On Saturday 10 March 2001 12:19 pm, Hans N. wrote: > I saw this about Microsoft and their recent decision to open up their > source code a smidgen: > > http://start.earthlink.net/AL/T?add=1&id=1005379&url=http%3a%2f%2fr.wired >.co > m%2fr%2f725%2fhttp%3a%2f%2fwww.wired.com%2fnews%2fbusiness%2f0%2c1367%2c4 >234 2%2c00.html > > The gist of it in my opinion..."Take a look at our source code, make your > programs work better with Windows, don't program for the other guys" I didn't bother with that link (to messed up in your post), but I believe I'm familiar with the story. Actually there's many ongoing stories. The one about M$ opening their code needs careful reading. It's nothing new, you must be a 1500 license user (eg, a very few big $$ corporates), and then you're allowed to see (and _ absolutely nothing_ else) some of the code under severely restrictive NDA type agreements. There's really nothing new here, it's a typical Uncle Billy PR deal without substance. Billy's been opening his code on a 'need to know' basis to bigger 'customers' since day one. For a fairly concise disscussion of this, search recent linux-kernel mailing list archives. About the only one who hasn't bothered to comment is Linus himself. The other story(s) is the many and recents hacks of M$ servers and OS users, including the one a little while back about the exposure of their development code. But, the latest of these leaks/hacks is within the last few days. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/17462.html or the not recent at all, but only recently admitted http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/8/17456.html WinXP source on a CD near you ? Pay for the shipping with your Windoze user neighbor's credit card ? ;>> Could it be that Billy wants to leak his next OS to the net in the hopes that the 'community' can fix it up as they do with Linux, BSD's and such ? ;>> Specially since there's always an item in the news about the latest virus, worm, trojan, etc, that only affects Winblows users. .... OR is Billy letting a few take a peek at the code so he can blame his leaks and/or vunerabilities on somebody else ? There's really only one lesson I see in all these Redmond embarassments that's of any import to average PC users. That being, DON'T use any M$ product to connect to, surf, or read mail / news on the Net. If you currently are, it might not be to late to STOP. Yeah, I'm aiming that at all those on this list that still choose to use Windoze in any form or shape on the Internet. You've been warned ;>> -- Dale Earnhardt, the greatest stock car driver ever, he's won his 8th and His Greatest Championship Tom Brinkman [EMAIL PROTECTED] Galveston Bay
