Microsoft launches open source foundation (Linux-Watch)

Posted Sep 14, 2009 0:14 UTC (Mon) by PaulWay (guest, #45600)
Parent article: Microsoft launches open source foundation (Linux-Watch)

I think what this proves to me is that Microsoft's vision of "Open Source" and "Collaboration" is to build their own. There's SourceForge, there's Github, there's PDPC, there's a handful of other big 'open source collaboration' sites already in existence and they have to build another. And what as the real open source world been doing all this time? Not waiting for Microsft, of course - we've just been actually writing our own code and talking in our own projects and working together like we normally do. In our hundreds of thousands of little projects we are already stronger than Microsoft will ever be.

I think this is just going to be another one of those things that they talk about, and when no-one buys in and makes it worthwhile they just quietly shunt aside and try to forget about - like OOXML. The lesson here is that Microsoft does not play well with us if we try to co-operate with it - it tries to play well with us when we go and do things.

Have fun,

Paul

P.S. Yes, I agree with the 'schizo-soft' interpretation - I'm talking primarily about upper management and company direction here.

Strange...

Posted Sep 14, 2009 20:52 UTC (Mon) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link] (1 responses)

When another well-known company built it's own open source hub reaction was more positive... may be because it was done will less fanfare and more substance. Compare Microsoft's "We wanted a foundation that addresses a full spectrum of software projects, and does so with the licensing and intellectual property needs of commercial software companies in mind" with Google's "Code.google.com is our site for external developers interested in Google- related development. Its where well publish free source code and lists of our API services"...

Actually it may be more difference between Google culture (code comes first, merketing will come later) and Microsoft culture (marketing is the king... everywhere and without restraints), but the difference is stricking.

Strange...

Posted Sep 15, 2009 14:39 UTC (Tue) by hingo (guest, #14792) [Link]

Hmm... Google doesn't have a foundation though?

Bear in mind that the site codeplex.com has existed for years, this announcement is about spinning off to an independent foundation (and putting money in it). Sure, it's easy to be sceptical about Microsofts intentions, I just want to correct obvious facts.