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Microsoft's Open Source Guru Faces Tough Fight
coondoggie writes "Microsoft's Sam Ramji is like a turkey knocking on Thanksgiving's door. Ramji has the unenviable task of stretching his neck out into the open source world as Microsoft's representative. On top of it, his employer has preheated the oven with years of hubris, sleights of hand and broken promises.
Ramji's Sisyphean task was evident last week in Portland at the Open Source Conference (OSCon) and will likely be fuel for chatter at next week's LinuxWorld gathering in San Francisco."
I like it. Sisyphus has a nice... playful ring to it!
Admit it. You post strawman arguments as AC so you get modded Insightful for refuting them, rather than Troll
Odysseus has left a wooden horse! Victory is ours!
It still kills me how close his name is to Sam Gamgee.
Don't throw arrows. Be diplomatic.
You're right, that would be ineffective without a bow. Throw spears instead.
No. Throw chairs!
I don't. It kind makes me itchy.
Well I may not have been the biggest fan of his last few movies, Sam Raimi has done a lot of nerdy work and deserves our respect, although I'll be damned if I can remember when he started working for Microsoft, I guess Spiderman 3 really was that bad.
"Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right" - Salvor Hardin
I know the perfect amazon tribe to shoot arrows!
Ramji has the unenviable task of stretching his neck out into the open source world as Microsoft's representative
I think the the weapon you are looking for is an axe
Negative moral value of force outweighs the positive value of good intentions.
Corporate entities will run all over us and then want to be friends. Must we lie down and take it or resist and be defiant because we are the movement? I know what I am saying is controversial but I say it with a reason.
You rebel! An open source person with an anti-corporate message!? I don't believe it. You must have massive balls. This reminds me of the time when Greenday stood up against the evils of Bush. A pop-punk band speaking out against conservatives was pretty progressive and unusual at the time, but they to pererviered and finally won the community to their side. Your fight will be long and hard, but I hope that in the end you too convince the wider open source community that Microsoft is the devil.
You are a brave soul to be so bold with such a hostile pro-corporate crowd. Standing up for what you believe in, with no fear that the open source community might respond with hostility and skepticism is a bold act. I salute you for going against the grain and taking such a controversial "Microsoft is bad" stand. If only there were more brave men like you.
It's not the Death Star with Ballmer walking around, periodically strangling people with his mind just to show who's boss.
That's what Apple is like.
What would be so bad about Microsoft running the Government? Think of all the synergies!
: Blue screen of death penalty.
: Zune for Government: finally, a user base!
: Just announced for MS Government 2009: 10% tax breaks for everyone! (Details of software may vary from description, including variance in the tax cut by negative 50%.)
: President Emeritus Gates
: MS Government Home Edition (voting restricted to school board elections)
: All Mac and Linux users are welcome to participate in government. However, MS Government requires Windows Vista (plus 3GB RAM, 700GB HD, 2GB video card, and 36" monitor) of course.
: Click paperclip for assistance. "It looks like you are trying to complain to your Senator. Would you like to be arrested, be disappeared, compose a letter, erase your hard drive?"
: Balmer in charge of troop morale
: MS Government 2009 upgrade for only $349.95! (Additional $799.95 for Pro edition, which allows for basic network connection.) MS Government State Edition and Local Edition easily added on for only $299.95 each! Additional family licenses available at discounts of up to 5% for families with more than 10 children.
: Microsoft Bob Dole. Combining two compelling personalities!
: MS Government Justice Pack 2.0 - Allows for participation in the legal system (as plaintiff or defendant). Release expected soon, but you can buy now for only $949.95!
While filming Army of Darkness Sam Ramji defied conventional filmmaking, keeping costs to a minimum by utilizing a variety of improvised measures. Rather than invest a ton of money into a specialized dollie, for example, Mr. Ramji got a few extras to help carry his camera crew in scenes of the movie. It *totally* figures that he's an open source dude, you know? I didn't know he was working for Micro$oft now, though...
Harold
I think you misspelled "incoherent". Just goes to show that you shouldn't always rely on the spell chequer for everything.
Yeah. Green Day was so much better back in the early nineties when they invented punk rock.
Great analogy. I think MS is going to do EXACTLY what Japan did facing the atomic bomb:
Implode, be incinerated, be eviscerated, bleed to death, slowly fall apart from radiation, and gasp desperately for a few more breaths of air, ultimately surrendering. Have you tried Vista?
I hold very few opinions. I hold information based on observation and fact. If you wish to disagree, please use facts.
So, he's kinda like the Colin Powell in George Bush's administration?
Wow... +5 Insightful goes really cheaply these days. I was aiming for +3 Funny :P
Admit it. You post strawman arguments as AC so you get modded Insightful for refuting them, rather than Troll
.... still be very bad drivers.
I hold very few opinions. I hold information based on observation and fact. If you wish to disagree, please use facts.
Yah, but... Sisyphus rocks!
Idha khatabahum lijahiluna qalu salaman
What could it do against such a new force it new nothing about?
Don't you mean "gnu"?
-- -- Warning. Do not stare directly at the sun.
That has to be the worst spelling of "persevered" I've ever seen.
$x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
$x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
The open source world is also ready to fight if necessary.
Stallman is waiting.
Just take a look at this video, in which he practically destroys arguments against microsoft's open-source positions.
Can I pee in it first?
Only three things are certain; death, taxes, and apocryphal quotations - Ben Franklin.
No. Throw chairs!
Who is the current chair at Microsoft?
There's always psilocybin mushrooms to add to the kool-aid. Microsoft doesn't know any better, we could tell them it's an widely accepted initiation into the open source world.
Your ad here.
Dude, what're you doing? 'Shrooms are the initiation to Apple!
at the door.. you know what to do with it: it needs to be slaughtered first and then put in the oven at fairly high temperatures.
in any case, i would let a dog or a rat try it first, it might still be poisoned though.
I hear what you're saying, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!" But I really think we can beat 'em. Have you tried the latest Ubuntu?
I'm not sure if you're kidding or serious, but if I had mod points, you'd be getting +1Funny from me. Like, ROTFLOLz for me.
You'll have that sometimes...
Getting your head cut off doesn't qualify as humane in my book. But that might be because I'm quite attached to my head.
Oh, you wish you were.
A guy dies in a traffic accident. St. Peter meets him at the gates of heaven and tells him there's been a terrible mistake: He still needs to live out his life but his body's gone.
"We have a couple of options", Peter says, "You could live out your years as Saddam Hussein - you'd have your own country, hundreds of palaces, statues, etc. The downside is that the US military will invade your country, hunt you down like a dog and turn you over to a bloodthirsty mob that will brutally lynch you."
"Or you could be Sam Ramji, enjoying a high position in Microsoft who is charged with reaching out to the open-source community."
The guy thinks for a second, then says, "How many palaces do I get again?"
Only his tendency toward a dazed stupor prevented him from screaming aloud.
...for now.
Oh, the irony... "Anonymous Coward: If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear!"
I would like to nominate this as the most fantastic, most brilliantly understated put down on Slashdot ever.
Stupid semantic unfunny "LAWLZ fucking adults ROFL ive nevar done that lolz" jokes can die in fires.
I write bullshit
LAMP => WAMP.
Haha, Or maybe WIMP if the Apache stuff doesn't work out?
(W)indows (I)IS (M)ySQL (P)HP
(python, perl, whatever)
- Toast
Do you have any idea what people are really doing with Microsoft products that simply can't be done on Linux.
Spreading NIMDA and Slammer?