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Microsoft Slaps Its Most Valuable Professional
Violent Offender writes with a touching story in The Register about Microsoft's awarding of its Most Valuable Professional credential to a British hobbyist, Jamie Cansdale, then turning around and threatening him with a lawsuit for the very software that won him the award. The article links to the amazing correspondence from Microsoft on Cansdale's site.
The only explanation for the state of Vista, and this attack on an innocent developer. Software written for Windows "Just Works", no need to waste time testing it.
"To those who are overly cautious, everything is impossible. "
It seems to me that the lawyer made it clear enough why it is illegal. He made it so you can access features that the terms of service clearly say cost money and is not allowed. Just because he used public code to do this doesn't make it OK. MS is asking this guy to stop costing them money by stealing their code and making it available to everyone in addition to making them waste money on lawyers. And they won't even sue if he just takes it down. Blind MS haters, as usual.
Knighted in 1994 for his outstanding services to the British empire, the president of Zimbabwe is now a villain... for failing to continue to act like a puppet; and acting against the 'ethos' of those who gave him the title.
If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
4 digits are bought.
At my company we have been going back and forth for the last 2 months trying to pick a platform for our next gen product. It is already decided it is going to be a total re-write, the old code is just too crufty. I've been advocating either Python or Java (preferrably python, but we've got a couple guys with more java experience, so that gets me a couple votes). Basically its a 50/50 split right now between python and .net (I showed off some django love, created something in 2 hours that took the .NET boys 4 days to create). But the microsofties have their love of... crashing? less speed? I dunno... Anyway, with this argument in hand I am 100% sure I can get the COO to sign off on Python, and I can get at least one of the Microsofties who is on the fence to convert over, and I'll take the day :)
Of course, we're a pretty small shop, but MS just lost at least 10 licenses of the highest end VS. Plus licenses for 15-20 MS SQL server licenses, plus server licenses, plus cals.... All in all, about $450,000. If you can't even be a MS VIP and not get sued, and not be allowed to extend or improve products, how are we going to get away with writing code and integrating with their APIs?
Yeah, I'm spreading a little FUD here (there really isn't anything we are doing technically that could get us in the same boat as this guy, but who knows, maybe next year there will be, and by then its too late), but alls fair in love and war... and this is love