MS is open source (internally)

[Somenoob]

MS is constantly getting bashed here by some users for being close source. But i'm pretty sure that inside they meet the open source definition. If not, their developers would not be able to work. This may not contribute anything to the market, but at least they have some ethics for software.

[RAV TUX]

moving to the windows forum

[Stex]

.................. *collapses*
Pray tell me how something can be considered as "open" when restricted to a closed environment?

You most certainly have the definition of open source all wrong. The bare minimum of open source is to allow the users to read the source code of what they are using.

[mvaniersel]

If by "open source" you mean "not throwing away the source code after it was compiled into binary form" then yes, sure, microsoft is open source. Keep in mind that that is not the common definition of open source though,

[Tomosaur]

MS is constantly getting bashed here by some users for being close source. But i'm pretty sure that inside they meet the open source definition. If not, their developers would not be able to work. This may not contribute anything to the market, but at least they have some ethics for software.

Excuse me? Intercommunication between developers is vital, yes - but the system at MS does not necessarily mean that each developer has full access to the entire Windows source code. MS is highly protective of it's own code, and providing all developers access to the code would jeapordize Microsoft's secrecy. The different teams only need to be aware of the progress of related teams - and more often than not, this only requires access to the API of the system - which no, does not meet the definition of Open Source. A team working on a web browser only needs to know enough about how Windows accesses the web, to provide a fully featured browser, for example.

Anyway, even if the Windows developers did all have full access to the code (which I highly doubt) - this does not make Windows open source. Open source code means the code is available to anyone, and that they're free to modify and improve it, or just simply change it to meet their own needs. Windows is far from open sourced, and this presents numerous problems - you really have no idea at all about what Windows is actually doing, when you connect to the web, for example, or you defragment your hard drive. Yes, you can make a pretty good guess, which may well be close to the truth, but you can never find out, and this means you are not in control of your own computer.

[koenn]

But i'm pretty sure that inside they meet the open source definition.
I'm pretty sure you have no idea what "open source" means.

[Kateikyoushi]

The Open Source Definition

2. Source Code

The program must include source code, and must allow distribution in source code as well as compiled form. Where some form of a product is not distributed with source code, there must be a well-publicized means of obtaining the source code for no more than a reasonable reproduction cost–preferably, downloading via the Internet without charge. LINK (http://www.opensource.org/docs/definition.php)

I know what you mean but it is kinda hard to work on compiled code. :)

[steven8]

MS is constantly getting bashed here by some users for being close source. But i'm pretty sure that inside they meet the open source definition. If not, their developers would not be able to work. This may not contribute anything to the market, but at least they have some ethics for software.

I think it works like the Monty Python Funniest Joke Ever Written sketch. Each programmer is allowed to work on one line of code at a time. Once, a programmer accidentally saw two lines of code at the same time, and wound up in hospital for a week! :-)

[Ptero-4]

M$ opensource, oh Yeah, and Satan is a saint.

[erlyrisa]

actually new software programmed as Zamel and .net may just be that - but this is akin to a Java program. -it's really more of a script when it's on a VM.
Msoft would be paving the way to make developing for thier platform very easy through advance ides like sparkle.
Sadly though there is no hope of porting/running on different os just yet... .gnu and novel's .net have to catch up.