Microsoft becoming pro-open source?

[hismajesty]

Has anybody else noticed that, recently, Microsoft has been releasing mroe source code/making more projects open source that I've noticed in the past?

They released open source sample applications with the Whidbey beta, and have made a lot of other things open source such as Cassini. Then, what made me decide to post this topic, today the announcement was made that their ASP.NET forums, which in my opinion are very nice, are now becoming open source.

Perhaps this is Microsoft trying to appeal to more pro-open source developers and appear less like a monopolizing company?

[Maddox]

Or maybe they are hoping by releasing source they are increasing .NET development?

[quasi-modo]

microsoft is slowly but definatly making a move towards open source I think. I have noticed it too. Infact I read an article about it a while back that speculated that windows would go open source in the future. I guess open source is just the way to be.

[SNiFFeR]

microsoft is slowly but definatly making a move towards open source I think. I have noticed it too. Infact I read an article about it a while back that speculated that windows would go open source in the future. I guess open source is just the way to be.

Well, more people want open source programming. What'd you expect?

They'll probably give away, half the source code, and you'd have to buy the rest. lol.

[hismajesty]

I don't think Windows should be open source. There'd be a lot of security holes found instantly and it'd really hurt Microsoft since Windows is one of their top selling software.

[Stealth]

If it were open source, more people are reviewing the code. Thus, a larger pool of people are available to:

1. Spot bugs before they affect performance or security
2. Repair bugs once they are discovered



I think the real reason Microsoft is doing opensource stuff is to prove that their programmers can really write code. Windows Me was pretty slipshod.

[Maddox]

I think the real reason Microsoft is doing opensource stuff is to prove that their programmers can really write code. Windows Me was pretty slipshod.

That's definitely not the reason.

[Stealth]

The winky-face implies that I'm making a poor attempt at a joke. =)

[Maddox]

I thought you were refering to "Windows Me was pretty slipshod."

[iago]

(01:19:02) Trust: Microsoft <3 Open source :p
(01:19:19) iago: Microsoft </3 losing money to Linux

I think that explains everything

[quasi-modo]

(01:19:02) Trust: Microsoft <3 Open source :p
(01:19:19) iago: Microsoft </3 losing money to Linux

I think that explains everything

I don't think they are loosing much to linux. Maybe possibly in the web server market, but they still completely dominate the desktop world. Hell my next door neighbor though windows was the only operating system, she didn't know what linux was, never eaven heard of it. Or unix. She had heard of macs before though... but they advertise.

[iago]

(01:19:02) Trust: Microsoft <3 Open source :p
(01:19:19) iago: Microsoft </3 losing money to Linux

I think that explains everything

I don't think they are loosing much to linux. Maybe possibly in the web server market, but they still completely dominate the desktop world. Hell my next door neighbor though windows was the only operating system, she didn't know what linux was, never eaven heard of it. Or unix. She had heard of macs before though... but they advertise.

I know a lot of people who've never heard of Linux.  I have also heard of a lot of people who have changed over to using Linux instead of Windows (myself, for one).  More and more people are using Linux at home.  Maybe not a large percent, but some people.

[MyndFyre]

microsoft is slowly but definatly making a move towards open source I think. I have noticed it too. Infact I read an article about it a while back that speculated that windows would go open source in the future. I guess open source is just the way to be.

I think a good part of the reason that Microsoft is going open-source is that .NET is decompilable, even after obfuscation (although I have to say, Dotfuscator really messes you up sometimes.  It makes looks like:

Code Select Expand


while (true) {
 return;
}

isn't that retarded-looking?)

Even if Windows went open-source, though, how many changes would they take as suggestions?

Plus, Windows is made up of so many other programs, how would you keep track?  They can't make Windows Media Player open-source because it would make it possible to find ways to crack the media protection.

[Banana fanna fo fanna]

Linux doesn't present remotely any threat at all to the Windows desktop. Period.

[Mephisto]

(01:19:02) Trust: Microsoft <3 Open source :p
(01:19:19) iago: Microsoft </3 losing money to Linux

I think that explains everything

I don't think they are loosing much to linux. Maybe possibly in the web server market, but they still completely dominate the desktop world. Hell my next door neighbor though windows was the only operating system, she didn't know what linux was, never eaven heard of it. Or unix. She had heard of macs before though... but they advertise.

I know a lot of people who've never heard of Linux.  I have also heard of a lot of people who have changed over to using Linux instead of Windows (myself, for one).  More and more people are using Linux at home.  Maybe not a large percent, but some people.

And I'm sure for every person that switches to Linux on their desktop computer a new one buys a new desktop PC with Windows (maybe even more?).  And of those people who do switch to Linux, probably have to switch back to Windows quite a bit for compatability reasons with their programs and what their friends and family use.  I'm sure even hardcore Linux users have to use Windows sometimes (iago?).