Posted by themodpoet at 5/19/08 11:52 a.m.

Typical social commentary by the corporate media. No comment on the social issues raised, no research or background info on the man's grievances, just present anyone dissatisfied with the status quo as an angry individual, completely separate from any historical or social context. Thanks, PI, for reminding me why I don't subscribe.

Posted by Todd Bishop at 5/19/08 11:55 a.m.

Thanks for the comment. Just so you know, I'm in the process of getting the Index story translated, hoping that it will shed more light on the situation.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/19/08 12:59 p.m.

Ballmer kept pretty cool in a bizarre situation. Pretty funny stuff.

And to modpoet, go grab a sign and protest something at Westlake Center.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/19/08 1:09 p.m.

The hungarian government signed a 25 billion HUF deal ($1 = 160HUF) with Microsoft to provide Microsoft software for hungarian education and government. Hungary's equivalent of the FTC brought the tender to court, because the phrasing made it impossible for anyone other than Microsoft to win, locking out competing software vendors including those who provide F/OSS solutions.

Steve Ballmer arrived to Hungary on the same day the hungarian court decided to postpone the trial until June. According to hungarian law, however, these type of trials are to be handled with urgency, so different organizations filed complaints requesting higher up judicial institutions to look at the case. The president of Hungary's attention has also been called to this matter.

Meanwhile, Steve Ballmer and the hungarian prime minister announced that Hungary is spending another 10 billion HUF (majority of which is coming from EU funds) on a educational program, paid to Microsoft to provide education for their software.

The guy who egged Ballmer is a hungarian IT student.

-- Hungarian IT professional

Posted by unregistered user at 5/19/08 1:30 p.m.

Maybe he was conveying his feelings about Vista?

Posted by buddhabrad at 5/19/08 1:34 p.m.

Eggs are scary. You read it here first.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/19/08 1:42 p.m.

"The guy who egged Ballmer is a hungarian IT student."

So what? That doesn't excuse his behavior.

Posted by whaleback at 5/19/08 1:45 p.m.

this is a blog entry, not an article, and the fact covers the Who, What, Where, When, and Why like it does is a credit to T.Bishop and the P-I.

semi-related: found this with a google search, dated Feb:
http://www.garfnet.org.uk/joomla/content/view/118/16/

"APEH (the Hungarian Tax Office) has decided that all Hungarian businesses now have to submit their tax returns on-line. [...] To complete their tax returns, Hungarian business people have to download two Windows executable programs, run them on their Windows based PC's"

apparently these programs don't run in emulation, so Linux or MacOS business owners are forced to purchase a Windows OS and/or another computer just to file their taxes. this issue is also being argued in the hungarian court system.

Posted by judman25 at 5/19/08 3:08 p.m.

He's probably the same goon who spilled oil on the greenlake bike path.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/19/08 3:08 p.m.

To the commenter calling Hungary communist:

Hungary is NOT communist, but it's leaders are communist guys, who say they are capitalist.

But they only got to the 'C' words in their dictionary: capitalism and corruption.

Microsoft probably bribed a lot of Hungarian politicians to win procurements from the state, and thereby extracting tens of millions of USD money from the taxpayer's pockets.

Hungarians have no problem for paying for software. But what Hungarians don't like, is bribes and corruption, that leads to unnecessary software purchases!

A Hungarian

Posted by sodika at 5/19/08 3:21 p.m.

Hunarian TV2 video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=S30WdoEHCH4
Ballmer egg attack! :)

Posted by sodika at 5/19/08 3:22 p.m.

Oh, sorry.
Hungarian TV2 video

Posted by unregistered user at 5/19/08 3:36 p.m.

The yokes on me.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/19/08 3:53 p.m.

perecorp:

FYI: You're comment has been marked for deletion. Get some degree first, wiseguy! It's a pity, that you don't have a clue about the things you are talking about, besides you don't show any kind of sparkle of knowledge neither. Oh, btw: Do you speak other languages too, or you just use your own, where you also fail badly.

An educated hungarian

Posted by sane and simple at 5/19/08 4:18 p.m.

The Hungarian government should have figured all this out before they signed a contract with Microsoft. This guy should also have been hucking eggs at the Hungarian Grand Poobah and his little imps.

Sure, Microsoft may have done a shady but legal contract and the Hungarian government may have not done their due diligance in spite of all the lawsuits the EU is pounding on Microsoft. It takes two to tango.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/19/08 4:25 p.m.

Everyone hates The people that are most successful. The pioneers of the computer age should be allowed to have the sky as the limit for their business.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/19/08 4:31 p.m.

