Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Rep To Keynote Unix Conference
An anonymous reader writes "According to ZDNET Microsoft is going to be keynoting the Australian Unix and Open Systems Users Group conference. From the article: '"Don't be put off by Chris' Microsoft badge -- he is actually a long time Unix hacker," the user group said today in a statement updating users on presentations at the conference ... Green, Microsoft's local Unix Interoperability and High Performance Computing specialist, will update the conference on his company's "Unix and open source-related activities, including their efforts to provide a POSIX environment in Windows, and to integrate Windows and Unix systems."'"
Maybe this will help relieve the stigma people have about a lot of MS employees that are well known. Not every person there is a microsoft recording.
$fortune
Tomorrow has been canceled due to lack of interest.
From the slashdot article:
I call bullhockey on this. A lot of slashdotters probably aren't even old enough to remember when Microsoft first came out with NT. Their PR releases were all abuzz with their new advanced technology OS with special emphasis on their intent to have a POSIX compliant OS. At the same time they talked me into working for them (took three offers, a signing bonus, and a pretty nice stock option offer), under the ostensible work they'd have for me to provide support for their POSIX subsystem.
Once I was in the door, and within the first week I attended what was described as a "presentation on NT's POSIX subsystem", presented by the POSIX team. That team turned out to be a guy named Matt (don't know his last name).
The project manager Margaret (don't remember HER last name) got up before the presentation and said (and I can only paraphrase, I don't remember verbatim, but guarantee the accuracy of the spirit of her comments): "Before we proceed with this presentation, there's one thing I (Microsoft) want to make clear. The POSIX subsystem is a check box. We're only doing it to fulfill the requirement to have POSIX so we can get government contracts."
I was almost physically ill, what was to be MY role (my background was Unix) if their POSIX was to be a sham? (BTW, not only did they not intend to support it, they only implemented the API portion of POSIX, not the user environment and utilities.)
I called Larry Kroger who was in charge of things and desparately asked him what I was supposed to tell people who were asking POSIX support questions. He told me, "tell them we don't support it.". What if they ask about future plans for POSIX? He replied, "tell them we have no plans.".
Forgive me if have doubts about Microsoft's purity in "plans" today to do POSIX.
Oh, and for the record, anyone who doubts my accounts... the entire presentation was videotaped (1992), as were all of their internal presentations. I only assume it would still be available today but if it is, it will reflect my accounting of events.
Isn't that sort of like asking Ms. Hilton to address MENSA?
I read
Can't beat em, join em, then beat em.
Support reiserFS and ext2 / ext3 file systems in windows!
Thank you.
we were never at war with Eastasia. We have always been at war with Eurasia.
if(!toilet_paper) roll.replace(new roll);
Don't be put off by Darths' black helmet -- he is actually a long time Jedi night
Quotes the parent poster, "Why on earth would anybody let an MSFT badge keynote a *nix conference is beyond me..."
I imagine it's the Krusty the Klown defense on why one must sell out:
Sobs for a few breaths then exclaims in anguish, "They parked a dumptruck full of cash on my front yard! What else could I do!?!?!?" More emphatic sobbing.
Some of us have been listening to Microsoft say dumb and rude things about Unix and Linux for over 7 years; after a bellyfull of their slander and FUD and lies and "unbiased studies" conducted by paid stool pigeons, all the while causing businesses to lose billions due to poor security and blue screens of death, we're supposed to treat their new mouthpiece with dignity and respect?
Every name listed in the parent is the name of a person from the X-Men comics.
Ororo Munroe = Storm
Erik Lehnsherr = Magneto
Henry McCoy = Beast
1407 Graymalkin Lane is the fictional address of Professor Xavier's mansion.
The parent post is a troll.
-GameMaster
Rules of Conduct:
#1 - The DM is always right.
#2 - If the DM is wrong, see rule #1
It's funny they say that because I went to Microsoft career talks at my university (York University in Toronto) and every time a (different guy) came in and the first thing they said was:
..."
"... I was unix hacker for a long time before I decided Microsoft's the way to go
The first way to tell that this is BS is to see if Microsoft is willing to guarantee Linux won't be sued for software patent infringement like IBM did. The fact is they won't and they don't want to. The deal here is that Microsoft has figured out that they can't beat Linux head on in the marketplace, so now they are trying to co-opt it. Watch out for the bullshit monster chasing after you and trying to give you a big fat kiss! I'm sure this is just the beginning.
Do not fall for it at all. Free software is inherently better than proprietary software because it is first of all free, and then and only then is it often better for technical or usage reasons. In free markets, freedom maters. None of the fundamentals have changed, you are what you hold yourself accountable to.
Don't be put off by the 666 tattooed on his forehead and the left leg
Yeah, it just means his is readable and writable by himself, his group, and others :).
Yeah, it just means his is readable and writable by himself, his group, and others :).
Its a good thing he's not executable, or this joke would be killing him.
-- the computer doesn't want any beer, no matter how much you think it does. NEVER, EVER feed your computer beer.
It was basically a stupid little feature thrown in to meet a stupid little government requirement thrown in by some UNIX zealots to try and keep UNIX around.
No, it was a necessary feature thrown in to allow the government to avoid having to throw away all their software once the operating systems they originally developed on were no longer optimal. Games of "catch the moving API" can be fun and profitable for operating system vendors, but they're not so great for third party developers and users. The idea behind having a portable interface was to allow customers to choose different operating systems based on price, features, and performance. Obviously that's not the kind of market that a vendor can siphon tens of billions of dollars of profit from, however - I'm sure Microsoft much prefers the current situation where customers can choose different operating systems based on price, features, performance, and having to rewrite or replace all their unique applications.
I recall a story I heard from someone years back, when MS spoke at a conference of UNIX geeks. A man stood up and criticized MS's POSIX subsystem for Windows NT 4.0, stating that a feature in Korn shell wasn't compatible with true Korn shell. The conversation went something like this:
UNIX geek: Feature X in your korn shell implementation isn't true to the korn shell spec. Wnen do you plan to fix that?
MS guy: We're certain it's copmatible with the standard. Are you sure you don't have it wrong?
UNIX geek: Yes, I'm sure. It's broken.
MS guy: And who are you?
UNIX geek: I'm David Korn.
May or may not be true, but it was an amusing story, nonetheless.
Diplomacy is the art of saying "nice doggy" until you can find a rock.