Gates Embraces Web Service Interoperability

djh101010 writes "In a CNN article which looks more like something out of The Onion, Bill Gates expresses his interest in participating in interoperability with rival technologies, through common standards. Specifically mentioned are IBM's WebSphere, and Linux. 'We're being as inclusive as we can,' Gates said of Microsoft's role in the cross-platform project. 'This is a fabric for someone to do e-commerce that's independent of the operating systems that are out there.'

Comments

It's not April 1st...

[Jerk City Troll]

Just incase there was any confusion on the part of the editors.

Bear Hug

[Jad LaFields]

And by "embrace", he means "bone-crushing bear hug".

Re:Bear Hug

[I am Kobayashi]

embrace
n.
1. An act of holding close with the arms, usually as an expression of affection; a hug.
2. An enclosure or encirclement: caught in the jungle's embrace.
3. Eager acceptance: your embrace of Catholicism.

To paraphrase...

[weeboo0104]

If you can't beat 'em, join em...
...then beat 'em.

Re:To paraphrase...

[jafuser]

"It is you and your abilities the Emperor wants. That is why your friends are made to suffer"

"It's a trap!"

this would be the

[geekoid]

"Embrace"
part.

Me confused!

[amarodeeps]

Microsoft bad! Gates bad! Standards good! What going on? Help!

Re:XML

[EnigmaticSource]

Gates said the Redmond, Washington-based company's work toward Web services standards would be "royalty free." That remark led to questions from the audience, which wanted to make sure Gates hadn't misstated the deviation from the company's royalty-based software sales model. "I can't believe I said that," Gates joked.

although....

[freidog]

CNN did note it was odd Gates kept snickering and chuckeling to himself while making the statements.
and was heard to utter You think they bought it? as he left the interview.

Wow...

[WildFire42]

Time to plan my ski trip to hell. /me begins checking the book of Revelations for other signs of the Apocolypse.

Extenditus

[ShieldW0lf]

A disease worse than aids... you can catch it just by having a carrier hug you.

Bill had the first documented case of Extenditus, and being such a touchy-feely guy, he's embraced a lot of people since, spreading it far and wide.

We recommend an immediate quarantine of Microsoft and all organizations that have engaged in "Group Hugs" with them.

Did Bill get turned on to SCO's Crack supply?

[Anonymous Coward]

Seems like the only explanation...

Offensive

[PhiltheeG]

In a CNN article which looks more like something out of The Onion

Puh-lease
This is offensive to anybody (like myself) who takes The Onion's news more seriously than anything from Bill and his minions.

Excellent!

[feed_those_kitties]

With Windows 'communicating' with so many more technologies, there can be even more ways for viruses to infect Windows systems!

I'm waiting for an XML document that exploits a buffer overflow in Windows somehow. Come on, you know it will happen someday!

Re:In other news

[kurosawdust]

the sun has collided into the earth and China has become a democratic nation.

in that order??

Here is a sample of Word 2003 XML

[Overly Critical Guy]

How do "we" all know that, when it's not out in stores until Oct. 22? Are you an MSDN subscriber?

Having said that, for those curious, here is a sample of XML generated by Word, just now created by me. I'm posting this using "Code" as the format so it is formatted correctly.

Here is the original message (I gave it HTML tags so you can see the formatting I gave it in Word):

This is a <b>test</b> of <font face="verdana" size="24"><b>XML</b></font>.

