4 ms·

Microsoft is becoming the defacto leader in open source.

nwah1 8y ago
This is almost undeniable. Seems like everyone and their mother are using vscode, typescript is huge, .NET Core is FOSS, PowerShell is now open source, etc etc. The Language Server Protocol has revolutionized IDEs in general. And now that they own GitHub (and their projects like Atom), it seems like the entire FOSS developer workflow is likely to be from MS-derived projects. Which I'm sure they are hoping will translate into more cloud service revenue and online software subscriptions. If you are starting a new company, BizSpark is a really attractive offering. Could run a whole business on it, and yet none of your devs need to be running windows on their machines.
- sleet 8y ago
  Unfortunately Bizspark is only available though accelerators, incubators, and VCs now.
  - manigandham 8y ago
    Bizspark doesn't exist anymore, it's a single program called Microsoft for Startups now, and it does allow you to apply directly: https://startups.microsoft.com/en-us/faq/ https://startups.microsoft.com/en-us/faq/
    - morpheuskafka 8y ago
      But it's only for those developing an "innovative, technical solution unique in the market with a B2B focus that will benefit from access to enterprise customers," according to that link. IIRC the old BizSpark didn't have as strict of a B2B focus.
- manigandham 8y ago
  The old Bizspark (and Bizspark Plus) programs have changed into a single Startups program which is more selective. Still great value if you can get it.
- conanthe 8y ago
  They can browse your private projects though so nobody in the right mind would use them to run cutting edge business.
  - IAmLiterallyAB 8y ago
    Github Enterprise is self hosted which eliminates that issue
    - techntoke 8y ago
      GitLab can be self-hosted for free and provides a complete DevOps platform.
      - dsumenkovic 8y ago
        Thanks for writing about GitLab. If you are wondering what's the Auto DevOps - GitLab Auto DevOps eliminates the complexities of getting going with automated software delivery by automatically setting up the pipeline and necessary integrations. You can find out more info at the landing page [1] and the documentation [2]. [1] https://about.gitlab.com/product/auto-devops/ https://about.gitlab.com/product/auto-devops/ [2] https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/topics/autodevops/ https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/topics/autodevops/
  - scarface74 8y ago
    I’m the farthest thing in the world from an open source zealot. But, I can’t think of a single company that lives or dies by its source code being a secret. If I had all of the source code from any of the FAANG companies what would I do with it? The only one that may be valuable is Google and I could make a killing from knowing how to do SEO. But even then it would take an army of very smart developers to figure it out.
    - conanthe 8y ago
      Maybe you wouldn't do anything with it but there are smart people out there who could and bring profits.
- h1d 8y ago
  Only if they try to open source visual studio (not the code) which is choking themselves by putting a barrier to entry for their own platform with not so cheap pricing model.
titanix2 8y ago
Would be nice to have a Microsoft Summer of Code.
baroffoos 8y ago
For developer tools which is nice but their consumer products are just as locked down and restrictive as they have ever been.
antoineMoPa 8y ago
MS has always worked against users leaving Windows for free operating systems and I doubt that this is changing.
- taspeotis 8y ago
  They don't care what you use on Azure, they make money if you're on free operating systems or Windows. Take a look at the picture: https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/15/12926288/microsoft-really-does-love-linux https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/15/12926288/microsoft-really...
- chrisper 8y ago
  MS is a SaaS company now. They don't care what you use to use their services.
conanthe 8y ago
If you have money you can be a leader of anything, but without heart and motivated by greed are you really?
- adventured 8y ago
  Clearly not true. Microsoft had a position of industry dominance in the mid to late 1990s, money was never in short supply. They couldn't be the leader of open source back then because of their culture and attitude toward open source. The open source industry knew it and the dislike was mutual. Even if they had wanted to, they couldn't have purchased loyalty from open source users & developers, while simultaneously behaving as they were. If talking about heart and greed is all that's left to burn Microsoft with at this point, then they must really be knocking it out of the park.
  - conanthe 8y ago
    Back then they didn't believe they can make money off the open source. Now they are picking the fruits of the others labour.
boomlinde 8y ago
It's a funny notion that by dropping some BSD-licensed code into their OS that every other major operating system has been using for 20 years, Microsoft is somehow becoming the leader in open source. Maybe that's just my interpretation, but without explaining what being a "leader in open source" means and by what merits Microsoft (a business dealing mainly in proprietary software) is becoming it, that's all I have to go by.
guilhas 8y ago
Buying OSS related, and incorporating/wrapping existing OSS projects, is not leading. Is taking a hike on the backs of others successful work. Microsoft only releases the source on products they create when they clearly can't compete, and they have no other option. In terms of open source leading and inovation ms is worth 0. Although they have a good R&D. There isn't anything new they contributed to OSS community.

