Open Source-happy Microsoft Joins Eclipse Foundation (networkworld.com)

alphadogg writes to note that just a day after announcing it would be bringing SQL Server to Linux, "Microsoft has announced that it is joining the Eclipse Foundation, an open source community for developers launched more than 10 years ago." Microsoft, which notes that it has worked with the Eclipse Foundation for years "to improve the Java experience across our portfolio of application platform and development services," made the announcement to attendees at EclipseCon, going on in Reston, Va., this week.

Comments

In other news: Hell freezes over, Pigs fly ...

[Qbertino]

... and the sea is running red with blood.

This move *does* raise an eyebrow with me. .Net FOSS? Naturally. SQL Server for Linux? Whatever. ... But this *is* surprising. They've got a very good IDE with visual studio, it is very surprising that they team up with Eclipse.

Perhaps it is to get closer to the Java camp? After all, that's where all the big corporate money is - Java Appservers and such.

Re:In other news: Hell freezes over, Pigs fly ...

[yodleboy]

"It is not surprising if Microsoft wants to turdify Eclipse through "Embrace, Extend, Extinguish." Microsoft under Nadella has been every bit as evil and corrupting as in the past under Gates and Ballmer."

jesus, some folks just won't let go... As if MS has not changed in 20 years. As if tech favorites like google, yahoo, hp, ibm, apple etc haven't ground the little guy beneath their feet on occasion. There's not a chance that the people making decisions these days at MS are from a newer generation than Gates, Ballmer et al. There's, not a chance that these new people have a different perspective on doing business. Nope, MS has stayed the same since 1998 or so and the rest of the tech industry has evolved into a serene and cooperative utopia.

Remember folks, once someone has committed a crime, served their sentence and gone on to do better (in general), it's OK to keep hating them no matter what.

Re: Will they help make Eclipse fast enough to use

[Anonymous Coward]

The sad thing is that modern multi tier apps are now so complicated that I've had quite a few devs that took over a month before they pushed their first change. Getting Eclipse configured with all of the required add ins by itself is a hard task.

Re:It's hedging bets...

[phantomfive]

Previously, they hitched that all on the premise that a target market adopts Windows as the leverage point to get in. Now they are (seemingly) accepting that many market segments won't go that way (server and mobile particularly) and trying to tap into those markets.

A lot has changed, Windows is a small part of Microsoft's revenue, and the cloud is now the biggest part. CEO Nadella sees the cloud as a huge cash cow, and wants a part of (seriously, read the article).

So they probably have complaints like, ".net sucks because you can only develop for it on Windows." I'm sure they've heard it, because I've heard it. So they are trying to remove all barriers any pesky developers might tell their managers, preventing them from using the technology (as you pointed out).

Re:There's an old Microsoft slogan about this

[HiThere]

Change some of the code, wait a couple of years, file patent infringement claims.

Well, I haven't read the Eclipse license, so that might not work, but it's of a piece with what they've done before. So perhaps a modification of that, where Eclipse usability becomes dependent on a Microsoft plug-in that isn't a part of their donated code.

My feeling about MS is, "If it's a sleazy trick, then MS is either working on it or kicking themselves for not thinking of it first.".