What is .NET?

CyberBry writes "There's a great technical overview of Microsoft .NET over at arstechnica: "In a remarkable feat of journalistic sleight-of-hand, thousands of column inches in many "reputable" on-line publications have talked at length about .NET whilst remaining largely ignorant of its nature, purpose, and implementation. Ask what .NET is, and you'll receive a wide range of answers, few of them accurate, all of them conflicting. Confusion amongst the press is rampant. The more common claims made of .NET are that it's a Java rip-off, or that it's subscription software. The truth is somewhat different.""

Comments

Trying to be cool

[JohnHegarty]

I think its Microsoft trying to be cool..... because that java thing went well... didn't it...

net

[Joe the Lesser]

net Pronunciation Key (nt) n.
1. An openwork fabric made of threads or cords that are woven or knotted together at regular intervals.

2. Something made of openwork fabric, especially:
a. A device for capturing birds, fish, or insects.
b. A barrier against flying insects.
c. A mesh for holding the hair in place.
d. Something that entraps; a snare.
e. A fine mesh fabric used as curtain or dress material or as the foundation for various laces.
3. Sports.
a. A barrier of meshwork cord or rope strung between two posts to divide a court in half, as in tennis and badminton.
A ball that is hit into this meshwork barrier.
The goal in soccer, hockey, and lacrosse.
The cord meshwork attached to the hoop of a basket in basketball.
A meshed network of lines, figures, or fibers.
A radio, television, or telephone network.

You want the collective /. answer?

[gosand]

The collective /. answer is probably "Microsoft's latest secret method for leveraging their monopoly to take over the world."

IMHO, that is probably pretty darn accurate. Nobody knows exactly how just yet. Yeah, it sounds like I am paranoid, I have good reason to be.

Microsoft^H^H^H^Hpoly