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Tencent Joins the Linux Foundation as a Platinum Member (thenextweb.com)

Posted by msmash on from the marching-forward dept.

Chinese tech giant Tencent has joined the Linux Foundation as a platinum member. From a report: Tencent is one of a few companies to offer the highest level of support to the Linux Foundation. Other tech companies in this stable include IBM, Microsoft, and Intel, as well as fellow Chinese titan Huawei. As part of the deal, Tencent will take a chair on the Foundation's board of directors. It has also promised to offer "further support and resources" to the Foundation's efforts. So far, this has taken the form of Tencent donating several pieces of its software. Already, it's bequeathed TSeer, its service discovery tool, as well as TARS, which is the company's microservices platform. Valued at nearly $500 billion, Tencent is a behemoth of a company. It holds a massive sway over the Chinese tech market, and is spreading its cash (and influence) overseas with strategic investments in companies like Epic Games and Riot Games.

25 comments

  1. Fifty had no comment by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 4, Funny

    Fifty had no comment

    1. Re:Fifty had no comment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's Fitty, grandpa.

    2. Re:Fifty had no comment by datavirtue · · Score: 1

      Tencent goin' platnum? Shit yo.

      --
      I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
  2. Conglomerates don't work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    US companies figured that out in the 80s.

  3. China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They took a board position to spread communism.

    1. Re:China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      To Linux? Seems redundant.

  4. Make sense a rapper joins by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    because any "foundation" cain't be cool unless it got a rapper. Word!

  5. In before the stupid comments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    no company or business has any real say or control over Linux, and only one individual has: Linus Torvalds. Don't degrade to the intellectual level of the average paranoia-stricken American by claiming that this removes credibility and notions of safety and security in Linux-based products.

    Every change to the Linux kernel is tested and verified before being committed by one of only a handful of people. China has no control over Linux and cannot "install viruses in the Linux source code" as a consequence of one chinese company becoming a platinum member and sponsor.

    1. Re: In before the stupid comments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What blocks China from becoming a "handful of people"?

    2. Re:In before the stupid comments by willaien · · Score: 4, Informative

      While I doubt that they be able to cause any harm, I am super weary of Tencent and any of their actions, since they're participating in China's "Social Credit" system.

    3. Re:In before the stupid comments by HiThere · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's quite reasonable to distrust them, but you need to remember the organization they're joining already contains Microsoft as a "Platinum Member", so I doubt they'll make things worse.

      The "Linux Foundation" has long been more like an arm of the Chamber of Commerce than a supporter of Free Software.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    4. Re: In before the stupid comments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      While transgender is all over the news I have never hear of translinus before. So you are telling us that the Chinese would have no problem replacing Linus Torvalds with their own version?

    5. Re:In before the stupid comments by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      Tencent is basically the Facebook of China.

    6. Re: In before the stupid comments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Linus Torvalds. Why do you think he would hand over that work to... "China"? Are you actually thinking that China, the country, all 1.5 or so billion people there, are making a coordinated move to control Linux? Have you literally grown up in front of the TV, or something?

    7. Re:In before the stupid comments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tencent didn't put themselves into the Linux Foundation, the Linux Foundation did, as a recognition to all their contributions. Why would or should China not be allowed to contribute? And please, if you have stupid accusations of communist hackers or viruses, then back it up first.

  6. Dammit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Linux is going to turn into ZTE now.

  7. Re:Traitor Trump loves to be humped in the rump by Tsolias · · Score: 1

    so you are telling us that you penetrated an old man's anus...
    Are you sure that that's an insult to trump?

  8. Re:Traitor Trump loves to be humped in the rump by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No, it's a complement. His rump is phat as fuck! Slap dat booty!

  9. Hundredthou by datavirtue · · Score: 1

    Now if they could only get Hundredthou...

    --
    I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
    1. Re: Hundredthou by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Womp womp. Lame joke. Go away.

  10. Also: Patch-sharing fork culture. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Basically every distribution and many people maintain their own fork of the kernel. I do, for example.

    That means I won't accept any patch, even from Linus, blindly, and will add other patch sets, including my own.

    So I will not let anyone's S(py)E(ngine)Linux into the kernel. Be it China's, the one by the NSA or FSB or BND or GCHQ or DGSE, etc.

  11. Re:Traitor Trump loves to be humped in the rump by zwarte+piet · · Score: 1

    Anus is latin for old woman