Now , here is the resulting XML after saving that line:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<?mso-application progid="Word.Document"?>
<w:wordDocument xmlns:w="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/ 2003/wordml" xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:w10="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:sl="http://schemas.microsoft.com/schemaLibra ry/2003/core" xmlns:aml="http://schemas.microsoft.com/aml/2001/c ore" xmlns:wx="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word /2003/auxHint" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:dt="uuid:C2F41010-65B3-11d1-A29F-00AA00C1488 2" w:macrosPresent="no" w:embeddedObjPresent="no" w:ocxPresent="no" xml:space="preserve"><o:DocumentProperties><o:Titl e>This is a test of XML</o:Title><o:Author>User</o:Author><o:LastAutho r>User</o:LastAuthor><o:Revision>1</o:Revision><o: TotalTime>1</o:TotalTime><o:Created>2003-09-18T15: 29:00Z</o:Created><o:LastSaved>2003-09-18T15:30:00 Z</o:LastSaved><o:Pages>1</o:Pages><o:Words>3</o:W ords><o:Characters>20</o:Characters><o:Company>Whi te Goat Studios</o:Company><o:Lines>1</o:Lines><o:Paragrap hs>1</o:Paragraphs><o:CharactersWithSpaces>22</o:C haractersWithSpaces><o:Version>11.5604</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties><w:fonts><w:defaultFonts w:ascii="Times New Roman" w:fareast="Times New Roman" w:h-ansi="Times New Roman" w:cs="Times New Roman"/><w:font w:name="Verdana"><w:panose-1 w:val="020B0604030504040204"/><w:charset w:val="00"/><w:family w:val="Swiss"/><w:pitch w:val="variable"/><w:sig w:usb-0="20000287" w:usb-1="00000000" w:usb-2="00000000" w:usb-3="00000000" w:csb-0="0000019F" w:csb-1="00000000"/></w:font></w:fonts><w:styles>< w:versionOfBuiltInStylenames w:val="4"/><w:latentStyles w:defLockedState="off" w:latentStyleCount="156"/><w:style w:type="paragraph" w:default="on" w:styleId="Normal"><w:name w:val="Normal"/><w:rPr><wx:font wx:val="Times New Roman"/><w:sz w:val="24"/><w:sz-cs w:val="24"/><w:lang w:val="EN-US" w:fareast="EN-US" w:bidi="AR-SA"/></w:rPr></w:style><w:styl e w:type="character" w:default="on" w:styleId="DefaultParagraphFont"><w:name w:val="Default Paragraph Font"/><w:semiHidden/></w:style><w:sty le w:type="table" w:default="on" w:styleId="TableNormal"><w:name w:val="Normal Table"/><wx:uiName wx:val="Table Normal"/><w:semiHidden/><w:rPr><wx:fon t wx:val="Times New Roman"/></w:rPr><w:tblPr><w:tblI nd w:w="0" w:type="dxa"/><w:tblCellMar><w:top w:w="0" w:type="dxa"/><w:left w:w="108" w:type="dxa"/><w:bottom w:w="0" w:type="dxa"/><w:right w:w="108" w:type="dxa"/></w:tblCellMar></w:tblPr></w:style>< w:style w:type="list" w:default="on" w:styleId="NoList"><w:name w:val="No List"/><w:semiHidden/></w:style></w:styles><w:docP r

Re:Here is a sample of Word 2003 XML

[MrScience]

Who said WYSIWYG was easy?

Re:The usual tactic

[fr2asbury]

Maybe it's for humanitarian purposes such as through his foundation. Maybe it's motivated by a need for better PR. Maybe it's motivated by something else.

Maybe it was motivated by the three spirits that visited him in the night.

Re:Exactly

[cdrudge]

Disclaimer: I work on the XML team at Microsoft but not directly with Microsoft Office.

What? You are admitting that you work for Microsoft to /.? Wow. You have more balls then I would.

Is it Love?

[NoSuchGuy]

Every now and then Gates does something nice or friendly or inclusive. Maybe it's for humanitarian purposes such as through his foundation. Maybe it's motivated by a need for better PR. Maybe it's motivated by something else. Doesn't matter.

Is he in love?

I thought it was...

[TALlama]

I fear the geeks, even when they bring GIFs.

Re:Exactly

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow. You have more balls then I would.


Three?

White Goat Studios

[geekoid]

would that be like "Red Herring studios"

Ok, I'll bite...

[InfoVore]

It was a little more complicated than you suggested, but just as satisfying:

17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of Microsoft that sitteth upon many waters:

17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, MICROSOFT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where Microsoft sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate Microsoft, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto Microsoft, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is Windows, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Microsoft is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful user.

18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her applications, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with Windows, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of Office for Windows.

18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of Windows, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her Viruses.

18:5 For Window's sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

18:6 Reward Windows even as she rewarded you, and double unto Windows double according to her works: in the cup which Windows hath filled fill to her double.

18:7 How much Windows hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart A FATAL ERROR HAS OCCURED AT 002B:000069F8, PRESS ANY KEY TO REBOOT.

18:8 Therefore shall her Viruses come in one day, death, and mourning, and BSODs; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth Windows.

18:9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with Windows, shall bewail her, and lament for Office, when they shall see the smoke of Windows burning,

18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas Redmond, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

18:11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over Microsoft; for no man buyeth their licenses any more:

18:15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by Windows, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing

18:16 And saying, Alas, alas Redmond, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and Themes!

18:18 And cried when they saw the smoke of Microsoft burning, saying, What city is like unto Redmond!

18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas Redmond, wherein were made rich all that had Stock Options by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

18:20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on Windows.

18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great Click-through License, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Redmond be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

18:22 And the voice of coders, and testers, and of tech support, and salesmen, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no software engineer, of whatsoever language he code, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of programming shall be heard no more at all in thee;

18:24 And in Windows was found the blood of entrepreneurs,

Anyone else check the date?

[swdunlop]

I was looking for an April 1st dateline on this one..