12.04.08
Novell/Microsoft Deceive About Moonlight, Generate Hype
Novell seems to be lying again…
FOR background, see this very recent ISV lie. Novell’s press releases contain lies and the latest example, which is dishonest at best, we shall cover one item at a time and allow readers draw their own conclusions.
Announcement
Novell’s Moonlight is widely known as a second-class ‘Silverlight’ which enables Microsoft to turn GNU/Linux users into second-class citizens of the Web [1, 2, 3]. We have stressed this point so many times before [1, 2, 3].
Watch the headline of Novell’s press release about Moonlight: Moonlight 1.0 Beta Makes Linux Users First Class Citizens For Digital Media (also here)
The Moonlight Project and Novell are proud to announce the 1.0 beta release of Moonlight, an implementation of Silverlight for Linux.
What does that mean (especially the headline)? Is it about digital media? How does that make “Linux Users” first-class citizens? It's a lie.
The blogging from Miguel de Icaza came around the same time. He also did a post about the non-Free component of Moonlight. To say that Moonlight is Free software is like saying that a wolf in sheep’s clothing is a sheep. At the very heart of this complete piece of software there is proprietary and patent-encumbered code. The world does not need any of this. We already have Ogg and <video>, which are supported by one of the most popular Web browser.
No Thanks!
In addition to Ogg, there is also SVG, as pointed out in this comment about the announcement from Novell.
Today almost everybody have flash installed and browsers of tomorrow will run Javascript very fast. In combination with SVG support such browsers will be able to handle most of the things Silverlight can do. Around 25% of the users uses such a non Microsoft browser on their desktop. Then there are mobile phones
where the browser diversity is even bigger.
But Microsoft does not support SVG (not properly anyway) and it was told off for it by the father of the Web. In other comments from LinuxToday, Novell is called “a Microsoft proxy.”
There is a positive side of Microsoft’s push to kill flash using Novell (a Microsoft proxy). And that positive side is that Adobe might be forced to open source flash. Wouldn’t that be neat?
And the following comment says it all really.
The sad thing is that Miguel thinks we are collectively dense and naive enough to believe him and use this stuff. Too many years under the MS yoke have taught those of us with functioning memories otherwise. There are so many things wrong with this I don’t really know where to begin but thats OK; those that have their eyes open don’t need to be told and the ones that are going into this with blinders on are by definition not going to see anything new anyways.
Miguel can do what he wants; he has almost zero credibility left (can be bought and bought cheaply) so for now its apt-get purge libmono*.
Here is the sole reaction from TuxMachines:
I have an uneasy feeling about installing anything that’s been touched by Microsoft.
Novell boosters like “eet” are there to rebut. They scour the Web with their pro-Novell ideology.
Who Covered This Thing Anyway?
Some of those who covered the release of a beta are predictable because they frequently peddle Mono, Moonlight, SUSE and/or Novell. There were some ’standard’ reports that are just based on the press release and passed around.
The Moonlight Project and Novell, an IT software, systems and technology company, announced on 2 December the released of Moonlight 1.0 Beta.
One author who covers a lot of Mono could of course not resist this opportunity.
The first beta release of Moonlight 1.0, an open source implementation of Microsoft’s Silverlight framework, is now available for download from the project’s official web site. This release is the first step towards bringing robust Silverlight compatibility to the Linux desktop.
The author who covers a lot of OpenSUSE also gave it a go.
Not long ago the Moonlight development team announced that the Linux Silverlight adaptation was drawing ever nearer to the 1.0 release. On December 1st, the Moonlight 1.0 beta version was released.
Softpedia covers a lot of Mono and this time was no exception.
As early as the the celebration of the second anniversary of the Microsoft and Novell partnership inked back in November 2006, the Redmond company announced the delivery of the first Beta of Moonlight. As an integral part of the Linux and Windows interoperability agreement, Novell took it upon itself to extend Silverlight to Linux and Unix. In Microsoft’s quest to deliver a truly cross-browser, cross-platform and cross-device technology, Moonlight complements the Silverlight releases for Windows and Mac OS X.
Heise covers a lot of SUSE (for obvious reasons) and with SUSE come Novell and Mono, so a hideous headline containing “Silverlight for Linux” got published.
