From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,c9ea66d3dcd0bfcf X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-05-07 09:40:26 PST Path: newsfeed.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news.tele.dk!213.56.195.71!fr.usenet-edu.net!usenet-edu.net!freenix!isdnet!psinet-france!psiuk-f4!psiuk-p4!uknet!psiuk-n!news.pace.co.uk!nh.pace.co.uk!not-for-mail From: "Marin David Condic" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: [ANNOUNCE] XML/Ada 0.5 released Date: Mon, 7 May 2001 12:24:38 -0400 Organization: Posted on a server owned by Pace Micro Technology plc Message-ID: <9d6i89$3nf$1@nh.pace.co.uk> References: <9d6dmc$24v$1@nh.pace.co.uk> NNTP-Posting-Host: 136.170.200.133 X-Trace: nh.pace.co.uk 989252681 3823 136.170.200.133 (7 May 2001 16:24:41 GMT) X-Complaints-To: newsmaster@pace.co.uk NNTP-Posting-Date: 7 May 2001 16:24:41 GMT X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 Xref: newsfeed.google.com comp.lang.ada:7271 Date: 2001-05-07T16:24:41+00:00 List-Id: I read the article that Ted pointed to and I have to agree - they sound like whining crybabies. "We can't compete against someone who is giving their stuff away for free, so its not fair!!! They should stop!!!" (If its such a lousy business model, then why would they be so worried? Just wait for the business model to implode, like the dotcoms they site as examples. Maybe its not such a lousy business model after all? Otherwise why would Micro$oft be out trying to share their source code now?) While there are potential problems with Open Source Software (divergence, infection & the potential for abuses) it is hard to imagine that reasonably intelligent people are suddenly going to jump on the Micro$oft Shared Source stuff if it is more restrictive. Semi-sane developers will ask "What's in it for me?" If I can work with OSS stuff at no cost to me with the possible risk of GPL infection, is there some reason I want to start paying Micro$oft money for access to *their* source? Or at least risking that by using Micro$oft's source I am exposing myself to a predatory giant with a history of eating its "partners"? Gee! I think I'll take my chances with some version of the GPL! Its a little like the Internet itself. The government built it with an eye towards making something that couldn't be stopped by nuclear war. Now they discover that they can't stop it with legislation. (Duh!) Now this Linux thing is out there unleashed on the world of PC developers and users, and Windoze is finding it hard to compete & they have now way of stopping it. (boohoohoo!!! I weep for Micro$oft!) If Windows hadn't been so "proprietary" it might have avoided this sort of competitor. MDC -- Marin David Condic Senior Software Engineer Pace Micro Technology Americas www.pacemicro.com Enabling the digital revolution e-Mail: marin.condic@pacemicro.com Web: http://www.mcondic.com/ "Preben Randhol" wrote in message news:slrn9fdgsv.946.randhol+abuse@kiuk0156.chembio.ntnu.no... > Yes it does. The only reason why Linux isn't already bought and devoured > by Microsoft, is that it isn't something you can buy. It is unattainable > so they are now sucking their thumb and crying : "Mammy, Mammy! I don't > like GPL. It is nice as I won't get so much money for my crappy software > anymore! It forces me to make something that works!" It isn't for > nothing that Sun bought and released the source code of Star Office. > > What they want is to get an alternative to M$ Office, because if they do > get that then people can start uninstalling Windows and install other > OSes. Now "everybody" needs to have Windows because they get > documents in Word or Powerpoint format. It isn't for nothing either > that Micro$oft won't use an open file format for Word, Excel, > Powerpoint etc.., nor make a port to Linux and other Unices... >