We won! (sorta...)

[Interscope]

Microsoft stated that they'll release they're source code to company's...

Of course it isn't totally open but I see this as an act of desperation. They're weak, they see the power of open source but they are too blind to do something right.

Weaklings. I'd like to see how soon it'll leak to warez sites and such.

http://slashdot.org/articles/03/01/15/030217.shtml?tid=109

[SAJChurchey]

The shared source licensing plan is very simple:

Some business must already have 1500 licenses in order to get the source.

IT depts. can look at it, but they can't modify it or share it w/ anyone.  They just have it to "better understand the software".  IT depts. can submit bug reports, but M$ can choose to ignore them if they want, which they will

When shared licensing finally goes into effect, it's going to be on the internet anyway b/c of some disgruntled IT employee.

If crackers had an easy time finding holes in the software now; just imagine if they had the source code.  I mean, basically you can close your eyes point your finger at a random place in the source code and find a bug.  

I hope M$ does release the souce code.  Then maybe black market copies of debugged Windows will show up.

[Calum]

that would be awful.

i hope they withold their code to the bitter end because if people made windows better, you can bet microsoft would stick it in one of their mystery service packs and it would give microsoft windows another ten years to live because it wouldn't be quite so shit in the minds of the people.

[Interscope]

Lets see...

Code leaks>>> People use it to pull WINE out of Alpha stage>>> More people switch to Linux>>> People start making ports for Linux>>>M$ is sqaushed away

It is a failed plan. Just compare it to OSX, Apple withholds some code but the core is open source and EVERYONE can edit it.

Those people cannot edit it and only look at it. Only M$ can edit it. We all know M$, M$ ignores bug reports for at least half a year or so.

[lazygamer]

What I like is that there is more then one way to win. No one will really know what will happen. So Palladium may kill Wind0ze rather then hinder it, or it may not kill it and fuck things up.

Awesome Wine compatibility could mean that Linux doesn't get true ports, but maybe it could because the number of Wind0ze refuges would greatly rise. Then again, maybe it wouldn't make much difference in terms of refuges and just damages the Linux cause. No one knows...

[DC]

Let's see:

Code leaks>>> People use it to pull WINE out of Alpha stage>>> More people switch to Linux>>> MS sues Wine for copyright infringements>>> endless legal battles and fines draining OSS-money.

This is downright dirty.

[lazygamer]

Hmmm excellent point DC, something I never considered!

[Calum]

i think wine is shitty software anyway. if it didn't exist, how much more native ports would we see? how many more work hours would have been put into real projects instead?

[Refalm]

No. Wine(X) is great, because people can play their favorite Windows game in Linux, and stop using Windows.

[Calum]

they can stop using windows anyway and get over it! wineX is even worse what with it being closed source and charging you money for alpha/beta stage software (sounds a bit like lindows).

i don't use windows, i don't need to use wine (although it did come with red hat and i confess i tried it out on notepad and defrag (that was funny) to see how it went) and frankly i can live without the software i don't have for linux.

talk about half full/empty! think of all the things you DO get with linux that you don't get with windows! if windows programs are that important to people, they should dual boot and email the program maintainers about it.

[lazygamer]

I guess it's like a hunger strike, if everyone gave up their Wine for 2 years(and dualbooted), good things might happen.

The neat thing is, there is all sorts of games you can play on Linux with emulators, hours and hours and hours of 0ld$k00l!  

[flap]

rms commented that emulators like wine are a good thing because, if people must use proprietary windows software, they're better off using the stuff that they already have rather than pressuring software developers to develop the same non-free products for linux.

[Calum]

rms says a lot of things.

personally i would be sceptical of a man who seems to get so passionate about free beer.

----

seriously though, i have my opinions and he has his. what he says is based on what's best for the user, what i say is based on what's best for the community and, by extension, the user.

[flap]

mm, that seems the wrong way around to me; it's the free beer idea he's trying to get people away from.

And actually what he wants is what's best for the community, while those who desire immediate convenience want what's best for the individual user. Not the other way around.

[Calum]

so why's he saying people should refuse to receive .doc files in their email because they are a proprietary format and then turning a full 180 degrees round and saying people should use proprietary binary programs instead of pestering manufacturers and distributors to relax a little? are you really saying that having no native linux versions and everybody needing to use some alpha stage emulator is the best for the community? (maybe this community has had so much free beer that it can't see in front of its face).