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Microsoft Proclaims Death of Free Software Model

Posted by timothy on from the faint-praise-and-damnation dept.

geoff313 writes " As previously mentioned here, Microsoft's new wave of FUD has begun to arrive. This time it is courtesy of Bradley Tipp, Microsoft's UK national systems engineer, who spoke at the Microsoft IT Forum in Copenhagen. In this article from ZDNet UK, he is quoted as saying that 'Linux is great' and 'there are a lot of things we should learn from open source' but then is quick to point out that 'We haven't talked to a single user who has said they're using [open source] because it's better.' Another Microsoft employee was quoted as saying 'At least if Linux takes off, their viruses will propagate and we won't be seen as the bad guys any more.' I for one am happy to see that they are taking their new interest in security seriously, and I'm sure you all are too. Most interesting is the assertion that the decision by Red Hat to end support for its free distribution and Novell's aquisition of SUSE marks not only the death of free software, but actually is a validation of Microsoft's business model. Does anyone besides Microsoft see these events as the end of Free software?" I use Free software because it's better; they just didn't ask.

2 of 750 comments (clear)

  1. That's true... by yanestra · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    Bradley Tipp:
    We haven't talked to a single user who has said they're using [open source] because it's better.
    That's true. I, personally, am using Linux because the cost of ownership is much higher (it simply needs more service and the software is effectively more expensive), and, last but not least, because the software is much unsafer and more fragile than that of Windows.
    It's simply fun to have crashing servers, and a workstation with only three applications, two of them not working.

    Many people think like me, the worse the software, the higher the expenses, the more fun it is!

    I am happy finally someone spoke it out.

  2. Re:So long as a single OSS Coder lives... by realdpk · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Bullshit.

    The GPL exists explicitly because some people writing OSS code do care about their existance and relevance. They want to ensure that their name stays on their software, and that nobody tries to use it without giving them credit (for all the world to see).

    If they didn't, they'd release their code into the public domain, or at the very least license it under a less restrictive BSD-style license.