Two possibilities with M$...

Story: Microsoft: 'We love open source'Total Replies: 15
Author Content
JaseP

Aug 24, 2010
9:50 AM EDT
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.
bigg

Aug 24, 2010
10:27 AM EDT
Last I heard, Ballmer is still running MS. Thus it's option 2.
gus3

Aug 24, 2010
10:47 AM EDT
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.
jdixon

Aug 24, 2010
11:25 AM EDT
What? Is this a consensus?? On LXer???

Needless to say, I agree.

mrider

Aug 24, 2010
11:47 AM EDT
I don't know how to link directly to a single post in /., but Nerdfest has a classic response:

Quoting:... it tastes like kittens.
lcafiero

Aug 24, 2010
12:28 PM EDT
Consensus so far, though we haven't heard from TxtEdMacs yet.

One vote for #2.
djohnston

Aug 24, 2010
12:59 PM EDT
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?
caitlyn

Aug 24, 2010
2:39 PM EDT
Anther vote for #2 here.
hkwint

Aug 24, 2010
2:58 PM EDT
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.
Scott_Ruecker

Aug 24, 2010
3:52 PM EDT
Option #3-v2 They are schizophrenic..now if they could just get us to believe it..lol.

and back to Option #2 I guess..
azerthoth

Aug 24, 2010
3:58 PM EDT
Option 2.5, option 2 plus them thinking they have a lead filled sap only to discover a feather duster.
Bob_Robertson

Aug 24, 2010
5:30 PM EDT
> 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.
tracyanne

Aug 24, 2010
5:56 PM EDT
Open Source that is penned in by Windows is good.
TxtEdMacs

Aug 25, 2010
7:08 AM EDT
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.
hkwint

Aug 25, 2010
11:02 AM EDT
Txt: Ha, caught you with the pants down! You were serious again!
zentrader

Aug 25, 2010
11:58 AM EDT
Embrace, extend, eliminate.

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