Microsoft + standards

[piratePenguin]

And just incase anyone else brings it up: I try hard to avoid using non-free software on my computer, and otherwise-supporting non-free software and their developers. That severely limits my choice of operating system, web-browser, etc., and it means that I won't always base my choice of software on "does a better job" or anything like that. I'll put licence before basically everything else, when I can.

So, even if Opera really, undoubtably, beats the living shit out of Mozilla, I'll try hard not to use or otherwise-support Opera so long as it isn't free. I don't think that makes me weak. Infact, quite the opposite. But I'd say that anyhow.

I don't do this because I'm holding out for Utopia. I do it because I like the smell of the air in Utopia.

[MarathoN]

The reason why I got rid of Slackware is because I just wasn't using it enough, and I need that extra space for data.

I've already tried Windows XP on this machine, and it's a pile of shit IMO, whereas with Windows 2000 it runs fine without me having to waste my fucking time making it "steel-walled" :rolleyes:

I'm not trying to justify my reasons for using Windows, but I try my best to use all the free software I can on Windows (and by free I mean open source).

[H_TeXMeX_H]

I only think you're retarded if you eat shit.

Using M$ products often involves eating a bit of shit here and there ... or a lot of it in some cases (Vista, XBOX 360)

[dmcfarland]

I didnt say you were stupid.You reffered to yourself as being stupid. :p

Thanks, I must be stupid then. :rolleyes:

[MarathoN]

Well, you were making an assumption that most people who use Windows are stupid, and I fit into that category who use Windows? :rolleyes:

[Orethrius]

Well, you were making an assumption that most people who use Windows are stupid, and I fit into that category who use Windows? :rolleyes:

Actually, given your response to something he never said, I'd say you fit more into the reactionary 5% (roughly 50,000,000) of the some half-billion users of Windows, the approximations being: 90% stupid, 5% reactionary, and 5% intelligent (about 95% (4.5% of total) of which are using, have used, or are considering "alternative" Operating Systems), not counting overlap.

[mobrien_12]

It's still bull****.  So they make a "standard."  It's still patent encumbered and they won't licence it to open source.  

One of MS' employees had a "blog" about how everyone is so stupid about being suspicious of this move.  It was a pretty derogatory piece of MS propaganda.  I called him on it, and brought up how MS tried to force their "sender ID" crap into the email standard, but would hold patents on it to keep Open Source from using it.  I told him that this would be no different.  His reponse was quite honest


http://www.zdnet.com/5208-11048-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=15355&messageID=306253&start=0

Open source has designed their license to make patent trading impossible. Sorry, the company with the biggest target on their shirt can be expected to want to effect patent trades.

But as I explained in a previous blog post, there is NO REASON for open source to demand automatic sublicensing. Lacking justification, it's like me demanding people who use my software wear heels and a top hat.

I've read arguments from those who try to defend the policy. Sorry, I'm not convinced and found the arguments lacking in substance, which may explain why few legal luminaries in the open source world bother to say anything more about the policy than "open source requires it."

So the MS standard means very little in the way of openness.  You get to use it only under their conditions.  

It's the same BS.

[themacuser]

Umm, actually the only article about that which says Apple are backing it is the Yahoo one. I don't 100% trust Yahoo for reliable news...

[worker201]

Umm, actually the only article about that which says Apple are backing it is the Yahoo one. I don't 100% trust Yahoo for reliable news...

I don't 100% trust anybody for reliable news.  But Yahoo! doesn't write news stories - they get them straight off the wire from AP and Reuter's.  So if you can trust a newspaper, or much of CNN, you can trust Yahoo!.  Even the AP has a little bias, but it's probably one of the best news sources in the US.

[adiment]

what are they trying to gain by standardizing the Office XML format? I don't get it...:nothappy:

[worker201]

It's called PR - public relations.  Dumbfucks who have no idea what XML even stands for see the newspaper headlines, and see that Microsoft is playing nice finally, and they gain more respect for Microsoft as a company.  This theoretically makes them continue to purchase MS products.  MS has lost a staggering amount of respect lately, and they will do anything they can to get it back.