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Microsoft Discloses 14,000 Pages of Coding Secrets

OrochimaruVoldemort writes "In an unexpected move, Microsoft has disclosed 14,000 pages of coding secrets. According to The Register: 'This is Microsoft's latest effort to satisfy anti-trust concerns of the European Union, which is possibly a tougher adversary for the company than Google.' The article mentioned that this will be done in three phases. 'Between now and June it will garner feedback from the developer community. Then, at the end of June, Microsoft will publish the final versions of technical documentation — along with definitive patent licensing terms.' Lets just hope those terms are pro open source."

25 of 217 comments (clear)

  1. Oh come on now ... by garett_spencley · · Score: 5, Funny

    Who stole the Heart of Gold !?

  2. What? by TubeSteak · · Score: 3, Funny

    along with definitive patent licensing terms.' Lets just hope those terms are pro open source. Anyone care to explain how Microsoft might put these two things together?
    --
    [Fuck Beta]
    o0t!
    1. Re:What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      They go together like CmdrTaco and vagina.

    2. Re:What? by The+Ancients · · Score: 5, Funny

      along with definitive patent licensing terms.' Lets just hope those terms are pro open source. Anyone care to explain how Microsoft might put these two things together?

      String.

      Or a stapler maybe.

      NO WAIT!!! - a hot glue gun! It's gotta be better for geeks - it plugs in.

      Although if it's on paper, they could rub their feet on nylon carpet then hold them together and static will do it's magic, baby...




      Ok, ok. You might think my answers are silly, but then - so is the question. Like it would ever happen.

    3. Re:What? by kingcool1432 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Or a stapler maybe. NO WAIT!!! - a hot glue gun! It's gotta be better for geeks - it plugs in. Although if it's on paper, they could rub their feet on nylon carpet then hold them together and static will do it's magic, baby... Clippy to the rescue!!!
    4. Re:What? by just_another_sean · · Score: 5, Funny

      Clippy to the rescue!!! I see you are trying to draft a patent trap. Would you like some assistance with that?

      --
      Creationist Textbook Stickers Declared Unconstitutional by CowboyNeal
  3. Re:Unexpected? by l0ungeb0y · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well until now, we assumed it was just an idle treat.

  4. Re:stupid summary by Tpl2000 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, on the other hand, we never expected MS to disclose 14k pages of anything but contracts.

    --
    Epic. Just epic.
  5. Press release in docx? What a joke! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The article links to:
    http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/interoperability/default.mspx
    where several documents in non-standard formats are describing how well ms are complies with standards.
    Not to mention you have to buy a licence of M$ Office too read it.

    M$ laughs EU in the face with this one.

  6. Re:bring on the virii by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Unlike existing open source projects, these protocols/code/APIs have never been scrutinized by independent security experts. I'll bet this reveals hundreds of new attack vectors. Not a problem. Now anyone who writes a virus or publishes an attack vector can be sued to smithereens under copyright law.
  7. And a Pony! by Bob9113 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Lets just hope those [patent licensing] terms are pro open source.

    I'm going to hope for a pony too! A flying one!

  8. in case you didn't know... by BenSchuarmer · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's a cook book!!!

    ...apologies to Rod Serling.

  9. Re:stupid summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    If you take the 6th, 66th and 666th characters on every page, it IS a contract.

  10. Re:WINE by Winckle · · Score: 4, Funny

    Your UID suggests you signed up within the last day or so. You don't get to make those jokes yet.

  11. unknowns by neonsignal · · Score: 3, Funny

    As we know, there are public standards. We also know there are some standards that are secrets. That is to say, they are used very publicly but the details are kept secret. And there are also public secrets. These are the secrets that were kept secret for shame and are made public.

    But there are also secret secrets. The ones we don't know that are secret and should be kept that way.

    (with apologies to Donald)

  12. treasure trove of Microsoft coding secrets? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    - customizing AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS for Windows Vista Ultimate?

    - Hungarian Notation 2008 from Cosmonaut Charles Simonyi?

    - A vastly more powerful set of MFC macros that will now make it possible to maintain different versions of an enterprise project code base from a single source file?

    - 3D OLE Automation DCOM interfaces from the Visual Basic team?

    - the difference between "Unrecoverable Application Error" (Windows 3.0) and "General Protection Fault" (Windows 3.1)?

    - a detailed explanation of what each alternative does in the "Abort, Retry, Fail, Ignore" dialog?

    The mind boggles at the possibilities.

  13. Hypocricy takes several forms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    What, didn't you hear? Docx is an open standard now! ISO said so! :P

  14. Re:Why is parent flamebait? by Overkill+Nbuta · · Score: 5, Funny

    They have always been a pretty good chess player. Actually I got bored one day and had Ubuntu chess play against Vista, both on max settings. The Ubuntu Firmly beat vista no matter who started first. So they really cant code good chess players that well.
  15. Re:WINE by Pig+Hogger · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yup!

  16. No, I'm New Here by New+Here · · Score: 2, Funny

    No, I'm New Here

  17. Windows secrets..... 3.11 that is... by rwsilva · · Score: 3, Funny

    Everything you wanted to know about Windows 3.11 in 13,999 pages..... WFWG next!

  18. Revealing their coding secrets? The fools! by brainfsck · · Score: 4, Funny

    The world is not yet ready to learn of the Ballmer Peak!

  19. Re:stupid summary by Jesus_666 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Episode IV
    A FALSE HOPE
    It is a period of civil litigation. European commisioners, striking from a hidden courtroom, have won their first victory against the evil Microsoft Monopoly.

    During the battle, European judges managed to steal secret plans to the Monopoly's ultimate weapon, the DEATH SCREEN, a blue error screen with enough power to destroy an entire uptime.

    Pursued by the Monopoly's sinister agents, President Barroso races home aboard his starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save his documents and restore freedom to the internet...

    --
    USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
  20. Re:Why is parent flamebait? by Jesus_666 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Or any of their other releases under OSI-approved licenses, for example WIX?
    WIX, however, is completely useless to German developers who try to discuss it with a straight face or pitch it to their boss without getting fired.

    ("WIX" sounds quite similar to a common German slang word for masturbation. A nice example of how a completely innocent word can have unexpected connotations in different cultures.)
    --
    USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
  21. Re:Second Prize... by jellomizer · · Score: 2, Funny

    Actually the 28,000 lines of code is all that microsoft coded that works. The rest is just bloat so people feel good spending a few hundred-a few thousand for a product.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.