__/ [ BearItAll ] on Thursday 10 May 2007 08:22 \__
> We got MS Novell partnership, MS Dell partnership (I mean where the dreaded
> Linux word is mentioned), then MS Redhat, though Redhat are not going to
> sign unless MS takes the open source route.
>
> Ok it is tempting to just say MS are just looking for a way in then they
> will poison our drinks and kill our first born etc. But I wonder if there
> is a better way to look at it. MS certainly want to be on this side of the
> fence, they can clearly see the direction things are going but I wonder if
> there is something even more fundermental in this.
>
> Many of us have said for quite some time that UNIX/Linux has the best
> programmers. UNUX attracted the best programmers for no other reason than
> it paid a great deal more than MS platform programming and generally for
> less hours spent per contract (unless you happened to head a team who had a
> successfull game release on MS platforms, then the money was good
> obviously). Those programmers next logical step as less UNIX work is
> available is Linux. The quallity of our code and systems is exceptional and
> though they are many now who didn't program on UNIX programming for Linux,
> I think that generally it is the same sort of programmer.
>
> Then with Vista we get the clearest indication we have ever had that MS
> just does not have good programmers, I can't believe that top programmers
> would have made such a mess of things in all areas, and I certainly will
> not believe that the sort of programmers I have ever worked with would have
> allowed that code out of the door if they had any say in it, and you do,
> you are on contract and the code does not belong to those hireing you until
> you release it to them.
>
> Now, lets say that MS come into bed with us, maybe head towards Gpl3 and
> open standards. Would that help to put that on the right side as far as we
> here are concerned? Then maybe some of the right sort of programmers would
> be tempted towards MS.
>
> Programmers come in three kinds.
>
> 1. Those that follow the money, you will generally find that those
> programmers are jack of all trades master of none. They have a smattering
> of skill in each aspect of programming and can bullshit in the rest of it.
> These can have value in emergency situations where the problem can call for
> a range of areas that need work or diagnostics, but not really the sort you
> want for cutting edge.
>
> 2. Then they is the sort of programmer who follows the easy route, they
> want the development platform to do most of the work, they want to pull in
> classes and objects, don't care about the underlieing code. You definately
> don't want those in cutting edge.
>
> 3. The other kind are those that do it for that very basic reason, they
> want to see what is under the hood, then they want to know how it works,
> then they want to make one of their own. They follow the path of interest,
> they might have an interest in communications and follow that path for a
> few years or contracts, they might have an interest in databases or
> hardware or whatever, they are following the path of interest. Those are
> the programmers you need in cutting edge and it is those very programmers
> that Linux attracts.
>
> So I wonder if MS have realised that they are on the wrong side of the
> fence, they need a foot over here to take advantage of what we have to
> offer. Is they a way to make ammends I wonder, maybe, if MS could somehow
> head towards Gpl.... goodness knows how they would do that now though.
Microsoft has already said it loud and clear.
http://www.techworld.com/opsys/news/index.cfm?newsID=8771&pagtype=all
===
In mid-November, shortly after the pact was announced, Microsoft chief
Steve Ballmer said companies that sell or run Linux, but aren't covered
under the Novell deal, are illegally using Microsoft's IP. "We believe every
Linux customer basically has an undisclosed balance-sheet liability," he
said.
He said in a later meeting: "I do think it clearly establishes that open
source is not free."
===
Believing that Microsoft wants the GPL to win is wishful thinking, especially
if you look at the history of aggression (even the antitrust memos). The
theory you present here could happily be borrowed by the chaps at Port 25.
It could help them put a Trojan horse in more cities.
--
~~ Best regards
Roy S. Schestowitz | Coffee makes mw to0 jittery
http://Schestowitz.com | GNU is Not UNIX | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
roy pts/2 cg001a.halls.man Thu May 10 05:36 - 10:02 (04:26)
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