Blog 4 Jordan Day

Visitor of the day

You
from

Authors

Brag Stats

Comments:25,004
Articles:2,000
Article Hits:12,459,805
Unique Visitors:2,000,438
Rss Subscribers:3,052
Comment Subscribers:2,530
Spammers:136,315
Generated :757,671 spams
Monitoring:3,942,477 spam IPs

Powered by Qwaider Shield

Microsoft goes open-source, well kinda

By: Qwaider

On:Thursday, February 21, 2008 8:12:12 PM
In:Science & Technology
Viewed: (5533) times

Currently 4.7/5 Stars.
1
2
3
4
5

Rated 4.7/5 stars (97 votes cast)

Breaking news, Microsoft have finally budged in under the massive pressure of the EU. Microsoft has vowed to become kinder, gentler and more open. Focusing on interoperability and openness!

Hence forth, the Windows, Office, SQL, Exchange and Sharepoint (and future versions of these products) will have open API, and commitment to portability and will be accessible to developers without requiring a license or a fee.

Don't get your hopes too high though. This doesn't mean you will be getting software for free or any cheaper. This is just another interesting way Microsoft is trying to improve it's negative image in the eyes of developers and consumers.

But who really cares what the motives are! The last argument for open source fanatics is about to be shattered as the software giant -who couldn't beat them- decided to join them.

Good news? Bad news? Who knows!

More here:

Official announcement: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/interoperability/default.mspx
And news:
Wallstreet Journal
Techcrunch
Zdnet
AFP

My thoughts:

About 'ffin time! Although, I'm not expecting anything major to change!

Other Memories Documented on February 21

You asked, and I listened..
by: Qwaider.
In: 2010
Viewed: (4751) times

ريحتها بصل..
by: Qwaider.
In: 2009
Viewed: (5610) times

Add Qwaider Planet to your Live Messenger..
by: Qwaider.
In: 2009
Viewed: (6820) times

Say good-bye to blackheads!..
by: Deemco.
In: 2008
Viewed: (9267) times

How Microsoft stole my dream!..
by: Qwaider.
In: 2008
Viewed: (5545) times

My promised post about Math.....
by: Qwaider.
In: 2008
Viewed: (5657) times

« Say good-bye to blackheads!

Why do they revert!? »

Memories....

#1
Hani Obaid
Said
On: 2/22/2008 12:04:50 AM

Add to free for developers, free for college students (and suposedly soon also school kids).

Everyone likes freebies, most of all broke college kids who will then get used to MS software when they go to the workplace.

Regardless, everybody wins. good move!

#2
Abed Hamdan
Said
On: 2/22/2008 1:47:42 PM

I think it's good news, It will help make their products more interoperable.

#3
العبيط
Said
On: 2/22/2008 8:49:28 PM

although i am a windows user...
but i really support open source...

and for me... i think it is like how Mahatma ghandi said it

First They ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you
then you win...

people, open source is the future... i think ( in my really really humble opinion)....

#4
Qwaider
Said
On: 2/23/2008 12:38:03 AM

Hani,
Yep

Abed
You find Ms products less compatible than others!? Have you tried Firefox? :D

ال[مش]ـــعبيط
Open source is just a gimmick, there's nothing extra that you get with it. 99.9% of the people will not care if it's open source or not.

open source, if it's backed by enough support from the governments to protect intellectual properties is a good thing. But, I hate the idea that the original developer ends up eating his lunch out of a dumpster while others take his code and end up making millions .. if not billions!

#5
العبيط
Said
On: 2/23/2008 9:16:52 AM

well. Q

i think you are mixing some separate things together

Open source is not about a developer will eat his launch out of dump...
it is a free world. and the developer has the ;liberty of making his source open or not...
even if it is open there is several licenses Such as (GPL) and others that prevent some usage of the code to enclose it in an preperritary software...

open source is about contribution with the community to produce something no body own, coz it is human knowledge...

#6
Qwaider
Said
On: 2/23/2008 11:09:34 AM

العبيط
I am fully aware what open source "dream" is. In the real world, there are bills, tuitions, children that need to eat and "sharing" for the benefit of human kind doesn't put food on the table! I should know since this is what I do for a living.
It's like someone writing a book. Sure you can donate it all for free. But you need to live, too. You need to eat!

Someone who knows their way around code, can take your open source code polish it, commercialize it and make money out of it. While you go on living on the good feeling that you contributed to man kind

#8
KJ
Said
On: 2/24/2008 8:44:59 AM

Maybe Windows Shitsa should go open source as well so that REAL developers can iron it out

#9
Mariam Ayyash
Said
On: 2/24/2008 1:37:06 PM

yeah its probably good, they are obviously not letting go of much, but hey, they are increasing their products market humongously, jsut like facebook platform, its theirs, the framework is theirs, the idea, the website, the database, but the API is free to be used, except that, had they had their API open source, it would really grow out of proportion... i dont see open source going against software industry, its healthy and its a win win situation if its done right