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View Full Version : Steve Ballmer's learned a lot from Linux



aysiu
September 22nd, 2005, 06:15 AM
My parents recently bought me a subscription to Newsweek, and the latest issue had an interview with Steve Ballmer, in which he says, "I've learned more from studying open source and Linux—how to involve your customers much more deeply in the development and feedback process." So when is Microsoft going to make its products open source?

karuptdata
September 22nd, 2005, 06:22 AM
When hell freezez over and Tux goes ice skating....LOL :grin:

ltmon
September 22nd, 2005, 06:34 AM
My parents recently bought me a subscription to Newsweek, and the latest issue had an interview with Steve Ballmer, in which he says, "I've learned more from studying open source and Linux—how to involve your customers much more deeply in the development and feedback process." So when is Microsoft going to make its products open source?

I can actually see the results of tihs in my current job. I'm a contractor, and have started using a relatively new MS product called BizTalk (an EAI app built on .Net). The app is OK... not fantastic, but quite good. What has surprised me most is how much access to the developers you can get. They answer questions on newsgroups, blog regularly, release little convenience tools of their own and will often answer direct support questions via email. They are fairly forthcoming about the internals of the app and what exactly is going on behind the scenes.

I wonder if this is what he is talking about, or maybe it's just a single business unit doing their own thing outside of central control. Possibly because this is an area they actually have to compete in (rather than have a monopoly lock-in) they are trying extra hard to be more open.

It's not OSS by a stretch, but I can see where they've learnt from the process.

L.

Mishura
September 22nd, 2005, 07:01 AM
It's all about the access to the developers, really. Microsoft will never go open source, especially after all the "FUD" they spread about it... they'd have to eat crow or something if they did.

With F/OSS, If I have a serious problem, and that program is actively maintained, I can sometimes get ahold of the actual developer to help me out. I use this very rarely, rather relying on Google and forums; but that option *is* there. Whereas with most proprietary software, if you do get support, its from some support desk slave person, who is only reading things out of some "Troubleshooting Handbook".

It's a good idea, I think. I don't care if MS goes open source, but I would like them to loosen up the "evilness" a bit, and at least be more open to their customers some.

newbie2
September 22nd, 2005, 07:10 AM
"One IT director who did not wish to be named simply said open source "looks more and more tempting" while Paul Broome, IT director at 192.com, said he plans to migrate off Windows server and SQL server as soon as he can.

Broome said: "It's a millstone to enterprise for an SME. To allow us to grow, all new database servers will use 64-bit Linux and MySQL. We've had enough. We can't scale out with Microsoft as it's too expensive."

Others like Peter Ryder, head of ICT at Preston City Council, never signed up for SA in the first place, calling it "unjustified pricing" that is too expensive, especially for smaller local authorities."
http://www.silicon.com/ciojury/0,3800003161,39152500,00.htm

az
September 22nd, 2005, 03:42 PM
So when is Microsoft going to make its products open source?

If they do, it will only be a little bit. The least they can get away with to acomplish what they want. I guess they will try to make it seem as though the stuff they relase is truly free, but I can bet you it would be GPL incompatible.

KingBahamut
September 22nd, 2005, 03:50 PM
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Steve_Ballmer_fuzzy.jpg/180px-Steve_Ballmer_fuzzy.jpg

Is that the face of understanding.....it kind of scares me a little.

As far as MS and FOSS.....Itll never happen.

skoal
September 22nd, 2005, 04:36 PM
Hey, what happened to Dr. Phil's mustache?

\\//_

Stormy Eyes
September 22nd, 2005, 04:38 PM
So when is Microsoft going to make its products open source?

Right after I get Jesus and chuck my copy of Atlas Shrugged.

gray-squirrel
September 22nd, 2005, 05:36 PM
My parents recently bought me a subscription to Newsweek, and the latest issue had an interview with Steve Ballmer, in which he says, "I've learned more from studying open source and Linux—how to involve your customers much more deeply in the development and feedback process." So when is Microsoft going to make its products open source?

When? When the U.S. courts say so and actually put some teeth into a future antitrust ruling.

The least Ballmer could do is create a spin-off company (or a subsidiary) which would be into open source software and play by the rules. It would just as easily release software under the {revised} BSD license as it could the GPL.

Okey, I might be dreaming here, but I haven't done it that often.

BWF89
September 22nd, 2005, 08:19 PM
When I read the the title I thought this was going to be one of those "Lets bash Ballmer" threads.

aysiu
September 22nd, 2005, 08:47 PM
When I read the the title I thought this was going to be one of those "Lets bash Ballmer" threads. I don't start bashing threads--just for future reference.

jeremy
September 23rd, 2005, 08:51 AM
Can't we bash him just a little bit?

N'Jal
September 23rd, 2005, 09:31 AM
nah, best not.