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Mono 2.8 Released
mallumax writes "A new veriosn of Mono(2.8) has been released: Mono has now integrated SourceGear's webservice enhancements, and there has been a lot of improvement in XML, serialization and web services. Other features are new thread locking and ahead-of-time compiler optimisations. Check out the Mono website for more details." Congratulations are in order for the Mono team as well -- SourceGear was their first customer.
I have worked with Microsoft/C++/COM, Unix/C++, Java, ruby and C#/.net. My favorites are ruby and C#/.net and they compliment eachother so well.
:-)
I think Mono is the most important open source project second only to linux, because it will make the most advanced software platform in existence available for free on unix and windows. It is also interesting that it is a useful tool for identifying those among us that are zealots and not software idealists.
*the most advanced software platform in existence*
It's just a VM and it exists because it's the only way MS could rescue themselves out of their leaky boat of an OS.
Hanging on to the coat-tails gives it legitimacy, kind of like having Cytrix exist as a third source of x86 chips should Intel & AMD go bust.
Your list of languages is hardly a broad base to make such a sweeping statement.
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
Microsoft has built in a way to access the underlying Win32 API into .NET. Thus any .NET application that uses this functionality will never run under mono (except if wine can handle all the calls).
But that doesn't mean that mono is useless, far from it. MS' .NET was clearly created as a competitor to the java virtual machine. Mono is just another competitor to java and MS .NET as well. And the most important point is that it is fully free.
The open source communities have largely embraced java even though sun still imposes some restrictions through licensing. This has had a large negative effect on the spread of some java technologies (like JAI or java3D not being available on macOS).
Mono gives the open source communities a 2nd generation virtual machine design to call it's own. Forget about microsoft's .NET, view mono as a solution in and of itself and it looks very interesting.
A Multiplayer Strategy Game for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux
I have the greatest respect for the work that Bill Gates and MS have done and continue doing; MS has revolutionized the way we compute. Today, computers are in hour houses and companies, featuring effective interfaces, powerful programming languages and developing environments. I believe new developments, like .NET languages and framework are welcomed by everyone, since they represent the evolution of computing, and not only that; these products are presented as a consistent framework that is clear and easy to use, with some issues, but great all around.
What I don't like about a market economy and innovation these days is the rate at which products are launched, plus the upgrading as a commercial strategy for revenue. It is possible to produce at near zero defect quality, with some constraints, but companies and people don't bother anymore. I see this trend in software of course, but also in other industries, like in the music and movie industry. Quality is getting lost to favor a quick product. Not labors of love and craftsmanship, like a Stanley Kubrick film, but quick montages to quickly satisfy a need and to get something out in the market.
I have always said that the only open source projects that are successful are the ones that have a powerful vision behind, plus financing. Founding is essential since, due to our nature and for the project own sake. Founding obligates project leaders and developers to follow a well defined process, to commit to a plan or schedule and to effectively see the product happen.
Now Mono. Mono looks from the outside like an impressive piece of software. The development process looks exceptionally well organized and their lead developers exceptionally skilled. Good for Mono! If implemented completely (no doubt) it will be a very useful product since we'll benefit from the well crafted MS development tools and ideas.
We live in the real world, and you cannot simply expect that there is ZERO commercial interest in a development of the magnitude of the .NET framework. I would make no sense, as it makes no sense that the most successful company in the planet wouldn't have *any* interest in the parallel development of their technologies. *I have no proof of this*, but I, myself would be interested if placed in MS feet.
Finally I would like to say that the best work I have seen comes without any doubt, from young people when they are guided correctly, like university students, especially in their initial years. No matter if rich or poor, they believe in what they do. That is the spirit that has bootstrapped the open source movement and that still somehow impregnates it.
Regards.
Unless Microsoft throws their full weight behind .NET it will have all the problems of Java with no advantages over it.