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Author: Lars Noodén
Date:  
To: dng
Subject: Re: [DNG] (forw) [GoLugTech] Microsoft buys GitHub
On 06/05/2018 02:06 PM, Mark Rousell wrote:
> On 05/06/2018 07:19, Alessandro Selli wrote:
>> On 04/06/2018 at 18:40, Mark Rousell wrote:
>>> On 04/06/2018 17:02, salsa-dev@??? wrote:
>>>> Personally I see this as a part of "embrace open source" strategy to kill
>>>> open source.
>>>>
>>>> # Serge
>>>>
>>> I can't see that it would be in Microsoft's interest to kill open source.
>> Really? Are you kidding?
>
> The simple truth is that Microsoft is now making money out of open
> source (and users of open source software). Thus killing or harming open
> source no longer makes sense for Microsoft.


If M$ actually were into FOSS, it'd support ODF and other open standards
in its products, rather than breaking them. Or it would join the OIN to
show that it is on the same team and stop shaking down
Android/Linux-using companies and other */Linux users over software
patents. Actions speak louder than words.

> Their revenue going forward depends on playing nicely with open source.


Their revenue does not yet depend on helping FOSS, but it does depend on
people repeating that untruth that it does. Where they are making money
off of FOSS is through their shakedowns over software patents. That is
a core part of their Azure strategy, too. For Azure if another company
threatens M$ over software patents, M$ just sells them a few more for a
song and then sends them off to attack competitors. M$ used to depend
on the OEM monopoly and the office file format monopoly and to a certain
extent it still does. But they are moving those cash cows under Azure
to make "cloud" look like growth.

M$ will screw up GitHub both on purpose and by accident. Take a look at
Nokia, Hotmail, and Skype. Politically they can't mess with it right
away while people are watching, but expect the claws to come out within
two years of acquisition after people have time to forget. Time is
needed, recall what Ralph wrote about TTL of societal knowledge.

/Lars