Re: We need to take a stand on opensource now

On Thu, Apr 08, 1999 at 06:56:33 -0700, Christoph Lameter wrote:
> There are widespread rumors that Microsoft is up to something with
> OpenSource.

E.g. http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB19990407S0035

> And they are bound to screwing around with what it means.

Undoubtedly. But let's not be too hasty and say they're doing so
deliberately already.

E.g.,
:We are trying to understand this whole notion of open source," Ballmer
:said. "Most CIOs don't want their people to touch the source code," but
:some customers find "a certain comfort level" in having access to the code.

We can't tell for sure if this is a literal quote, or a distorted one. And
even if it were literal, it may still be the informal meaning ("source
available") to which "open source" often refers when used colloquially.

It's official statements, press releases etc. we need to look extremely
careful at. In press articles, the distortion may well be caused by the
media not understanding what Open Source is.

Ray
--
PATRIOTISM A great British writer once said that if he had to choose
between betraying his country and betraying a friend he hoped he would
have the decency to betray his country.
- The Hipcrime Vocab by Chad C. Mulligan