Microsoft: 'We love open source'

This is part of the cycle with Microsoft. Microsoft will first threaten patent suits or something similar. After every one is upset they will make nice for a while with minor projects designed to make it seem like they have changed. In the old days of the Soviet Union this would have been called a "peace offensive." Silly pundits will be deceived and write articles about how Microsoft has changed toward Open Source. After a period of time Ballmer will bellow some more and the whole cycle will begin again. We have seen this happen several times. It is a shame these writers cannot see through this sham.

There are two possibilities with M$'s "new position" on Open Source...

1) The are positioning thier reinvention of themselves & their business model, realizing that their previous business model is bleeding at the hip... And will then become more like IBM,... A provider of business "services," advertising, enterprise support, and commerce support, rather than just be a vendor of software.

2) They are extending an ungloved hand for a handshake, while cocking the other hand back in a fist to deliver a sucker-punch (in the form of patent suits and more strong-arm tactic market manipulation)...

Given M$ track record,... my bets are squarely on #2.

The article & its apologetics notwithstanding, I have a hard time believing M$ wants to make nice-nice with Open Source.

Last I heard, Ballmer is still running MS. Thus it's option 2.

And a fantastic job he's done so far. Not.

It could also be, that someone took him aside and told him that the strong-arm tactics are destroying their ability to do business. Yeah, that's a long shot at best, I know.

Until proven otherwise, I'll just assume it's a new pile of #2.

What? Is this a consensus?? On LXer???

Needless to say, I agree.

I don't know how to link directly to a single post in /., but Nerdfest has a classic response:

Quoting:... it tastes like kittens.

Consensus so far, though we haven't heard from TxtEdMacs yet.

One vote for #2.

Another vote for #2 and in agreement with SamShazaam on the other thread.

Quoting:This is part of the cycle with Microsoft. ... We have seen this happen several times. It is a shame these writers cannot see through this sham.

YBT, are you listening?

Anther vote for #2 here.

I vote #3:

Microsoft is just as schizophrenic as it has always been.

There are people inside MS who like open source, Linux and interoperability. There are even smart people working at MS! Nonetheless, like usual, higher management is clueless, and steers the other way. Feeling neglected, the bright people (like Daniel Robbins?) pretty soon leave MS and all is back to usual.

Option #3-v2 They are schizophrenic..now if they could just get us to believe it..lol.

and back to Option #2 I guess..

Option 2.5, option 2 plus them thinking they have a lead filled sap only to discover a feather duster.

> It could also be, that someone took him aside and told him that the strong-arm tactics are destroying their ability to do business.

What? And risk a chair being thrown at them?

My vote is for the stupidity of bureaucracy. The people who run MS aren't programmers, they're bureaucrats. Their interest is in the continued existence of the bureaucracy itself, software is relevant only in such ways as it serves that purpose.

Open Source that is penned in by Windows is good.

Mark me siding with hkw.

They will never drop the current business model* when the quarterly profits are in the billion plus range. My buddy da Bomber would have to be carried out feet first to revise that model.

ta, you got it wrong. MS could care less on the tools used, they just want it Windows (TM) ONLY.

YBT

* Most of the IP taken without compensation or attribution from a famous, gangster cartel.

Txt: Ha, caught you with the pants down! You were serious again!

Embrace, extend, eliminate.