The beta version of Moonlight 1.0 is now available to download as a Firefox plug-in. The application, is the Linux version of Microsoft’s rival to Flash, Silverlight. It makes it possible to play files such as WMV files under Linux. Novell has been granted access to Microsoft specifications and to multimedia codecs and test tools for the project. It was originally announced at the second anniversary of its interoperability agreement with Microsoft.
Sean Michael Kerner was a bit of a surprise among the pack, but he at least called it “Linux clone of”, unlike those who wrongly call it “Silverlight for Linux.”
Linux users are getting closer to full Microsoft Silverlight functionality to view rich media applications on the Web. The Novell-sponsored Moonlight project today released its first beta of its Linux implementation of Microsoft’s Silverlight media framework.
It’s rather mystifying that Michael Larabel covered this (only through a quick pointer though) because I’ve explained to him the problems associated with Novell.
For those unfamiliar with Moonlight, it’s a Mono-powered open-source implementation of Microsoft’s Silverlight…
And oh noes! Et tu, Alastair?
Microsoft and the Wintel press will treat Moonlight like the Second Coming when it’s released (as final) to promote Silverlight, XAML, Windows DRM and Microsoft codecs. How does a beta of copycat technology receive so much coverage and hype? █
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.
G. Michaels said,
December 4, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Oh, the argument about “the comments there support my conclusions”. I think it would be better to stop relying on that Roy, considering any of those comments could come from your collaborators that run rampage on Slashdot and everywhere else to shill and promote your blog.
If your friend Will Hill (a.k.a ‘twitter’) is doing that in Slashdot, who knows where else he’s engaging in the same dishonest tactics in order to benefit you?
Note: writer of this comment adds absolutely nothing but stalking and personal attacks against readers, as documented here.
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Goblin said,
December 4, 2008 at 8:06 pm
I completely agree with Roys (and many other unconnected sites) opinions of Moonlight.
Unfortunately you seem to suggest that its all some organized attack orchestrated by Roy. Now either you are in awe of Roy and believe him to be the “leader” of many anti Moonlight stances, or you are incredibly foolish and want to blame this particular site as the root of all evil.
I think you will find that regardless of what sites are saying, people dont want Moonlight, theres very little need for it in the sites I go to and its got the MS taint that says to me DRM & Dollars.
The BBC doesnt want Moonlight, and major sites have dropped Silverlight already.
Mr Michaels. You’ve given no counter argument that I can see, merely a list of your beliefs in regards to some conspiracy theory you have.
I thought the comments part of a site was for people to debate. You seem to think it a forum to declare your theories on Roy.
Roy Schestowitz said,
December 4, 2008 at 8:09 pm
The claims are libelous too. I ask nobody to link to here. If people like what they read, they might link, which often them do (we were in Slashdot today).
Goblin said,
December 4, 2008 at 8:25 pm
“The claims are libelous too. I ask nobody to link to here. If people like what they read, they might link, which often them do (we were in Slashdot today). ”
I will vouch for that.
I have linked this site on MS watch before, and have never even mentioned it to you (until now)
pcolon said,
December 4, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Microsoft/Novell acknowledges:
FOSS has no Achilles heel of financial dependency to any major
corporation. No marketshare to be driven down or up and can
only guess at it’s installed base.
FOSS has assembled a huge voluntary development pool Microsoft
can’t even begin to latch on to or have enough money to buy.
Apologists say FOSS cannot catch up to Microsoft. Based on merit
of the wares, it’s Microsoft who’s breathing FOSS’s dust.
In its effort to taint FOSS with its patent-ware under the guise of interoperability is deceiving and disingenuous. A snake can shed its skin, but it remains a snake. There can be no truce with the convicted monopolist.
G. Michaels said,
December 5, 2008 at 12:22 am
@Goblin,
That you agree with him or not is irrelevant. My point is that Roy and his nymshifter friends are engaged in a game of manufacturing consent by shilling opinions. That’s not directed at people like you or pcolon the poet here, since that would be preaching to the choir at best.
I don’t think that’s a particularly bizarre theory given the evidence - at least no more “out there” than most of the conspiracy theories they themselves tend to use as droll simplifications to explain the symptoms of the animosity they create with that trademark abrasive “evangelism” they like so much.
I don’t have a problem with whatever it is you believe. Heck, I think it’s not even far off the mark most of the time. However, force feeding those beliefs to other people using dishonest tactics and lies (and attacking individuals and disrupting communities in the process) is quite another thing.
Cheers
Note: writer of this comment adds absolutely nothing but stalking and personal attacks against readers, as documented here.
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