Bruce misses the main point
|
| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| Sander_Marechal Aug 02, 2008 1:02 AM EDT |
It's a great read, but IMHO Bruce misses the main point when it comes to Microsoft's strategy. MS doesn't want to gobble up, fork or use Apache code. They want to contribute to Apache so it runs better on Windows. Microsoft has finally realised that FOSS is unstoppable. They can't fight FOSS, so now they're fighting only Linux and they're doing it my making all other FOSS run on Windows. Developers, developers, developers. It's the same old mantra again. It's a platform game. Microsoft is trying to kick Linux out from under the FOSS stack. So, how do we best fight that? The Linux Developer Network is a good step forward, but much more needs to be done. |
| DiBosco Aug 02, 2008 5:16 AM EDT |
I think good tools for writing code are something which turns off many people in Linux, embedded Linux especially. KDE Develop is pretty good, but more difficult for the casual programmer who might use Delphi or VB. Embedded Linux suffers terribly and puts a lot of people off I come across in my job. There are a few tools for programming embedded processors for un to complete code now, but some of the niche devices like DSP require Windows tools. |
| dumper4311 Aug 02, 2008 10:28 AM EDT |
Here's the frightening part, touched on by sanders question above - how do we fight that? There is some potential for MS success here, it's much the same strategy they used to take the desktop market so long ago. If they can get the popular F/OSS apps running as well on their platform, then the perceived argument for Linux (or any other more stable and secure platform) seems less relevant to pointy haired managers who already have Windows app servers and desktops in place. Yes, I understand the arguments against that position, but it takes education to spread such messages. In addition to advocates, such education takes money and resources. The danger here is that without a change in our approach, the microsoft PR machine could effectively leave the Linux platform as the home of hobbyists and zea . . . er, more enthusiastic ideological supporters - even on the server side. I've come to think that a push into the desktop market isn't just desireable, it's imperative. That's the only way we provide a compelling business case to the more superficial (read: most) decision makers in business or education. Maybe it's time to start trusting the strength of the open source methodology, and it's various licences, and stop worrying about who's trying to take advantage of us. I really think we need to be more accepting and cooperative of corporate involvement in the Linux server and desktop markets. The whole "fight the man" culture is counterproductive, when we should be focusing on open standards and source. Who owns your data? So long as we have interoperable and open standards, and open transparent codebases, we are in control. That's the point; we can choose if we want to work with a company, or go it ourselves for ideological reasons. But the efforts of any company who plays within those conditions doesn't harm us at all - regardless of what we think of their business model. The code is still open, and the standards are still transparent and interoperable. We should support any such work that ultimately benefits us. I look forward to seeing the new alfresco. The work of companies like IBM and Novell should also be promoted and encouraged as they promote expansion of our chosen platform and open apps to the desktop - Windows and linux. If we can show similar parity on the desktop, we'll do more damage to MS than they can accomplish by demonstrating application parity on the server side. At that point, we can have a discussion about the best platform with even the thickest decision makers. |
| krisum Aug 02, 2008 12:34 PM EDT |
@sander
Quoting: They can't fight FOSS, so now they're fighting only Linux and they're doing it my making all other FOSS run on Windows. Developers, developers, developers. It's the same old mantra again. It's a platform game. Microsoft is trying to kick Linux out from under the FOSS stack.Hard to see Microsoft promoting or supporting FOSS solutions over their own; old habits die hard and this one never will. So windows installations will keep on using MS solutions, and such steps are unlikely to alter that. As for developers, unless windows becomes more posix like there is no way that large scale developer migrations are possible. Unless microsoft goes all the way to integrate FOSS into its overall strategy as it does with its own solutions (e.g IIS - ASP - .NET - AD etc.) this does not look like a possibility. |
| Sander_Marechal Aug 02, 2008 11:41 PM EDT |
Quoting:the efforts of any company who plays within those conditions doesn't harm us at all - regardless of what we think of their business model. That's not quite true. There is no "all", no single community.Microsoft is supporting one community (Apache) in the hope of harming another (Linux). I think it is imperative that we keep a vigilant eye on those who seek to start war between the thousands of little communities, fiefdoms and (benevolent) dictatorships that make up the FOSS landscape. Quoting:The whole "fight the man" culture is counterproductive It depends on how you fight. Throwing sticks and stones at MS and Windows isn't going to help here. Building up the Linux stack in such a way that makes Linux *the* developer platform and that nobody would seriously consider Windows is a great thing IMHO. Quoting:Windows installations will keep on using MS solutions, and such steps are unlikely to alter that. I disagree. To repeat an old mantra: "It's about the applications, stupid!". Many (most?) people use Linux because it offers the best applications, and cross-platform applications run better on Linux. We run Apache because it is by far the best webserver out there (IIS is a joke). We run it on Linux or BSD because it runs faster and more stable, scales better, etcetera. Microsoft can't equal it, but it can make the gap a lot smaller. Small enough that the PHB's in this world would rather stay with Windows. |
Posting in this forum is limited to members of the group: [ForumMods, SITEADMINS, MEMBERS.]
Becoming a member of LXer is easy and free. Join Us!