Shared Source vs. Open Source

leonbrooks writes "Microsoft are fond of touting Shared Source as being "as good as" Open Source, with a view to muddying the waters as much as possible, and so keeping as many people away from the benefits of Open Source Software (OSS) (particularly Software Libré AKA "Free Software") as they can. This new article analysing the differences arrives just in time for Microsoft's Australia-wide series of "Competitive Hour" misinformation sessions on Open Source, and includes a handy list of potentially showstopper questions. We'd like your help in putting these and other questions to the speaker during such misinformation sessions, with the dual aim of opening the eyes of many of the audience, and reporting back to us what was said so that we can refine the questions to close whatever loopholes are employed in evading these important issues."

Comments

If it's as good as open source,

[bcarlson]

why don't they just give it an open source license?

If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, but it tastes like crap on a bun, it's probably a bad licensing scheme.

shared source in the right direction....

[hatrisc]

shared source is a step in the right direction. i'm just not sure which direction.

Listen up, GNU terrorists!

[Anonymous Coward]

Stop sabotaging my business, okay? I'm just trying to eek out an honest living, is that so wrong!? ...billg

Very grown-up article!

[NineNine]

I was very impressed by the 12 year old who wrote that detailed analysis. His educated reference to Star Trek really helped me to understand the situation, and make an informed decision. After all, anything written by a group called "The Cyberknights" has GOT to the authoritative!

Call me off topic, but...

[Aquitaine]

Hasn't the OSS done battle with the SS once before?

Re:Shared source doesn't work

[DeadSea]

So you have a bizarre czar at your bazaar?

Will people get followup questions?

[teamhasnoi]

It makes little sense to bother if the MS guy blahblahblahs for awhile and doesn't actually answer the question. If you can't verify, push the question, or ask a followup, all the power stays with the presenter.>

I've heard enough press conferences at the White House to know how that works.

I'd ask, "Does Bill know I'm screwing his wife?"

That ought to toss a wrench into the works...

Re:Shared source doesn't work

[SnarfQuest]

Use the fork, luke, use the fork!

Re:"Freed Software"- my question dreamlist

[poot_rootbeer]

It is free as in "this software code has been freed from any restrictions, to the point that no man or woman may hide it or stop it from living its life to the fullest".

Don't anthropomorphize code. It hates when you do that.

The Pompous Jackass Factor

[duck_prime]

Oh c'mon, don't be so harsh. What kind of nerd would he be if he didn't totally fuck up some ordinary word in an effort to sound like some tiresome know-it-all. See: boxen, virii.

Ah, yes, the pompous jackass factor (PJF). Many posters, especially the younger ones, try to boost their PJF with eleet-speekisms, references to "boxen", or -- quelle chose! -- a sig written in latin. This last is particularly galling when including the phrase "deus machinarum" or other computer-related terminology.

The older, more self-assured slashdot poster rises Zenlike above this silliness. He knows that it is the idiocy of his opinions which will send his PJF heavenward.

Re:Marketing vs. reason

[redmobius88]

"Do you want your enterprise code written at 4am by a community of hackers?!" It is better than the alternative. "Do you want your enterprise code hacked at 4am by a community of hackers?!"