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No, we are losing the war. Open Source is not an impediment to Microsoft's attacks on users' freedom. You can get a job on LinkedIn to write code on GitHub th
by yarrel 7y ago
No, we are losing the war.
Open Source is not an impediment to Microsoft's attacks on users' freedom.
You can get a job on LinkedIn to write code on GitHub that runs on Windows and talks to a server deployed to Azure with a single click from within the README.md .
In that ecosystem, permissively licensed Open Source software just helps Microsoft exploit you.
Which is why Microsoft unironically love Open Source and are very happy to see paid and unpaid shills shout that from the rooftops.
Dumping soon-to-expire patents to get goodwill from people they need to encourage into or prevent leaving that ecosystem is a strategic move that is designed to make sure you don't escape in the long term.
Pointing this out isn't shitting on the poor, defenceless corporation.
It's just not being fooled by their attempts to fleshmask Open Source.
They still hate Free Software.
- jaboutboul 7y agoThis is not just a dump of soon to expire patent. The patent grant and their support and commitment to indemnify anyone who uses it through OIN proves to me, that at least when it comes to this, they are acting in good faith. Listen, my first job outta high school was at Red Hat. For the majority of my life I hated Microsoft and everything they stood for. The bottom line is, money talks (the virtues or lack thereof of that are for a different debate) and they realized that people became familiar with Linux which was superior for most non-desktop use cases, enabled innovation at a greater pace and also was a path around all the Microsoft bullshit and customers were abandoning ship. Eventually they had NO CHOICE but to evolve or die.
- wildfire 7y ago> Eventually they had NO CHOICE > but to evolve or die. So, really they haven't done anyone any favours then? Why do you think so many people look upon their acts as something with good intentions? Just better marketing spin?
- la_barba 7y agoYou already know that Open Source is not the same as Free Software. There is very little public support for Stallmans idea of free software values, so your use of the term "we" is puzzling. FWICT, the HN audience primarily consists of people who want to start companies to make MONEY, not engage in social movements over software freedoms. Its impossible to say this without sounding rude but, you seem like a Slashdot anti-MS nutter. Also, there is simply no reason for MS to hate open source or free software. What MS is doing is already successful and they're making tons of cash. That doesn't mean its good, or that we have to agree with their position.