Imagine....

[Slapdash]

Windows going OpenSource.

MS OpenWindows
"Feel the breeze today"

:grin:

[panickedthumb]

Uh... did you read that this is possible or something? Or did you just want to muse about it?

[Slapdash]

just musing.... after reading this article http://www.vnunet.com/analysis/1158834
I put 1 + 2 and then got 15

[Stormy Eyes]

Windows going OpenSource.

MS OpenWindows
"Feel the breeze today"

:grin:

You're more likely to see Gates fall on his sword.

[Slapdash]

LOL Love your Sig. :grin:

[poofyhairguy]

Windows going OpenSource.


You would see MS Linux first.

[23meg]

i think this won't sound as funny when the proprietary software world starts forking gpl'd open source code. (http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/tcpa-faq.html)

[poofyhairguy]

i think this won't sound as funny when the proprietary software world starts forking gpl'd open source code.

Good link. A quote from it:

Microsoft, who are now driving TC, were also motivated by the desire to bring entertainment within their empire. But they also stand to win big if TC becomes widespread. There are two reasons. The first, and less important, is that they will be able to cut down dramatically on software copying. `Making the Chinese pay for software' has been a big thing for Bill; with TC, he can tie each PC to its individual licenced copy of Office and Windows, and lock bad copies of Office out of the shiny new TC universe.

The second, and most important, benefit for Microsoft is that TC will dramatically increase the costs of switching away from Microsoft products (such as Office) to rival products (such as OpenOffice). For example, a law firm that wants to change from Office to OpenOffice right now merely has to install the software, train the staff and convert their existing files. In five years' time, once they have received TC-protected documents from perhaps a thousand different clients, they would have to get permission (in the form of signed digital certificates) from each of these clients in order to migrate their files to a new platform. The law firm won't in practice want to do this, so they will be much more tightly locked in, which will enable Microsoft to hike its prices.

I hate this "Trusting Computing" sh*t. They should call it what it really is "hey Joe User, I don't trust you with your computer...."


EDIT: This was at the end:

25. So a `Trusted Computer' is a computer that can break my security?

That's a polite way of putting it.

[23meg]

I hate this "Trusting Computing" sh*t. They should call it what it really is "hey Joe User, I don't trust you with your computer...."

me too; i'm totally upset about it, and try my best to spread the word on it. the FSF calls it "treacherous computing".. check out http://www.againsttcpa.com for more info.

i simply wouldn't touch a computer that has a Fritz chip in it. and if TC is the deal of the future for the Wintel world, i'm sure lots of people who are at least half conscious about their computing will be looking for MS alternatives, and user friendly distros such as Ubuntu provide reasonable alternatives right now.

[az]

If the Microsoft company were to use open source to its's advantage, it would certainly no be anything resembling the GPL.

I am sure that they would use something which would make it seem that they are open source, but not give you much of the benefit. For example, they could open source some of their software. Perhaps this would be just enough for people to think that they are in the game, but in reality, it would not be anything that the Os community could really use.

It certainly would not involve the freedom the GPL gives you.

It is completely possible to be both open source and proprietairy. Proprietary is always bad.

[23meg]

well, how "open" can it be when there's a chip inside that communicates whatever it wants to the software vendor without the user even being aware of it? ;)

[poofyhairguy]

If the Microsoft company were to use open source to its's advantage, it would certainly no be anything resembling the GPL.

Right:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/wix/


I am sure that they would use something which would make it seem that they are open source, but not give you much of the benefit. For example, they could open source some of their software. Perhaps this would be just enough for people to think that they are in the game, but in reality, it would not be anything that the Os community could really use.

It certainly would not involve the freedom the GPL gives you.

It is completely possible to be both open source and proprietairy. Proprietary is always bad.

Right:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/sharedsource/Initiative/Initiative.mspx

[panickedthumb]

Shared source is a misnomer-- they're sharing the source, sure, but not with Joe User.

[Slapdash]

yeah i agree that one can "share source" or more likely a very small part of it.
And there seems to be a lot of restrictions on that code in their "initiative"

But the one thing is a couple of years ago they wrote linux of with a quick comment.
Now, they are pro-activley starting the fight.

[Stormy Eyes]

well, how "open" can it be when there's a chip inside that communicates whatever it wants to the software vendor without the user even being aware of it? ;)

It'll be open to everybody but the user, that's all. I'm glad the government hasn't yet mandated that this crap be placed in all new PCs. If it was, I'd stock up on parts while I could.

[panickedthumb]

Well, hopefully it wouldn't apply to parts, so you could still build PCs. When this DOES go gold, if it ever does, I see a lot of people switching to Linux and other alternatives and using old parts or only buying parts that don't have it.

[Stormy Eyes]

Well, hopefully it wouldn't apply to parts, so you could still build PCs. When this DOES go gold, if it ever does, I see a lot of people switching to Linux and other alternatives and using old parts or only buying parts that don't have it.

With the morons in Congress, it's quite possible that they'd mandate that all new mainboards come equipped with Fritz chips, whether sold as part of a new PC or sold as a component. When it comes to Uncle Sam, I am paranoid.

[poofyhairguy]

With the morons in Congress, it's quite possible that they'd mandate that all new mainboards come equipped with Fritz chips, whether sold as part of a new PC or sold as a component. When it comes to Uncle Sam, I am paranoid.

Then when the technology market stagnates, they lose their job and more careful congress critters will know not to touch stuff they don't understand....

[23meg]

not just uncle sam, microsoft is bribing many countries (donating computers and software to schools etc.) to continue their IT plans with them. and to continue with microsoft means to continue with TC.

here area some wise words on TC by tobias c. van veen: http://www.quadrantcrossing.org/blog/C1850481384/E1237797952/index.html

[Slapdash]

not just uncle sam, microsoft is bribing many countries (donating computers and software to schools etc.) to continue their IT plans with them. and to continue with microsoft means to continue with TC.
[/url]

This is esp. true in Africa and India.
People are completely paranoid about OSS overall. Although M. Shuttleworth has loaunched a TV program called Go-Open here in South Africa and its going really well.

I think it helps take the "cloak" of Linux

[Stormy Eyes]

Then when the technology market stagnates, they lose their job and more careful congress critters will know not to touch stuff they don't understand....

If the congresscritters knew enough to refrain from touching stuff they didn't fully understand, they could be out of session in about three weeks. Most of them are lawyers, after all.

[poofyhairguy]

Although M. Shuttleworth has loaunched a TV program called Go-Open here in South Africa and its going really well.



Anyone got a torrent link for this?

[johneboy]

This is esp. true in Africa and India.
People are completely paranoid about OSS overall. Although M. Shuttleworth has loaunched a TV program called Go-Open here in South Africa and its going really well.

I think it helps take the "cloak" of Linux
Hi Slapdash,

Do you know if there's a link to "Go-Open" online? It sounds interesting.

Thanks

John