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Microsoft Claims 'We Love Open Source'

Posted by Soulskill on from the admiral-ackbar-unavailable-for-comment dept.

jbrodkin writes "Everyone in the Linux world remembers Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's famous comment in 2001 that Linux is a 'cancer' that threatened Microsoft's intellectual property. While Microsoft hasn't formally rescinded its declaration that Linux violates its patents, at least one Microsoft executive admits that the company's earlier battle stance was a mistake. Microsoft wants the world to understand, whatever its issues with Linux, it no longer has any gripe toward open source."

7 of 464 comments (clear)

  1. Not too surprising? by Mongoose+Disciple · · Score: 4, Informative

    This shouldn't surprise anyone too much. Ten years ago some people really thought that Linux was going to replace Windows on everyone's desktop, open source projects were going to kill Office, etc.

    Which never happened.

    The reality is that there's room for both open and closed source software in the world.

    1. Re:Not too surprising? by HermMunster · · Score: 4, Informative

      There's a group of companies that contribute some of their patent portfolio to protect Linux. Attempts at squishing Linux with Microsoft's patent portfolio will only result in a nuclear meltdown in a patent war. Just don't live with the false impression that Linux can't defend itself. And remember, Microsoft is on the loosing end of most patent lawsuits.

      --
      You can lead a man with reason but you can't make him think.
  2. They really DO love "open source" by Locke2005 · · Score: 5, Informative

    The just have a different definition of what "open source" means than you and I. "Open Source" to Microsoft means that they are free to incorporate other people's work into their software with any reciprocation or release of the modified code. Unfortunately many companies feel this way open source code.

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    1. Re:They really DO love "open source" by OutSourcingIsTreason · · Score: 5, Informative

      That isn't my experience. Several years ago I worked at a software house that was acquired by Microsoft. The first thing they did was audit our source code to identify all the modules derived from open source. Before the sale could go through we had to rewrite those modules from scratch.

      --
      "Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." -- Mussolini
  3. Re:Meet the 4 stages by HermMunster · · Score: 5, Informative

    Embrace, extend, extinguish.

    Never forget. Microsoft has never helped open source. They have only contributed to their own version of it, which is very much unlike open source as it was defined 10+ years ago.

    --
    You can lead a man with reason but you can't make him think.
  4. Re:Meet the 4 stages by marcello_dl · · Score: 4, Informative

    Your argument is as useful as "War helps camaraderie".

    Please get a lil dose of actual impact of Microsoft on computing experience instead.

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    ---- MISSING MISCELLANEOUS DATA SEGMENT --- [sigdash] trolololol
  5. Re:Meet the 4 stages by massysett · · Score: 4, Informative

    Microsoft Research pays people to work on Haskell and the leading Haskell compiler, GHC. GHC is licensed under the BSD license, which is "free" and "open source" by any definition.

    To say this company has "never" helped open source is a bit extreme. Like any profit-making entity, it helps open source when doing so is in Microsoft's interest.

    --
    Penny - plain text accounting