's plan to adopt free software
Submitted 6 hours ago by inari@piefed.zip to technology@lemmy.world
https://pplware.sapo.pt/google/google-critica-o-plano-da-europa-para-adotar-software-livre/
Comments
voodooattack@lemmy.world 57 minutes ago
Steve@communick.news 5 hours ago
According to Google, the idea of replacing current tools with open-source programs would not contribute to economic growth.
Is Google seriously arguing that the money these nations save can’t be added to their GDPs?
That what it sounds like. Or am I confused?TheLastOfHisName@piefed.social 4 hours ago
Google meant THEIR economic growth.
inari@piefed.zip 5 hours ago
Don’t worry, Google is trying to confuse you
mumblerfish@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
To an enormous extent are todays data centers, cloud providers, and all the techology the whole world use today based on open source. Without linux, curl, ffmpeg, and so on nothing in todays high tech society would work. Google, as it is today, would not exist if it was for all the open source they leech of.
BestBouclettes@jlai.lu 5 hours ago
Well Google contributes a lot to open source, but I get your point.
fizzle@quokk.au 2 hours ago
No i think the comment is less direct than that.
For much of government, the underlying objective is to contribute to GDP. For example, funding healthcare means a healthier population who can be more productive.
So by saying “this policy won’t contribute to GDP” its a very general way to say this is not what’s best for your population.
At least I think thats what theyre saying.
As an aside, savings dont directly improve GDP, by definition.
BananaTrifleViolin@piefed.world 5 hours ago
Nah that’s it. Their logic is seemingly if you don’t give the money to Google it’s not contributing to economic growth.
bobs_monkey@lemmy.zip 5 hours ago
Nah, I think they’re saying that their corporate offerings and jobs in a given country would not contribute to GDP, while failing to address that developers and engineers would still be necessary to implement these open source applications, though Google won’t get to siphon money out of those economies. It’s purposely convoluted, basically Google throwing a temper tantrum.
Squizzy@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
They are saying FOSS isnt companies, google’s value is tied to GDP in some EU countries. If they see less growth so does the GDP.
Yanks are whores who only think of money and kids.
rezad@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
they meant google’s economic growth.
CosmoNova@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
Perhaps they understand economic growth the same way the orange rapist understands tariffs?
Korkki@lemmy.ml 3 hours ago
Killing parasitic and monopolistic gatekeepers and middlemen is very much contributing to any country’s economic growth.
HexesofVexes@lemmy.world 1 hour ago
- Shift over to open source.
- Invest 25–50% of what you currently pay for proprietary software into helping maintain and enhance open source software.
- Enjoy the economic benefits well maintained free software brings to every aspect of your digital infrastructure at no extra cost.
3abas@lemmy.world 1 hour ago
Open source will innovate so much faster if properly funded, without the shackles of copyright and companies holding advancements secret and not releasing innovations on purpose as long as they hold on edge on “competition”. Competition is only important because of proprietary capitalism, remove capitalism and directly reward the workers and innovation happens for innovation’s sake.
Can’t wait for this to be proven in practice, and to be able to apply that more widely to society. Godspeed Europe
Th3D3k0y@lemmy.world 41 minutes ago
How can I compete, it isn’t like I can just look at your code and copy it into something better
sonofearth@lemmy.world 1 hour ago
Aaahh it hurts our business…. please don’t…. we can’t collect data now aaahhhh…. open source = communism = economic losss aahhhhhh…. why are you being anti competitive grrrrrrrr….
madjo@piefed.social 1 hour ago
Kiss my European ass, Google.
nialv7@lemmy.world 1 hour ago
lol. lmao, even.
phoenixz@lemmy.ca 1 hour ago
Google criticizes
Fuck you and shut the fuck up. Google has zero right to say anything, let alone criticize anything.
Do no evil, remember? I remember.
Fuck you
FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 6 hours ago
The company warned that Brussels’ policies aimed at reducing dependence on American tech companies could harm competitiveness.
Just what I’d expect a monopoly to say.
Fuck you. Alphabet.
cideyav138@lemmy.ml 3 hours ago
Increased competition from open source alternatives harms competitiveness? By forcing them to compete and maybe actually innovate?
wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 3 hours ago
They mean it would harm their competitiveness.
