Microsoft just want to say Happy Birthday!

[mips]

http://video.linux.com/video/2127

Though this was pretty funny.


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[ninjaaron]

Posted this in another thread in response to a post about this video.


I just saw that today via my slashdot feed. I wonder what the angle is. I don't hate MS or anything, but there is no way this video is without strategic intent.

Best possible scenario: MS starts using the Linux kernel for it's OS's, becomes a major upstream contributor, plus all of our driver problems and some of our software problems are solved from now until eternity. MS augments it's own strength with power of the open source development model (like android) and begins shipping an OS that is truly competitive with Apple in terms of stability, performance, innovation, and polish. Not to mention how great it would be if we had MS lawyers and patent portfolios going to bat for us when litigation time roles around.

Worst possible scenario: MS becomes a major player in the Open Source movement, gets it's hands deep in the kernel, and uses it's influence to tear the movement apart from inside, not through malicious code, but through influencing long-term decisions that will ultimately weaken the platform and polluting interpersonal relationships, and finally creating factions among devs that will tear the movement apart while MS watches, hands apparently clean.


I'm sure whatever actually happens, it will be much less interesting than either of the scenarios I have envisioned.

[Primefalcon]

Posted this in another thread in response to a post about this video.
Their plan is probably #2, a lot of people even inside Microsoft probably believe its #1...

End result will be probably not much changes....

[ViperChief]

I lol'd at this thread.

[Spice Weasel]

Microsoft being involved with Linux is nothing new. They have been involved with (http://www.codeplex.com/) open source software (https://www.microsoft.com/opensource/directory.aspx) for some time now (http://news.slashdot.org/story/09/07/20/1643251/Microsoft-Releases-Linux-Device-Drivers-As-GPL), not because of a conspiracy, but because it benefits them. But as usual, the LY are going to have freaked out at this and declared there is a hidden message of world domination in the video. Corporations change their strategies all the time, and Microsoft's practises 10+ years ago are not relevant to today.

[walt.smith1960]

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer"

Attributed to Machiavelli among others.

Check with Pete Peterson and Ray Noorda how being being friends with Microsoft worked out for them.

[Canis familiaris]

Nice video. I hope we see better interoperatibility of Microsoft's products in Linux with full support from the corporation.

And Can WINE have some love with your products, plox? ;)