Story by KBW correspondent
Publication date: Feb 28th, 2007
Alleged hackers from Gachie, Kiambu were today killed by an angry mob after they were found guilty of cheating customers on the installation of the new computer operating system Microsoft Windows Vista.
The alleged hackers apparently tried to install the free and open-source Ubuntu operating system from South Africa on their customer’s computers, telling them it would be the new Windows Vista operating system.
The bogus deal only became public when customers complained about the cheap installation costs: the killed hackers only charged Ksh. 400 for a copy of the fake “Windows Vista” operating system, which was in fact a copy of Ubuntu. Ubuntu Linux is available free of charge from the internet. The internet is a worldwide network of computers.
The police which arrived 2hrs late because of missing transport could only rescue the dead bodies of the alleged hackers. Anonymous sources told our paper that the Ubuntu OS actually performs better than the new Windows Vista which requires a faster computer and in most cases new hardware.
However, one angry customer, a Mr. Boniface Njoroge told us: “I invested Ksh. 400/= and all wot these piiporr have given me is a copy of a cheap operrating system which is not the orriginol dearr! These piipol have been chiiting castamaaahs on a grand scarr! Arr we have done now it is to protect fellow wanachi from faathaa exploitation by these thugs!”.
Meanwhile, the government today in cooperation with Microsoft Corporation declared Kenya being a Windows Vista nation. This comes one day after Microsoft donated the sum of US-$ 100.000 through the Bill Gates Foundation to HIV/AIDS awareness projects countrywide…
[via treehugger]
Brilliant piece, in truest Kenyan spirit. But do I say?
Osas
excellent piece of information, i like the way Mr. Boniface Njoroge is quoted hehe the slang is also quoted. what a way to go hell, being killed for cheating KSHS400
Wow, bit of a strong reaction there … and why call’em hackers? They just installed a different OS.
Excellent, that will teach them not to impersonate a rich, global, monopoly who have give IE7 for free so that they can make billions of US$ to make the world a better place.
@58: The other day, a Kenyan newspaper mixed up “hackers” with “crackers” – so this is just a runing gag on their inability to provide qualified informations because such a scenario may always be possible.
Remember the Deya Miracoool Kids??
It didn’t become public because someone couldn’t agree with a woman being able to give birth to a child every 3 month, but instead because this man from the other church complained about it, saying his confession doesn’t allow such things.
Hence the 400/= thing – seriously, if you sell an old computer for 30.000 Kshs to someone, ppl won’t complain, but once it’s cheap they’ll become curious and want to know more. So the irony in this faked article isn’t the rather sad satiric story about “hackers” getting killed, but instead the fact that you could actually sell anything to people as long as it’s put on the market in a good way.
So, this is a tactic that me and the rest of the Ubuntu Kenya LoCo team should probably avoid then :)
Desktop Linux uptake here in Kenya is pretty slow, but it is picking up. It’s not helped by the absolutely useless technology reporting in the daily press.
Does anyone know why all the tech articles in the Kenyan press are so bad? Or perhaps I should phrase that more positively – does anyone know a good Kenyan tech reporter?
Is there an original link? Cannot find it in the treehugger referrer. Hoping there’s more info in the article.
He he! Nice one!
Ubuntu is actually pretty good for most things … I’ve got vista ultimate dvd on my desk but it will be a cold day in december befroe i install it. I refuse to see the sense in slowing my pc to a crawl for 3D menus. XP SP 2 or burst!!!
@David — if there is one, (s)he is very well hidden!!!
Dear readers from Poland,
pls note that the article is pure satire & fiction, inspired by a link I found the other day via treehugger.com where someone sold an Ubuntu installation as Windows Vista to a family member.
Thx. :-)
talk about stupidity, for whatever sum those people paid, it doesnt deserve to get killed over it, and for those dead *hackers* id like to say one thing: what goes around..comes around :D r.i.p.
A-Coffee
Thats why I use SuSE!!
Nice article JKE.
I have not been here for a while so I just read this.
BTW, on a related note, I just found out that your Ubuntu CD got to Embu in early Feb and is just sitting there …
– Steve
pure kenyan.