Halloween VII

mjh writes "ESR has reviewed the latest Microsoft leaked Linux strategy document. A very interesting read. Summary: OSS is winning some battles, but Microsoft is poised to bring out bigger and nastier guns." To the extent that people read it and gain some insight into what Microsoft is actually thinking about Linux and Open Source Software, it's useful. To the extent that anyone draws a conclusion from this document like "we've got Microsoft on the run", that's just idiotic.

Comments

Would that be Michael Meyers?

[aiken_d]

Halloween VII, posted by Michael, eh? Where's the theme music?

Cheers
-b

Is this some sort of a MS tradition?

[levik]

I really think this is what MS staffers do for fun at the Halloween party! They probably draw straws, and the one to draw the shortest one has to write up the "leaked strategy memo on Linux" for the year!

Has there really been 7 of these things already?

Re:Is this some sort of a MS tradition?

[Anonymous Coward]

Strategy documents at HP were appreciably longer than two pages.

Really? That's amazing considering that HP seems to have no strategy whatsoever.

Well, other than buying another company besides themselves whose computers are only 1/2 step above what Packard Bell manufactured, that is.

Reportedly

[CySurflex]

Reportedly The Leaked Stragey Document only runs on an ATI RADEON 9700, and is pretty slugish even on the most high-end 3Mhz PC's. Oh wait - that's the leaked Doom 3 Alpha, never mind.

Re:Reportedly

[Victor Tramp]

oh! you mean an Amiga!

Attention please!

[NWT]

Due to the sensitive nature of this information, please forward with discretion only to those people who can clearly gain value from it...

Ah, gain value? They mean *head-shaking* or *laughing* geeks? Oh, well ...

On the Run

[nightsweat]

We've got Microsoft on the... oh, sorry, never mind.

Re: On the Run

[Ed Avis]

"Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Torvalds,
if you think we're on the run?
We know the way to cut off your little fun,
just wait until all your hardware's Palladium!
So who do you think you are kidding, Mr Torvalds,
if you think that Redmond's done?"

"Mr Gates, whom everyone hates, has been in quite a fret.
But he'll be in control again: we're rolling out Dot-Net!
So who do you think you are kidding, Mr Torvalds,
if you think that Redmond's done?"

(Overheard at Microsoft's secret Walmington-on-C# development headquarters)

I can hear the preview now...

[ocie]

scary piano music in the background...

Deep voice: Just whn you thought it was safe to turn off your computer..

Someone in a Bill Gates mask jumps out from behind the desk and starts chasing the user while brandishing a giant paperclip.

Paperclip: You look like you're being hunted by a madman in a Bill Gates mask. Do you need any help?

Top countries looking on Linux with favor:

[Hayzeus]

Among those aware, favorability was highest among the Germans, French, and Brazilians

What? No Finns? How terribly unpatriotic of them!

Re:Top countries looking on Linux with favor:

[Cheese Cracker]

What? No Finns? How terribly unpatriotic of them!

The survey was not Finnished...

Re:Is it for real?!?

[Anonymous Coward]

Umm...like slashdot doesn't have a crack team of researchers making sure all their links are legit. sheesh...no wait, they have a team of researchers on crack. My bad.

Re:How can you prove this document is real?

[jpetts]

... could easily have made up the percentages, figures and results.

Surely that proves it's from Microsoft?

Re:Are you kidding?

[bogie]

"but I was rather underimpressed with Red Hat 8--and I've never really even tried Linux before"

The second part explains the first part.

If you had been using linux for any length of time you would recognize Redhat 8 as the breakthrough distro that it is. Sure we've had distros like Corel who showed that you could make the linux desktop workable. But now with Redhat 8 you have the leading distro putting out a release that's usuable right NOW by any small business who just needs access to the basics like web, email, and an office suite. Its also their first real attempt at making a linux desktop.

So while its still not eveyones cup of tea, especially home users, you need some perspecive on why the rest of the IT commuity and well rounded linux users see what's right about it.

Re:Not strategy, just an attitude survey

[Anonymous DWord]

What happens if you submit a good kernel patch in Japanese?

I imagine it wouldn't work too well. The patches I've seen have mostly been in C.

Real good choice of location!

[Anonymous Coward]

The document reproduced below was presented at a Microsoft internal Linux Strategic Review held at the Microsoft offices in Berlin during Sept.

Bill Gates: Vat iz our plan to deel vit zis Linuchs problem?

MSS employee Blitzkreig, mein führer!! Ve muzt uze ze element of zurprize!

Bill Gates: Ja! Ve schall carpet-bomben Poland with MSN propaganda! Vithin ze veek ve shall have 100% ov ze operatensystem-market!

Steve Ballmer: Vat shall ve do about ze EU? Zat antitruzt kommunist Mario Monti is on us!

Bill Gates: Invade Belgium! Ve must send ze entire firzt unt second division of stürm-FUD!

Steve Ballmer: Ja! Ze tenth armé of developerz vill zen capture Paris vitin hourz! Developerz! Developerz! Developerz!!!

Bill Gates: I zink ve have ze final solution to ze pengvin parazite!

My conclusion:

[techstar25]

Now we've got Microsoft on the run!

Another great Bible quote

[Mr. Firewall]

Here's what The Bible says about people who try Linux and then go back to Window$:

"As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly."

-- Proverbs 26:11