As in, “We’d be less competitive if you switch to a competitor” (in this case FOSS).
timestatic@feddit.org 3 hours ago
“well yes you actually need to stay dependent on us to be competitive” -fucking ridiculous
SabinStargem@lemmy.today 1 hour ago
I hope that Europe offers a grant to developers who make open-source software. Stuff like Matrix, Fluxer, Lemmy, and so on. Making the development of such software into a paying job will accelerate the OSS scene and give Europe more viable options.
Decq@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
When companies like Google, Microsoft, etc. are starting to squirm and whimper. You know you are on the right path. So I take this as a sign that the EU is heading in the right direction.
CardboardVictim@piefed.social 3 hours ago
That’s my take as well
Lembot_0006@programming.dev 5 hours ago
Of course Google hates open-source. They can’t compete with it. Same shit with Microsoft: people are just afraid of trying Linux, but those who do, rarely look back at Windows.
BillyClark@piefed.social 4 hours ago
I never worked for Google, so I can’t say for sure, but I have this weird suspicion that they use a shitload of open source software, and I’m not just talking about their Android OS or Chromebooks, but for their most core businesses.
It wouldn’t be odd to think that Google might not exist except for their being able to use the open-source software that people had made before they founded their company.
The alternative is that they were complete idiots who paid for all sorts of retail software.
Of course Google hates open-source. They can’t compete with it.
Again, it’s all just supposition, but I’d bet that they can’t compete without it, either.
For any major tech company, apart from ones that are absolutely dedicated to proprietary software starting from firmware up through the OS and on to applications, like Microsoft and Apple, it’s going to be deeply hypocritical to hate open-source.
bufalo1973@piefed.social 1 hour ago
It’s the “pull the ladder” mentality.
Lembot_0006@programming.dev 4 hours ago
They can’t compete with it.
I meant “They can’t compete against it.” Interlanguage translation nuances :)
grue@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
I have this weird suspicion that they use a shitload of open source software, and I’m not just talking about their Android OS or Chromebooks, but for their most core businesses.
“Open source for me, but not for thee.”
That’s also why they bait-and-switched us with AOSP.
FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
If I could get all my games to work on Linux, I’d nuke my dual-boot in a second. But I’m 99% linux at least.
(And yeah, I’ve tried the compatibility tools.)
bufalo1973@piefed.social 1 hour ago
Maybe the answer is having a PC only for those games. As a console. Like some people bought the N64 just to play Zelda and nothing else.
Saucepain@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
Out of interest, when’s the last time you tried? So many games now seem to have Linux compatibility because of Valve’s push for the Steam Deck (and Machine). I’m in the same boat as you though, still haven’t taken the plunge.
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
The problem with linux is the rough edges. It’s SLOWLY getting better.
2026 linux I find to be BARELY usable as a daily driver.
2006 linux was just trash.
In both cases, power users may have a different experience.
I tried installing a program called “hardinfo”. My ZorinOS software store didn’t find it through flathub.
So I googled it, found a .deb file, which my Zorin store loaded up to install.
Then I hit install, and it spits out a message like “Software was not installed. Requires these three dependancies, which will not be installed”.
Didn’t tell me why they didn’t install. Just said “Hardinfo needs these programs. Good luck figuring it out asshole!”
Ok, it may not have said it in those EXACT words…but you get the idea.
That being said, I recently booted up my old Windows 7 machine, and…I have no idea if the OS was always this slow, or if it’s gotten slower due to being SO out of date. It felt sluggish. And it theoretically SHOULD be faster. I have 16GB of ram now instead of 8GB. And it’s running off of SSD instead of a 5400rpm HDD. Theoretically it should have a huge speed boost.
Maybe I’m just used to a lighter OS after using it for this many years.
TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
Okay, so:
I tried installing a program called “hardinfo”. My ZorinOS software store didn’t find it through flathub.
That’s fair. Fragmentation is a real thing on Linux, and it seems like Ultimate Systems didn’ put their software on Flathub.
So I googled it, found a .deb file, which my Zorin store loaded up to install.
So instead of just using
apt– like every introductory tutorial to Ubuntu and its derivatives leads off with – you chose to do it (effectively) the Windows way that you’re familiar with where you go hunt and peck around the Internet for an install file. It’s an understandable mistake, but the blame from this point on lies squarely on you.Then I hit install, and it spits out a message like “Software was not installed. Requires these three dependancies, which will not be installed”. Didn’t tell me why they didn’t install. Just said "Hardinfo needs these programs. Good luck figuring it out asshole.
