Microsoft Gets a New Open Source Chief

mjasay writes "Microsoft just promoted Sam Ramji to run its growing Linux and open source operations. The former head of Microsoft's Open Source Software Lab, Ramji has a long history with open source, having built out large-scale open-source based applications while at Ofoto, and continuing to run applications like World of Warcraft and Office 2003 on WINE. Microsoft has been putting increasingly open-source savvy people in this role, starting with Jason Matusow and most recently employing Bill Hilf in the role. Ramji has made friends with many in the open-source business and development communities, but will his promotion spell any sort of an about-face for Microsoft in its patent policies? It's unlikely, but at least it demonstrates a step in the right direction."

Comments

Earn my trust

[backslashdot]

After a company I think has battled and flung caustic slander against open source this long .. they even underhandedly boosted the SCO lawsuit in an attempt to carry out a hit on Linux. I'm not going to believe they're suddenly our friends (when the British hired Benedict Arnold, they didn't become patriots).

Let's see them do more, let's see them contribute to the WINE project. Let's see them open source Vista and MS Office.

I believe in forgiveness, but only when the party is genuinely remorseful and truly sorry for their misdeed.

Let's not fall into yet another Microsoft "revenue protecting" trap.

Re:Who cares

[NotZed]

Yeah really ... M$ farts and it's on the front page of slashdot yet again.

Whats happened around here lately - almost seems to be becoming an M$ advocacy site.