[kwlug-disc] Fwd: MSDN enews: Microsoft is more open than ever

[Bob Jonkman]

On 12-10-14 10:44 AM, Raul Suarez wrote:
> Does this qualify as "then we win"?

No, this is still "then they fight you".

"Win" happens when the underlying software (including OS) is also made
available as free software.

To me this is the "embrace" part of Microsoft's Embrace and Extend
strategy. But I'm not worried about developers (mis)directing their
efforts to this Microsoft Open Source. Any amount of free software is
good, no matter what the motiviation.

I *am* worried about additional lock-in that Open Data  clients will
experience.  When a municipality legislates that their data be made
openly available, I worry that they'll still continue to use closed,
proprietary, and expensive software to do so. But it's a good first
step, and any amount of Open Data is good, no matter what the underlying
software.

> 
> Who remember "GPL is a cancer"?

Frédéric Harper is talking about creating "Open Source", not "Free
Software", and there's no mention of the GPL here.  Yes, he says "think
about free software" in the same sentence he mentions Visual Studio 8.
That's not free software, not even open source software.  Even if I
release my VS8 code it isn't truly free because others can't use it
unless they acquire non-free software to compile it.  I think GPL v3
specifically disallows this, requiring code to be free in practice so
that it can be actually used without constraints.

--Bob.

> 
> 
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: MSDN enews: Microsoft is more open than ever
> From: Microsoft Canada <caflash at e-mail.microsoft.com>
> To: rarsa at yahoo.com
> CC: 
> 
[unreadable HTML gibberish removed]
>
> Frédéric Harper Technical Evangelist Microsoft Canada
> 
>            There has never been a better time to work with
> Microsoft technology than this exact moment. Think about Windows 8,
> Windows Phone, Windows Azure, and this ecosystem working together to
> get your application idea to the next level. On top of this,
> Microsoft has never been so open than now!
> 
> Think about a Web Standard like HTML5. Microsoft Corporation’s latest
> version of Internet Explorer includes all the features you love about
> HTML5, and CSS3 that makes people like Grant Skinner bring back
> preferred Atari Games in Microsoft browsers and touch devices. You
> can also use your HTML skills to build amazing Windows 8-based Modern
> apps or games.
> 
> Think about Open Source with all projects on Codeplex. Microsoft also
> released the code of SDKs like the one for Windows Azure on GitHub.
> Find the repository you want, fork Microsoft code or help Microsoft
> implement the next crucial feature of this platform. Talking about
> Windows Azure, deploying a Wordpress, Joomla or Drupal website has
> never been so easy with our Website offer.
> 
> Think about Open Data. Microsoft worked with Open Source Software &
> Open Gov communities to develop a Drupal 7 based content management
> framework specifically for Open Government portals. It’s how the
> DataPublic project was born. We also worked with the City of Regina
> and Niagara region to make an Open Data pilot and a portal. Last but
> not least, the Open Data Platform Installer that simplifies the roll
> out of Open Data platforms for non-technical folks.
> 
> Think about Interoperability, Microsoft technology working with
> non-Microsoft technologies. PHP on Windows? It works just well now.
> Linux as a Virtual Machine in the cloud? It’s possible, and we even
> have predefined images for you. Developing a Django Python
> application for the cloud on Windows, Mac or a Linux based machine?
> No problem.
> 
> Think about free software as it helps developers like you focus on
> the most important, your code. Visual Studio Express 2012 gives you
> everything you need to build Windows 8-based applications from
> scratch or from a template. WebMatrix helps you create and deploy Web
> applications on Windows Azure easily.
> 
> These are just some examples of the openness of Microsoft at this
> time, and it’s just the beginning! As a developer, you don’t work
> with only one technology, and we wanted to offer you all these
> possibilities to be successful. At the end, it’s all about making the
> Web, and not the war. If you have any questions or comments around
> these topics, and the openness of Microsoft, feel free to reach out
> to me.
> 
> Share
> 
>       
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> .NET Appfest Revolution, Presented by ObjectSharp
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> 
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