You didn’t have the dependencies, and it told you which ones to install. Why does it need to tell you why it needs them? Nice to have, I guess, but if it’s mandatory, it’s mandatory. No amount of explanation is going to get you around the fact that this software will not function without them. Dependencies aren’t a Linux thing; they’re a reality of modern programming. And I imagine
aptwould’ve automatically resolved this and asked you to also install the deps.SexualPolytope@lemmy.sdf.org 2 hours ago
Username checks out.
Lembot_0006@programming.dev 5 hours ago
Do dependencies work somehow differently under Windows? If a win program lacks some library it would say just the same: “I need an additional library. Install it.”
daggermoon@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
This is a Zorin/Ubuntu issue. I installed it from the AUR on my Arch system and it just worked. Don’t buy into the memes. Arch isn’t any harder. It’s just different.
anguo@piefed.ca 2 hours ago
I actually giggled at this.
phoenixz@lemmy.ca 1 hour ago
I did not Google at this
skvlp@lemmy.wtf 4 hours ago
Walker suggested that American companies could collaborate with European firms to implement measures ensuring data protection. Local management or servers located in Europe to store information are among the options.
As long as they’re a US company US law can force them to hand over data. No matter where the servers are located.
one_old_coder@piefed.social 56 minutes ago
It already happened when the French government gave private health data to Microsoft. The same government is now furiously backpedaling. I’m sure they still got their bribes.
cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
I’m not surprised that they are against it but very surprised that they so blatantly expose their reasoning. If you don’t buy my product, it’s not good for me, therefore it is not a good idea 🤷
wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 4 hours ago
I think all these tech billionaires have lost the capacity to think like reasoning adults. If they ever had it to begin with…
Their whole worldview is “What’s best for me?” They have so much power, they think anything that’s not good for them should be scorned by everyone.
tomiant@piefed.social 4 hours ago
timestatic@feddit.org 3 hours ago
The government should just pay some money to maintainers instead of giving it to corpos. That way everyone wins, instead of just google because the code is in the hand of the public. Also google, please just like, politely, fuck off. We know you guys want in on this, even if we need an out. Everyone knows your worries aren’t for public interest but for your own pockets. FOSS actually supports a much more competitive landscape by not locking in users and allowing people to build on each others ideas instead of creating monopolies.
willington@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 hours ago
The irony is that Google uses FOSS software in a huge way since its founding.
Free and Open Source Software for me, but not for thee, Europe.
Fuck Google’s hypocrisy. And fuck Google/Alphabet.
ambitiousslab@feddit.uk 5 hours ago
Ooooo, someone’s getting worried!
Lazycog@sopuli.xyz 5 hours ago
Was about to comment: it’s afraid!
tabular@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
What innovation, Google? Like threatening all Android devs?
MOARbid1@piefed.social 2 hours ago
Google IS innovating! What other company do you know that is able to kill off their products as fast as Google!? Truly innovative!
mayabuttreeks@lemmy.ca 5 hours ago
apfelwoiSchoppen@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
Oh no, anyways
namingthingsiseasy@programming.dev 3 hours ago
Dear Google: we wouldn’t have to do this if you weren’t such a shit company.
Oh, you weren’t aware that you’re a shit company? You legitimately believe you’re a positive force for the world? Well that’s your own damn fault.
Kualdir@piefed.social 5 hours ago
Absolutely brilliant, the company that will be affected the most together with Microslop says its not a good idea to stop paying them
CosmoNova@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
Carthaginians furious Rome stopped paying them and instead invests in a fleet of their own.
raspberriesareyummy@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
Get fucked, corporate shitpiles.
unnamed1@feddit.org 5 hours ago
It’s like there are three major political forces in the market: USA, China, Open Source. If we leave the dominant place for another IT world hurt competition? How exactly?
Zedstrian@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 hours ago
Walker suggested that American companies could collaborate with European firms to implement measures ensuring data protection.
Simultaneously, those same companies are actively lobbying the EU to dismantle those protections.
BetaBlake@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
“why haven’t you thought of our bottom line?!?”
Octagon9561@lemmy.ml 5 hours ago
Boycott Google, check out the degoogle communities
wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 4 hours ago
“It’ll hurt our bottom line and make us less competitive” said google. “Aren’t you afraid of missing out?”
FUCK OFF.
SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world 21 minutes ago
Obviously the ultimate goal is to free themselves from dependance on the US and the Trump admin has shown that this need has become crucial. Establish a non-profit organization with the mandate to maintain, respond to user needs and keep secure the software for the public. The EU and the org’s board can meet every year to discuss what direction they want to go with it.