Mozilla Developers Invited to Redmond

savio13 writes "Sam Ramji, Microsoft's director of its Open Source Software Lab has invited 4 Mozilla developers to spend 4 days with Microsoft's Vista Readiness ISV team. The invite can be found on mozilla.dev.planning and was posted on Saturday (Aug. 19). Schroepfer replied by indicating that Microsoft and the Moz guys are already in contact via email and will follow up on the offer there. This is interesting because Sam posted the offer in a public forum (and indicated that he'd sent a PM, but was posting in case they had an @microsoft.com email filter). Sam also made a point of stating that the Vista ISV Readiness offer is typically only for commercial ISVs."

Comments

It's a TRAP!!!

[Emrikol]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_a_trap Seriously, watch out! Pretty soon, we'll have no more coders!

Re:It's a TRAP!!!

[should_be_linear]

Hello Firefox guys, my name is Balmer, Steve Balmer. Those folks you see closed in s cage is our "IE team". You will decide what is their destiny. Look at our latest sources, and tell me, but honestly, is there any use of it?

Re:It's a TRAP!!!

[A Commentor]

Don't all fly on the same plane, ride in the same car, or use the same elevator... It's better to lose 1 than all 4 ;-)

Re:It's a TRAP!!!

[Richy_T]

Coming soon: Soylent Green, brought to you by the people at Microsoft.

Re:It's a TRAP!!!

[Captain Splendid]

No, no no:

The Firefox team is herded into a giant enclosure lined with sand. At the other end they see another gaggle of pasty-faced geeks, who, judging by their ID badges, appear to be the Microsoft IE team.

From up on high, a whiny, nasal voice, belonging to Microsoft Chairman Ballmer, rings out:

"Remember where you are - this is Thunderdome, and death is listening, and will take the first man that screams."

One of the IE guys flinches at this, while the others exhibit lifeless eyes, dulled from too much Caffeine and long coding jags.

Ballmer cuts through again, this time louder:

"Two teams enter, one team leaves!"

The cry is picked by the watching multitudes:

"TWO TEAMS ENTER! ONE TEAM LEAVES! TWO TEAMS ENTER! ONE TEAM LEAVES! TWO TEAMS ENTER! ONE TEAM LEAVES!"

Re:It's a TRAP!!!

[rolfwind]

"a quality browser that supports m$ locked in content". Isn't that IE6/7, and not Firefox?

And there your credibility goes out the window:)

Future news splash:

[Vengeance]

Four Mozilla developers missing, story at eleven.

Never forget what Kosh said!

[krell]

"If you go to Z'ha'dum, you will die."

Re:Never forget what Kosh said!

[LiquidCoooled]

"Yes."

Re:Never forget what Kosh said!

[jo_ham]

But only for 20 years - MS has a long term plan in mind here. In 20 years when Vista is released, all the Moz developers will die and IE7 will be unopposed by default.

Sorry, have to do this

[albert28]

Watch out for chairs!

Re:Sorry, have to do this

[mgblst]

Ha, I can see it now.

Mozilla guys walk into a big room.
Microsoftie: Hey guys, thanks for coming down here. We have a lot to talk about. Take a seat and we will get started.
Mozilla guys: Um, there are no chairs in this room?
Steve Ballmer breaks through the wall, armed with a number of vicous looking chairs.
Steve: Did someone want a chair...hahaha.

I imagine this sort of thing happens all the time at Redmond.

Re:Sorry, have to do this

[ak3ldama]

Steve Ballmer breaks through the wall, armed with a number of vicous looking chairs.

I figured he'd break through the wall all pimped out like a pitcher of Kool-Aid!

ObPython

[Rob T Firefly]

The Mozilla developers will be carried along a corridor on a conveyor belt in extreme comfort and past murals depicting Mediterranean scenes, towards the rotating knives. The last twenty feet of the corridor are heavily soundproofed.

A Bruce Campbell quote for this...

[The_DOD_player]

It's a trick - get an axe!

Moz devs: Be sure to catch the tour!

[deadhammer]

Be amazed at the open source research lab, the award winning cafeteria, the empty lot out back where Microsoft employee Vinnie "The Bonecrusher" Vetallini will explain in intricate detail Microsoft's browser strategy.

One does not simply walk into Redmond!

[w33t]

It's Bill Gates is gaurded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep, and the Great WGA is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland riddled with fire, ash, and Starbucks coffee, the very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand could you do this. It is folley.

Re:One does not simply walk into Redmond!

[OldManAndTheC]

I say to you what I said to Gandalf - just give to the Eagles and let them drop it in the damned volcano! But does anyone listen? Nooooooo.

Autopsies of the developers show...

[Anonymous Coward]

Acute Chair Deceleration to the Head syndrome.

Living in Dreamland

[brunes69]

Pretend we're talking a year from now and MS is trying to roll out Vista and the 40% of the population that will be using FF by then balks because FF won't run properly.

Wow - food must taste better where you live too!

Re:Living in Dreamland

[Crayon Kid]

It's not the food, is the fact it's being served by happy gnomes dressed in all the colours of the rainbow.

Re:Living in Dreamland

[MarkByers]

Pretend we're talking a year from now and MS is trying to roll out Vista...

Wow - food must taste better where you live too!

Nah... I don't think it's that unrealistic that Vista will be almost ready next year.

Maybe so but,

[TheOldSchooler]

Guess what will be on the private plane that flies them to Redmond.

Re:Maybe so but,

[amliebsch]

No, worse: Chairs.

Arriving in Redmond ....

[B2382F29]

It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.

Re:Mozilla Developers Invited to Redmond

[gEvil (beta)]

"That's not an operating system..."

I can't stop laughing

[volpone]

...at the fact that so many of us read the summary and ALL thought, "It's a trap!" I'm talking tears-in-my-eyes laughing.

Now I'm going to have Admiral Ackbar's quote in my head all day.

Re:Wow

[ahsile]

If I had mod points, I'd make you pay for those evil comments!

btw... Linux rulez, Micro$oft winblow$ drulez :P

I remember when Win2k code leaked.......

[mormop]

Open source developers were warned to not even look at leaked win2k code as it'd lead to accusations of contamination of FOSS with Microsoft source.

I wonder.......

Now gentlemen if you'll just look at the wall sized plasma screen over there you'll see "IE7 SOURCE CODE!!!!! That's right, IE7 source code! You have been contaminated and must now cease development of your precious Firefox product! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!

What they really want

[bluestar]

Bah. Microsoft just wants a chance to look at the Mozilla source code so they can steal all the good parts.

When Linus and RMS visit the Mozillaplex City:

[gaspar ilom]

One of the 4 Mozilla developers is leading a tour for them, talking causually:

"It's always been a danger, but it looms like a shadow over every-thing we've built here. But things have developed that will ensure security. I've just made a deal that will keep Microsoft out of here forever."

Suddenly, a door in hallway slides open... Horror! ...Bill Gates rises from his seat at the far end of long dining table...

A fire axe

[empaler]

"A fire axe - surely the weapon of a madman.
Who else would attack fire with an axe?!"

Helpful advice

[The Second Horseman]

1) On the way into the room check for plastic sheeting on the floor
2) Look for obvious signs of a trap door
3) Don't eat or drink anything
4) Don't sign anything
5) Arrange to be deprogrammed after leaving Redmond.

It just doesn't happen

[eremitic]

One does not simply become invited to Mordo--...Microsoft?!