Sectorgame

Interesting bit on slashdot about how Microsoft are twisting words in order to undermine the open source movement.

Many of you wil know that I'm not a fan of MS, I try to point out why in a coherent and convincing manner so if you want to support them please do the same yourself. (not that I don't expect you to)

http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/09/01/commission

Ok that is being a bit anal, and I generally support Microsoft.

Explain?

I dont think reg read it fully.... since microsoft was trying to supress the open-source movement in schools...

The funny part was the woman trying to pretend that it her choice wasn't being motivated by Mirosoft when it so obviously was.

I did read the whole article...

Martinus wrote:Explain?

Of late, I've been using alot of Microsoft software, taking part in alot of betas etc. I have grown a bit of respect for them is all I'm saying.

But yeah, being so anal as to dispute the words in a single paragraph... =/
I guess they still have their sour turds in the company at places...

I'm just saying is I don't have the explicit view of them being the giant big evil corporation of doom. They are just a company with mostly good business sense, and the occasional retardedness and lack of responsibility.

You do understand that irrespective of your views on Microsoft that open source is a fundamentally better (and possibly morally better) way of doing things?

You're not tied to anyone's way of telling you to use a computer how they see fit. Methods used to restrict your usage of the computer as a tool, in any way you deem appropriate become irrelevant.

Other companies have proven that it's a financially viable way of doing things. My beef with Microsoft is not their software, it's their attempts to remove our ability to choose.

Any company that does 'business' is inherently evil, and full of scrounging bastards. Even if the people actually doing the work are the nicest in the world, good businessmen( and women) always are cunts. Like where I work.

Oh definitly, I love open source software also. But there is alot of stuff that microsoft has done for developers (programming for their platforms at least).

To some extent, I believe that the open source movement has benefited from MS asshattery at times, encouraging some talented individuals to work open source. Or even developers working open source in their spare time.

Lately, iirc Microsoft has opened an opensource department themselves. One of my lecturer's was wearing a T-Shirt that said: "Snowballs reported in hell..." on the other side: "Microsoft open source development <link>". I'd have to chase up the link.

It's probably not true open source in the sense of the word, but they are slowly moving towards at least some progress.

But yeah, we are capitalist's, and its the world we live in. It would be nice to see Microsoft be a little more proactive in helping the IT community rather than monopolise everything though. =/

Its not necessarily that I like microsoft, I can just respect them. (most of the time anywho )