<div>1) It's Microsoft, champion of all things Microsoft to the detriment of everything else.</div><div>2) Financial support is financial support. If it helps one more person make the jump from closed to open source software then it is an achieved goal.</div>
<div><br></div><div>I tend to look beyond the immediacy of any issue and ask myself if x does y what would the desired result be.</div><div><br></div><div>If Microsoft funds fedora projects they can achieve a major win almost immediately:</div>
<div>"Why bother installing fedora when most of the software that works on fedora also works out of the box on Windows? Even their own ambassadors are changing their events to discuss the interoperability between their software and Windows. Why bother with installing a new OS when you can have good old tried and trusted Windows running not only all the freeware software out there but also all the windows apps that linux simply can't handle?"</div>
<div><br></div><div>Who wants a fedora hat with a fedora logo on one side and a "sponsored by Microsoft (windows logo)" on the other side of it?</div><div><br></div><div>Unless Microsoft is willing to simply hand over the funds to support fedora with no strings attached apart from declaring where the money has been spent I would say "fedora is doing perfectly fine without your support, thank you very much."</div>
<div><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 18 March 2011 10:17, Tristan Santore <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:tristan.santore@internexusconnect.net">tristan.santore@internexusconnect.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<br>
To be honest, if they do take some of their billions and financially<br>
support FOSS projects, mainly to make them work on more than just linux,<br>
then good, about time they used their money for some good.<br>
<br>
But I suspect there are ulterior motives in this approach:<br>
<br>
1. They are cutting their own costs by not having to use their own<br>
testing people, as I know they have labs where they check<br>
interoperability between windows and Linux services.<br>
<br>
2. They figured Apple is looking quite evil now in the eyes of the FOSS<br>
community, in terms of behaviour and openness, so they are trying to<br>
make themselves look more favourable.<br>
<br>
3. They are trying to grab off some Linux users, by making the same<br>
standard applications work on windows, which basically means they are<br>
scared. (which will work in the GNU Linux Operating system becoming more<br>
"accessible" to people, as they will say, well, I already use most of<br>
the same applications, I may as well save money, be more secure, and<br>
efficient, and use a Linux based operating system).<br>
<br>
4. The main reason why they are there, is to show presence, as many<br>
business service providers are now actively seeking cost cutting<br>
measures, which makes them more profitable, and Linux is an attractive<br>
way to do this. (great for the FOSS community too).<br>
<br>
So all in all, as far as I am concerned, they can do whatever they like,<br>
as long as they do not make people sign stupid legal agreements to<br>
prevent them from doing what they want with their FOSS<br>
product/developments. If Amarok got 100k in support, for instance, I<br>
could not care less, if it makes Amarok even better. You may replace<br>
Amarok with any other application of your choice in that example.<br>
<br>
I would not be too concerned, after all, there is a reason why people<br>
like FOSS, especially hackers, as they can just code and do not have to<br>
worry about libraries and licenses and god knows what else. You just<br>
want to have fun with software/code.<br>
And as a user, typing in serials, and clicking agreement buttons, yuck,<br>
no thanks.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
Tristan<br>
<br>
--<br>
Tristan Santore BSc MBCS<br>
TS4523-RIPE<br>
Network and Infrastructure Operations<br>
InterNexusConnect<br>
Mobile +44-78-55069812<br>
<a href="mailto:Tristan.Santore@internexusconnect.net">Tristan.Santore@internexusconnect.net</a><br>
<br>
Former Thawte Notary<br>
(Please note: Thawte has closed its WoT programme down,<br>
and I am therefore no longer able to accredit trust)<br>
<br>
For Fedora related issues, please email me at:<br>
<a href="mailto:TSantore@fedoraproject.org">TSantore@fedoraproject.org</a><br>
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</div></div></blockquote></div><br></div>