Message from discussion Microsoft's Scott Guthrie Lies About/Twists "Cross-platform" to Hijack Web

Path: g2news1.google.com!news1.google.com!news2.google.com!news.glorb.com!bigfeed2.bellsouth.net!bignumber.bellsouth.net!news.bellsouth.net!bignews1.bellsouth.net.POSTED!288783e7!not-for-mail
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy
From: Linonut <lino...@bollsouth.nut>
Subject: Re: Microsoft's Scott Guthrie Lies About/Twists "Cross-platform" to  Hijack Web
References: <2202722.rPuWonVL68@schestowitz.com> <616pr0bnwabh.dlg@funkenbusch.com> <9d1e95-e0l.ln1@sirius.tg00suus7038.net> <09ce6f89-f586-494e-bd73-f6e65f322909@e10g2000prf.googlegroups.com> <6v9r95-tf6.ln1@sky.matrix> <5f045007-e154-4e58-9515-14d3c06ef4be@s37g2000prg.googlegroups.com>
Organization: Part of the new AT&T!
Reply-To: lino...@be11south.net
X-Alter-Ego: C.h.r.i.s. .A.h.l.s.t.r.o.m
User-Agent: slrn/0.9.8.1pl1 (Debian)
Lines: 58
Message-ID: <x0Wyj.5584$dT.3170@bignews1.bellsouth.net>
X-Complaints-To: abuse@bellsouth.net
X-Abuse-Info: Please forward a copy of all headers for proper handling
X-Trace: pcpocbcnbdmdhgfgdbdpiflmbcekedmfhojhikkbagflhcboaipgdeklkmcoaeoifbhihjdofojacjgbmbhdpgmglfnpicphihbihliohechmkebnomfelohmhimpblmomhflodflaejmdmhfhnnlojlkbmffbff
NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:51:41 EST
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 11:51:57 -0500

* Miguel de Icaza peremptorily fired off this memo:

>>
>> 1) ... What proportion of Mono uses Microsoft's patented technology,
>> including that which is is part of the ECMA specifications?
>
> Read our policy on patents (Microsoft or otherwise):
>
> http://www.mono-project.com/FAQ:_Licensing
>
> Which is not different than any other open source project.

It sure as hell is different:

   Both the Mono runtime and the Mono C# Compiler are also available
   under a proprietary license for those who can not use the LGPL and
   the GPL in their code.

   For licensing details, contact mono-licens...@novell.com
   (mailto:mono-licens...@novell.com)

>> 3) ... To what degree do you Trust Microsoft, either in terms of their
>> promises; their motivations; or their commitment to a competing platform
>> like Linux?
>
> This is a question that is suitable for Teen magazine or Cosmo.
>
>> 4) ... Do you foresee a point in the future where access to much of the
>> Web might be impossible, or at least extraordinarily difficult, without
>> the use of Silverlight, much like Microsoft tried to do with ActiveX and
>> other proprietary; encumbered; and non-standard technology during the
>> Netscape years?
>
> Another question suitable for Teen magazine.
>
> I have blogged extensively about this question, you might want to read
> my blog on those subjects.  There are two dimensions to this problem,
> and I have addressed both: a) Microsoft providing a tool that
> people actually want to use, with a feature range of things that
> are genuinely useful while nobody else is;

Isn't that statement rather, uh, arrogant?

> (b) whether its good for Linux to be a second class citizen on the web
> when you are unable to watch content.

You need to rephrase it.  The question is whether it is good to convert
citizens into second-class citizens on the web by virtue of restricting
their access to content to a format promulgated by a large, powerful,
and dominant corporation, requiring the relatively expensive purchase of
a proprietary (and unlicensed for production by any other vendor)
operating system.

-- 
We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and
underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don't let yourself
be lulled into inaction.
   -- Bill Gates