Recently, we reported on LibreOffice, accusing Microsoft of intentionally using complex file formats as a tactic to lock in users to Microsoft Office, hindering open source alternatives like LibreOffice. Now, Microsoft has banned LibreOffice developer, Mike Kaganski, from using its services, citing an “activity that violates [its] Services Agreement”.
According to Mike, this happened last Monday when he tried to send a technical email to the LibreOffice dev mailing list, which is a normal part of his routine, but Thunderbird returned an error saying the message couldn’t be sent. His account was blocked upon retry, and he found himself completely logged out of his Microsoft account…
Aww, is the big, predominant, incontestable and great Microsoft suddenly afraid of some foolish, little competitor who of course isn’t fit to hold a candle to them?
Microsoft and anticompetitiveness, an iconic duo
This is his blog article. https://mikekaganski.wordpress.com/2025/07/25/microsoft-anybody-home/
Looking at this, it looks more like Microsoft just screwed it’s auth system in some way for him then intentionally banned him in particular.
I as an IT guy have seen this before SOHO office accounts as well and entirely agree that MS has entirely lost the ability to do IT infrastructure in any useful way. Even at an enterprise level, Exchange and outlook used to be convoluted to learn and administer before they became cloud based, as regedit was your friend and they always buried the settings. Now, it doesn’t require a degree in IT, but rather a pointy hat and a reading of spell books to make things work… Sometimes. Sacrifices of interns might be necessary at the alter of Support, before they’ll answer the phone and you realize they have no more knowledge then you to.
WAS your friend? Bitch, I’m still yo friend! ;)
Heck Microsoft doesn’t even allow me to use IMAP, and if I want to use a different client (and not the shitty web one), I have to get permission from my IT administrator.
Funnily enough, the same client (Thubderbid) doesn’t need any confirmation on Mac or Windows, only Linux.
Ok, but why are you a dev of an open source tool but use an M$ service?
Naivity:
I develop open-source code. But that never made me one of the “I hate proprietary software or IT giant corporations” types. I always saw the nice things that Microsoft offered to its users; I saw not only downsides in its products. And I also used (and continue to use) things created by it: Windows to start with (and I develop there, being able to debug and address issues specific to the platform that most of our users use); but also its email service for personal mail.
I always saw the nice things that Microsoft offered to its users
I’d understand this perspective in 2005, but 2025?
✍︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.
I’m decidedly NOT a computer expert, but our newest computer, which is always trying to force us to save things to “One Drive,” now no longer even lets me open Libre Office files. Is there any way I can fix that? I would think a bunch of people would be suing MS over that, except that in this current political climate, that’s probably not even going to go anywhere.
Just to make sure I’ve understood you correctly: You are trying to open LibreOffice odt or ods files on a ‘new’ computer with MS Office (365?) installed. Or did you install LibreOffice on that one?
Ironic you’re calling them naive and then quoting this. Hahahaha
Sorry, could you explain the irony there? I’m a bit slow.
How is that possibly ironic ? It’s a quote from the guy we are talking about.
It’s incredibly difficult to get away from Microsoft in the corporate/business space.
Yes, but his private e-mail is affected.
True. In his scenario, it would definitely make sense to set up an email on a private domain (or at least self host one).
It looks more like Microsoft’s usual incompetence than a conspiracy against LibreOffice…
“never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity”
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It’s alright - start off easy, do some browsing/text editing/etc, don’t jump to complicated stuff. You’ll get there!
If you come to Windows merely a few weeks after, you’ll feel same discomfort that you feel now. Linux will become more familiar, easy, and predictable.
Just keep on going and enjoy your ride. Oh and - I hope you chose a simple, newbie-friendly distribution. Figuring out technicalities when you didn’t yet have basics is no fun.
This should help with some of the commands
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Gosh, I can’t imagine why M$ would block competition!
why work for evil corp microsoft when you can join the fsf without selling your soul to evil corp
Ah yes, the Trump approach to dealing with things you don’t like. I see.
Setting an example for the rest of the corporate assholes.
Again, anything important needs to be saved multiple places. While Mike should be able to use these services without issue, these issues continue to crop up since people first began saving things online.
