Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 15:14:38 -0800 From: Gregory Sutter <gsutter@pobox.com> To: freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org, freebsd-chat@freebsd.org, announce@bafug.org Subject: Windows Refund Day: Bay Area Report Message-ID: <19990215151438.A19842@orcrist.mediacity.com>
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FreeBSD folk, This report is being written from the CoffeeNet, where we've all met after the event in Foster City. We didn't exactly "storm the Gates", but both the Linux and FreeBSD communities turned out in force, accompanied by a couple of others (I saw a Sun and an SCO person). We got to the parking garage where the Microsoft "welcome table" was set up. There were Microsoft-sponsored refreshments and a lot of press, including many major stations. A few of us grabbed some press members with cameras and headed for the main entrance. We arrived and were greeted by a friendly Microsoft security guard, who told us that we were not allowed to go up to the ninth floor (where the Microsoft offices are). When the press members began questioning her, she called another person, who apparently called security, because they showed up long before any Microsoft representative would talk to us. I was interviewed by several press members at this time, right from the lobby of the Microsoft office. Several others had arrived by this time and we were becoming more forceful in our attempts to get to the Microsoft Office. People began getting on the elevators, only to find that they had been locked down so that nobody could visit the ninth floor. those going to the tenth and using the stairs found that the stair doors were locked from the inside as well, so nobody actually got into the office. (Later, they locked the elevators down completely.) After twenty minutes or so of increased numbers of refund attempters, a person claiming to be a Microsoft representative appeared. While several of us attempted to get some straight answers out of him, he would only give us the typical Microsoft doubletalk. He handed out a sheet explaining Microsoft's statement on the refund policy[1] and would only echo what was contained on that paper. Although several tried, we were unable to get him to admit even that this was Microsoft policy and not just a random statement. Around this time, the rest of the group arrived and the press began seriously interviewing everyone. I saw Eric Raymond and many others being questioned repeatedly on the purpose of the gathering and whether Microsoft had issued a statement. There was a _lot_ of mass media presence at the event, and Microsoft's attempts to stonewall us at the door didn't impress anyone. I look forward to the news reports tonight and tomorrow. Toward the end, we all just stood in the courtyard and kibitzed before finally breaking up around 1:45 to return to our regularly scheduled activities (and a fine gathering at the CoffeeNet). Gregory Sutter, reporting for OSS News[2], signing off. [1] For the full document, see <http://www.bafug.org/ms-letter.html>; after 20:00 PST today. [2] and Daemon News. Greg -- Gregory S. Sutter My reality check just bounced. mailto:gsutter@pobox.com http://www.pobox.com/~gsutter/ PGP DSS public key 0x40AE3052 To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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