Ballmer's Linux comments in Asia still infuriate me...
Category Microsoft
When I read the stories yesterday about Ballmer "warning" Asian leaders to stay away from Linux due to IP violations, I was rather hot under the collar. If you can't beat them, threaten them.
Then MS went into spin control and said the reporter was wrong and that the comments were taken out of context. Typical reaction. Here's the transcript of the statement that caused all the furor...
After reading the transcript, I do feel like the initial stories were a little overblown. But there's still a kernel of truth there. Microsoft has stated that they are going to protect their IP more vigorously in the future. They've also been making more noise of late over how Open Source software (read: Linux) often violates IP rights and opens up the user to potential lawsuits. You want to tell me it's not a logical assumption that Microsoft may be the one to start the lawsuit frenzy?
This bugs me on a number of levels. One, it's the traditional Microsoft FUD technique to control the market. Get people worried about choices so that you can freeze the market and prevent movement away from your own software. Next, this type of behavior makes it really hard for me to buy statements from people like Robert Scoble and Gary Devendorf that Microsoft has really changed and just wants to help people integrate their software choices. It sounds like they are still bent on migration and single source solutions to me. And finally, regardless of their global reach, Microsoft is still a US company, and now they are preaching to foreign governments that they don't have choices. Linux is an international phenomenon, and doesn't have the stigma of being another American attempt to dominate a market. I just don't understand how Microsoft thinks this is going to fly well outside of our own borders...
When I read the stories yesterday about Ballmer "warning" Asian leaders to stay away from Linux due to IP violations, I was rather hot under the collar. If you can't beat them, threaten them.
Then MS went into spin control and said the reporter was wrong and that the comments were taken out of context. Typical reaction. Here's the transcript of the statement that caused all the furor...
After reading the transcript, I do feel like the initial stories were a little overblown. But there's still a kernel of truth there. Microsoft has stated that they are going to protect their IP more vigorously in the future. They've also been making more noise of late over how Open Source software (read: Linux) often violates IP rights and opens up the user to potential lawsuits. You want to tell me it's not a logical assumption that Microsoft may be the one to start the lawsuit frenzy?
This bugs me on a number of levels. One, it's the traditional Microsoft FUD technique to control the market. Get people worried about choices so that you can freeze the market and prevent movement away from your own software. Next, this type of behavior makes it really hard for me to buy statements from people like Robert Scoble and Gary Devendorf that Microsoft has really changed and just wants to help people integrate their software choices. It sounds like they are still bent on migration and single source solutions to me. And finally, regardless of their global reach, Microsoft is still a US company, and now they are preaching to foreign governments that they don't have choices. Linux is an international phenomenon, and doesn't have the stigma of being another American attempt to dominate a market. I just don't understand how Microsoft thinks this is going to fly well outside of our own borders...
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fulltiltpoker
Posted by fulltiltpoker At 23:49:10 On 08/01/2006 | - Website - |