09.12.07
Second Quote of the Day: Locutus on Linux Being Subverted
Linux is in great danger at the moment. That danger started when Microsoft cut their deal with Novell.
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It now appears that Microsoft have started their (in)famous embrace and conqueror strategy on the Linux front.
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By claiming their support for Linux they are effectively and efficiently starting their ownership campaign of the Linux platform. Unless they are stopped then Linux will go the way of Netscape. With large companies like BMW buying into the Winolux combination of WIndows, NOvell and LinUX they are helping to seal the doom of Linux as a free and open computing foundation. They are opening the door to the commercialisation of Linux where it would just become another Windows package with its own EULA and yearly licensing and support fees.
Microsoft wants to create different classes of Linux: ones that work, e.g. with Moonlight, and ones that barely do. Unsurprisingly, Microsoft wants to control and ‘tax’ those that work better. It separates Linux into tiers and wants to have different rates assigned to each. Why? How? Tax.
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.
Stephen said,
September 12, 2007 at 7:48 am
Overly sensationalist (again). Feed deleted. Thanks, and so long for all the fish.
vexorian@gmail.com said,
September 12, 2007 at 8:17 pm
Are you implying this report is false? Cause with the recent moonlight circus I would say it is not. If the fact that SUSE enterprise is the only distribution that can ship moonlight legally does not sound as microsoft intending to create a tiered Linux that requires a tax to work correctly, then I wonder what kind of crazy thing you are waiting before taking that conclussion.
Roy Schestowitz said,
September 12, 2007 at 8:50 pm
@ vexorian:
Stephen, whose opinion I respect, has been posting here since the early days of this Web site. However, he has consistently defended Novell’s move, so I consider him somewhat of an apologist (not necessarily in a bad way because he is polite and rational).
As for his claim about “overly sensationalist” — no, I do not agree. I link to and write about what I believe in, based on evidence that I have. We have said what was cited above from the very start. Microsoft is creating its own ‘baby Linux’, but it’s a Linux that Microsoft controls. Microsoft can change rules at any time.
If we choose SUSE Linux, we enter Microsoft’s pen of sheep. Never ever get close to the butcher. Over the years (even more recently), Microsoft has revealed its plan to ‘kill’ Linux (in its present form). Even the folks at Port 25 feel this way, no matter how hard they will try to deny this. I remember very well what Bill Hilf said.