This is almost undeniable. Seems like everyone and their mother are using vscode, typescript is huge, .NET Core is FOSS, PowerShell is now open source, etc etc. The Language Server Protocol has revolutionized IDEs in general. And now that they own GitHub (and their projects like Atom), it seems like the entire FOSS developer workflow is likely to be from MS-derived projects. Which I'm sure they are hoping will translate into more cloud service revenue and online software subscriptions. If you are starting a new company, BizSpark is a really attractive offering. Could run a whole business on it, and yet none of your devs need to be running windows on their machines.

sleet 8y ago
Unfortunately Bizspark is only available though accelerators, incubators, and VCs now.
- manigandham 8y ago
  Bizspark doesn't exist anymore, it's a single program called Microsoft for Startups now, and it does allow you to apply directly: https://startups.microsoft.com/en-us/faq/ https://startups.microsoft.com/en-us/faq/
  - morpheuskafka 8y ago
    But it's only for those developing an "innovative, technical solution unique in the market with a B2B focus that will benefit from access to enterprise customers," according to that link. IIRC the old BizSpark didn't have as strict of a B2B focus.
manigandham 8y ago
The old Bizspark (and Bizspark Plus) programs have changed into a single Startups program which is more selective. Still great value if you can get it.
conanthe 8y ago
They can browse your private projects though so nobody in the right mind would use them to run cutting edge business.
- IAmLiterallyAB 8y ago
  Github Enterprise is self hosted which eliminates that issue
  - techntoke 8y ago
    GitLab can be self-hosted for free and provides a complete DevOps platform.
    - dsumenkovic 8y ago
      Thanks for writing about GitLab. If you are wondering what's the Auto DevOps - GitLab Auto DevOps eliminates the complexities of getting going with automated software delivery by automatically setting up the pipeline and necessary integrations. You can find out more info at the landing page [1] and the documentation [2]. [1] https://about.gitlab.com/product/auto-devops/ https://about.gitlab.com/product/auto-devops/ [2] https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/topics/autodevops/ https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/topics/autodevops/
- scarface74 8y ago
  I’m the farthest thing in the world from an open source zealot. But, I can’t think of a single company that lives or dies by its source code being a secret. If I had all of the source code from any of the FAANG companies what would I do with it? The only one that may be valuable is Google and I could make a killing from knowing how to do SEO. But even then it would take an army of very smart developers to figure it out.
  - conanthe 8y ago
    Maybe you wouldn't do anything with it but there are smart people out there who could and bring profits.
h1d 8y ago
Only if they try to open source visual studio (not the code) which is choking themselves by putting a barrier to entry for their own platform with not so cheap pricing model.

titanix2 8y ago

Would be nice to have a Microsoft Summer of Code.

baroffoos 8y ago

For developer tools which is nice but their consumer products are just as locked down and restrictive as they have ever been.

antoineMoPa 8y ago

MS has always worked against users leaving Windows for free operating systems and I doubt that this is changing.

taspeotis 8y ago
They don't care what you use on Azure, they make money if you're on free operating systems or Windows. Take a look at the picture: https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/15/12926288/microsoft-really-does-love-linux https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/15/12926288/microsoft-really...
chrisper 8y ago
MS is a SaaS company now. They don't care what you use to use their services.

conanthe 8y ago

If you have money you can be a leader of anything, but without heart and motivated by greed are you really?

adventured 8y ago
Clearly not true. Microsoft had a position of industry dominance in the mid to late 1990s, money was never in short supply. They couldn't be the leader of open source back then because of their culture and attitude toward open source. The open source industry knew it and the dislike was mutual. Even if they had wanted to, they couldn't have purchased loyalty from open source users & developers, while simultaneously behaving as they were. If talking about heart and greed is all that's left to burn Microsoft with at this point, then they must really be knocking it out of the park.
- conanthe 8y ago
  Back then they didn't believe they can make money off the open source. Now they are picking the fruits of the others labour.

boomlinde 8y ago

It's a funny notion that by dropping some BSD-licensed code into their OS that every other major operating system has been using for 20 years, Microsoft is somehow becoming the leader in open source. Maybe that's just my interpretation, but without explaining what being a "leader in open source" means and by what merits Microsoft (a business dealing mainly in proprietary software) is becoming it, that's all I have to go by.

guilhas 8y ago

Buying OSS related, and incorporating/wrapping existing OSS projects, is not leading. Is taking a hike on the backs of others successful work. Microsoft only releases the source on products they create when they clearly can't compete, and they have no other option. In terms of open source leading and inovation ms is worth 0. Although they have a good R&D. There isn't anything new they contributed to OSS community.