Sure. There is just one thing though: we tend to treat companies like people. So e.g. if they say something today, we expect it to be valid also tomorrow. We al

Sure. There is just one thing though: we tend to treat companies like people. So e.g. if they say something today, we expect it to be valid also tomorrow. We also tend to expect them to behave in a way humans do, that is, if they present a certain vision, we somehow expect they would follow. And if they follow certain steps, we assume they walk the talk and give them credit for that. But the reality is much more complex. You have competing teams of individuals each with their own interests. You have managers who come and go. You have sudden decisions that change everything during one afternoon. As an employee, you believe in something only to discover a few months later you were in fact mistaken. I'm not cynical, but the best strategy is to be realistic. We all know Microsoft will do everything in their own interest and they are not basically different from any other company. That's a fact. Whatever they say about their love for Linux or Open Source is correct as long as it benefits them, not an inch more. Whoever goes in their way will be mercilessly crushed, as happened in numerous companies in the past like Lotus, Novell, Borland and so many others. Don't build your business based on their products, and if you do, have a backup-up plan and an exit strategy ready.