Microsoft To Publish Linux

[Walter Dunz]

"David R. Kucharski" <dkucharski1 at home.com> wrote:
> It's not a joke or hoax!
> here's what I saw tonight:
> http://www.planetit. . . . .

Wouldn't surprise me for a minute.  Microsoft has always been masters at
devide and conquer.  While I have no doubt that the report itself is genuine, 
I have seen WAAAAY too many vaporware releases from Gates & co in the last 20
years to actually pay any attention to it until there is actually a product in
the stores.    

What this storey DOES do is confuse many would be Linux vendors and users and
VENTURE CAPITALISTS.  This is like what a pump-fake does to the pass rush in
football.  It slows down the pass rush to give the quarter back a little more
time.

Vaporware will freeze some of the people that have been considering climing
down off the fence and getting involved with Linux.  Many of them will decide
to wait a little longer to see what Microsoft will do and that takes away some
of the momentum from the Linux movement.  

We don't NEED to give MS any extra time to think up new ways to kill our
operating system the way they have killed so many others.  We don't want to to
allow them time to put out another slop product to steal any market share from
a native Linux App vendor that has been making products for us all along.  

Let's do ourselves a favor, DON'T spread this information around.  There is
NOTHING real or solid about the announcement.  When you take out all the
guesswork and supposition, it really doesn't say anything.  (I have a compiler
in the basement for writing stuff for 'doze 95 - that don't mean I actually
use it!)  

Why do Microsoft a favor by spreading gossip around?  Make 'em pay for any
rumors they want to have spread!  Besides, it will take a couple of years - at
least - for them actually put together something, and it will be bug ridden
and clunky - as usual.  But then that will also slow things down because they
will have 3 major vapor-date announcements and 5 release date delays just to
keep everyone on the edge of their seat waiting to see what the software is
like!  

Any problems that occur during or after will all be blamed on the open source
development model and half the CEO/CIO's and trade magazines will believe it. 
They will blindly insist that proprietary software is the only way to do
business and a large protion of the herd will follow - leaving us out in the
cold once again.

Does anyone else see a pattern starting to take shape here???  One thing that
I have not seen anyone consider; 

There is nothing to keep Microsoft from making their own distribution of
Linux.

There is nothing to keep Microsoft from adding 'doze32 API interfaces to the
Linux code base.

There is nothing to keep Microsoft following the open source licensing
agreements.

The courts can't! The couts haven't been able to touch 'em.

The Linux supervisory body?  Doubt it!  These guys know how to write code -
not enforce laws.

The people?  Nope!  The first version of teir apps will be cheap or free and
very heavily hyped.  Everyone will want to get a copy just to 'check it out'

Will the Microsoft version work much like any existing version of Linux?

Not hardly!  They don't want anyone switching over to another distro or set of
apps.  They want to be the biggest so they don't HAVE to be compatible with
other software.  Then they can raise the price again with each release.
     
(I'm sorry to go off on a rant here, but I have seen this all before and it
makes me mad!)

Now, back to our regularly scheduled technical program!

 

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