Microsoft Loves Linux
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Chris DiBona
Mar. 04, 2004 04:57 PM
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URL: http://www.opensource.org/halloween/halloween10.html...
In the most recent Halloween document, it appears that Microsoft might have funded SCO's little attack on Linux to the tune of some $86 million dollars. First of all, can we call this a Casmir Pulaski Document as it is falling on Casmir Pulaski's day, a holiday in the state of Illinois? 10 Halloween documents, and not all that many fall on that one day. That said. ..Microsoft is spending money to come after Linux. I don't want to downplay the importance of this, but ....what of it? They will come after Linux with every weapon in their monopolist arsenal including but not limited to:
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Monopoly control of the server and desktop vendors
Lawyers of every stripe and morality (or lack thereof)
New and compelling applications (they got 'em, don't fool yourself that this isn't their most potent of weapons)
Their vast army of salespeople and marketers.
The ability to create and pass favorable legislation for themselves.
The ability to create and pass harmful legislation against their enemies.
In short, the kind of action described in the recent Casmir (You know, the polish "Father of the Cavalry"?) document shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone (and likely doesn't!). The only surprise that accompanied its release is that this is the first we're hearing of it and that more underhanded attacks on Linux aren't out in the open.
Look at what they're up against with the Free Software world... hundreds of thousands of developers, even more enthusiasts acting as an informal marketing team, enormous companies like IBM and the rest with a vested interest in the sucess of Linux, they have a competitor who can truly hurt them now. I'm not trying to evoke sympathy for them, mind you, but its not like we're in the wrong weight class.
A ballpark figure that ESR bandies about in the document is around $100m dollars, I'd be willing to bet that an even billion has been set aside. I don't want to speculate on what it has been spent on, I would rather hear from you what you think they're writing the checks for today? What should we anticipate tomorrow?
And one last postscript: I gotta wonder....is this the best Microsoft can do with $100m?
Chris DiBona is the cofounder of both Konstrux Technologies, which implements gforge for companies, and her sister company, Damage Studios.
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Chris your rigth
2004-03-05 03:02:51 dragonecc [Reply | View]
As horrable or fantastic this may soon the think is that it may be real. If you take a look @ Microsoft Investment in the past Microsoft Invesment & Acquisition List
you can see that they are willing to do such a think.
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