Everything started back in 2004, when the first deal was done.
After that, as the contract was signed for 4 years, Microsoft decided to either sue Hungary's users to remove the software from the PCs, or they can await a lawsuit, or get the contract renewed.
As we don't have too many educated (from IT point of view) ministers or politicians, they made a quick decision on renewing the contract. The new deal was of course done by both sides, and trust me on this, when I am saying, that lot of people got their part from the big juicy ham, which was the contract in our case.
Let's also not forget to mention the promised contract at a value of 5 billion Forints on FOSS softwares too, which was soon modified to only a few hundred of millions of Forints (1 HUF = 160 USD).
The problem is right now, that the government does not offer real alternatives, besides they are not really willing to look for alternatives neither, and we already know Microsoft's way, how do they do business.
Oh, one more interesting fact from today's news: As many hungarian FOSS Groups started a trial asking a review on the contract made with Microsoft (which was worth 25 billion Forints, and the newest contract will also fund 10 more billion of Forints Microsoft's wallet); the trial should been held today, but it was postponed. (Maybe because of Ballmer's visit? I don't know, I let you decide.)
As I have read in many comments from other sides: We are just fed up by such businessmen like Ballmer, who rans away like a child, and by corruption. We had enough of both already, and if you want to investigate further, look for our Prime Minister's Speach at Öszöd from 2006, which also caused the uprising back in Septembet, 2006.

An educated hungarian

Posted by unregistered user at 5/19/08 4:34 p.m.

Correction to my last comment:
Instead of:
"After that, as the contract was signed for 4 years, Microsoft decided to either sue Hungary's users to remove the software from the PCs, or they can await a lawsuit, or get the contract renewed."

Use this:
"As after 4 years, Microsoft offered two choices for Hungary: Either the removal of every Microsoft Product under the license pact from 2004, or a new deal on Microsoft licenses."

Posted by unregistered user at 5/19/08 4:36 p.m.

And the 5 billion was in reality 25 billion forints, plus the newest contract worth of 10 billions, which makes 158 million $ + ~75 million $.

Posted by 8bitjoystick at 5/19/08 5:39 p.m.

I remember back when Bill Gates got pied in Belgium.

I think being egged would affect the Steve Balmer index to victorious. He totally triumphed in the face of an egging.

Posted by ballardcaptive at 5/19/08 7:31 p.m.

I've grown tired of the MSFT = evil empire routine, so don't really care. But if I ran a business, I wouldn't hire the egg-thrower for the sysadmin position.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/19/08 8:03 p.m.

If this is the future of sonic basketball its sure as hell more entertaining than the present.

Market this as the halftime entertainment and the broken NBA business model gets fixed.

Just saying...

Posted by Seany at 5/19/08 11:12 p.m.

You think a few eggs are scary? Just wait until the next MSFT shareholder meeting.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/20/08 12:40 a.m.

No physical ed in Hungary? the guy can't throw. lol

Also, don't they pirate all their softwares anyway? He shouldn't be complaining.

The vid is funny though. He probably couldn't get his wi-fi to work on his Eeepc (if you noticed) and he takes it out on MS.

I'm sure all the ladies want to sleep with him now. What a loser.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/20/08 2:16 a.m.

I won't serve this strategy of my country's government.
When I will go to vote, I won't vote them - that is all I can do now. I do not agree with my government now, they lied too much and the looked us as child.
I will use another OS in my PC in the future, I'll shift from Windows. I was satisfied with this OS, but if I buy more and more softwares or OSes from Microsoft, I think I collaborate with them and with my government's evil politics.
We labored too much in the past, we had to abided the communism, because other countries forced us into this way (f.ex. the old Sovietunion) and stamped us in '56, when we tried to make revolution. But this is not the matter now, just was a piece of informaton to you to understand our point of view. I am (an I think I could write "we are") fed up with others who labeled my whole country as "communist" and "thief" and so on. We are not the same nation who knowed in the last century. We decided to make democracy, we work on it, but we have big problems: our government and other corrupt guys/corporations, who want to skin us, and those guys, who lash us when one of us shows his disagreement. (Even I know better way to show it.)

Posted by unregistered user at 5/20/08 5:01 a.m.

--- The guy who egged Ballmer is a hungarian IT student.

-- So what? That doesn't excuse his behavior.

It does, if you're suddenly forced to use vista bloatware and not linux... I hope the court throws out the contract.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/20/08 5:09 a.m.

