I’m not an IT person, but there has to be options for at the very least government to move away from Microsoft and google. We surely have IT people here in Canada, make it a national security tie, which it is, and develop our own tools. We need to stop relying on the Americans all together.

[–] eestileib@sh.itjust.works 11 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Instead, they are signing deals with Palantir, whee

[–] ArmchairAce1944@lemmy.ca 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Bill C-22 and others that are being forced through and almost law basically increase dependence and sharing with US government and private companies, and we are going to be seeing Flock cameras in Canada... more than we already are.

[–] jaemo@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Deflock runs nicely on an esp C6. I haven't seen any of them out here on the west coast but will get them rekt as soon as they show up.

[–] ArmchairAce1944@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 days ago

The first one in Quebec was torn down. every government agency except local police said they didn't do it. The local police said 'we have no idea' instead of 'we didn't do it'. Which probably means they did do it.

[–] castle88@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 days ago

Instead we extended the deal with MS for 7 years. I don't recall if it was this year or last but since all this started.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (4 children)

I asked Ontario's education ministry and they just said if alternatives existed then they would already be using them.

[–] nyan@lemmy.cafe 1 points 1 day ago

Often, what that means is, "We have some stupid "security" requirement that a third party has convinced us to write in despite us not really needing it." Usually, it's for something invasive that can be bypassed by people with enough patience and time on their hands (= high schoolers) if the source code can be modified.

[–] bowreality@lemmy.ca 10 points 2 days ago

They need to look harder. EU is on the move … off Microsoft, Google etc

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The are plenty of Open Source software tools for writing and graphics.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Also the very obvious Linux or BSD based operating systems.

I feel they were just trying to gaslight me.

[–] mister_newbie@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 days ago

The Canadian alternative to Google Classroom, Brightspace, is awful; and that's coming from a teacher who hates Google Classroom.

Then there's the 'choice' of Teams or Meet. Ugh.

[–] Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca 16 points 3 days ago (1 children)

And an export tax on potash and oil.

[–] nyan@lemmy.cafe 17 points 3 days ago (3 children)

And electricity.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 days ago

Canada imports electricity from the US, because it's cheaper.

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=63684

We buy and sell different times of the year.

[–] Contextual_Idiot@sh.itjust.works 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

You guys understand that in this trade war, those 3 things are your nuclear options, right?

You don't start by using your strongest weapons first. Because if those don't stop the war, what then? And, how would the Americans respond?

Better to have those in reserve, ready to be deployed. Make the other side worry that you could use them, and use that strength to aid in negotiations. Treat them as actual nuclear weapons. As a deterrent.

[–] nyan@lemmy.cafe 10 points 3 days ago

Sometimes, when the other side has the attention span of a toddler, it's necessary to remind them from time to time that the nuclear options exist, even if you don't plan to use them.