Sorry to say, but guys think a bit about your history. The biggest injustice, you guys still feel like living is Trianon Threaty (after 1st WW, for those who dont know - Hungary lost almost half of its territory, but on those territories were living majority of other nations).
Than you were persecuted by nacism - btw. on the side of germany for almost the whole 2nd WW. Than by communism, for change you got the most liberal economic system in the whole soviet block. So stop crying and start doing something and I don't mean throwing eggs by doing something :-)
BTW. Just to let you guys know, Steves lecture was scheduled for 15!mins and there was almost no add around university about this...

Posted by unregistered user at 5/20/08 5:57 a.m.

Ok, some corrections to the last comment: (Sorry being a grammar nazi)
Instead of "than" use then. It's not Threaty, but treaty, yet if we would consider it as a play with the words, it would also fit well. :)

Other point: We do everything what we can to show people also alternatives, or teach them, help them, but it's hard, when you are forced to buy a Windows with your brand new PC. (Pre installed Linuxes or other OS are treated badly).
Besides, you are also limited, thanks to your ministers, and higher leaders, and people are just lazy, or don't care, they are OK with the preinstalled OS's, so the damage is already done.

One more thing: Steve's presentation was planned for 30 minutes, not for 15, but it doesn't matter, it was just a serious of bullshit generated typical manager nonsense, with usual cliches.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/20/08 6:53 a.m.

Anyone got a download link? My workplace filters youtube, so I can't see it :(

Posted by unregistered user at 5/20/08 7:35 a.m.

Kill it with fire!

Posted by unregistered user at 5/20/08 8:23 a.m.

alternate link:
http://index.indavideo.hu/video/Tojassal_dobaltak_meg_Steve_Ballmert

Posted by unregistered user at 5/20/08 11:53 a.m.

Sorry for misspelling, sure ur right :-)
None of us was right - at least the poster says 1515-1535, so it is 20mins :-) But I was closer,heh...
Anyway it is not microsofts fault that people are using its products. And in the monetary point of view, there is several independent studies, that microsoft products, at least at corporate environment are cheaper, than open-source products.
Anyway few years later, there will be no need for operating system - i.e. most of the computers will be just client stations and the only important programe will be browser :-)

Posted by unregistered user at 5/20/08 1:12 p.m.

So!
The open source fanatics, arnachists and lunatics strike again eh?
What are these vermin going to do next?
Join up with Al Quaeda and start throwng bombs?

BTW, the Hungarian goverment, like any other goverment, can sign a software agreement with wheoever they like, including Microosft.
This is a freely elected, democratic goverment, elected by the Hungarian people to govern the country.
This might come as nrews to the open source communists, who think they are entitled to have goverments force their open source rubbish of its citizens wether they like open source or not.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/20/08 1:28 p.m.

idiot hungarian student...

Posted by unregistered user at 5/20/08 5:18 p.m.

He throws like a girl and missed. Deserves Windows and to overpay for it.

Posted by unregistered user at 6/3/08 1:35 p.m.

8bityoystick, I remember that too & you're right about that. I guess the Hungarians don't frisk their students for eggs like in America tasering at a political convention, for speech.

Posted by unregistered user at 6/3/08 1:42 p.m.

The video seemed scripted. The guy seated next to the egg thrower put a hand on the pitchers shoulder yet wasn't shown doing anything from preventing him pelting more. No security went to where he was to stop him. They hopefully did when Mr Bill was pied. Was the culprit charged & were the eggs rotten?

Posted by unregistered user at 6/3/08 1:58 p.m.

Great headline Mr Bishop, Ballmer scrambles...& yeah he seemed calm after as did the guys seated next to the thrower unlike the Bill pie.

I recognise that pitching egg guy from somewhere before on this continent, can't remember where, or maybe his stunt double, will he be banished from future Microsoft meetings?

Posted by unregistered user at 6/7/08 8:45 a.m.

Dear #135422, please note it was a University meeting and not a Microsoft one, and banishing is a solution that in Europe does not make sense. The sense of that action was to raise the fact that political power in EU is still not safe from economic influence of dominant specialized vendors like Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, and so on. Since this show could not take place in front of politicians (they are unreachable for normal people), someone decided that Ballmer in that situation should present a good chance to let the EU know about what's happening in Hungary.
It's happening the same that happened in Italy some time ago, but our democratically elected politicians (see #130513) were induced by their democratic electors, to give the same amount of money to develope and diffuse F/OSS and to redesign applications used by individual business and companies pay taxes so to let them run on Linux and Mac OS: it means savings for our business. And please, OSS is not communist and our (UE) governments are mainly right-hand and sometimes unfortunately behave fascistily.
Last, I can't understand why throwing eggs makes an US thinking about their old financed Al Quaeda and throwng bombs... They place bombs: all the bombs throwed were from US Aircrafts. But since I was 10 I never confused eggs with bombs.