[lug] Microsoft outlaws open source with .NET

[rm at mamma.varadinet.de]

On Sun, Jul 08, 2001 at 10:11:15AM -0600, Deva Samartha wrote:
> Microsoft associates the terms "viral" and "virus" with GPL-ed software. 
> This is a clever move to discredit open software.
> 
> It associates something bad - viruses - with software and the only blob in 
> the head of people which exists as a "virus with software" is something 
> causing your computer to crash and is to avoid.
> 
> If they succeed to create this association - open software = computer virus 
> in the head of people it is going to be a big disadvantage.

If i recall right the term "viral" was used in connection with the
GPL long before Microsoft even cared to comment on Free Software or
Open Source  (as a matter of fact "Open Source (tm) wasn't even arround).
AFAIK the term was coined by advocates of the BSD (or BSD like) licence.
Every once in a while there seems to be an outbreak of heated discussions
about this, a recent example is Georg Greve's article in issue #10 of
Brave GNU World (http://www.gnu.org/brave-gnu-world/issue-10.en.html).
Another website worth reading is "Critique of Viral Nature of GPL v.2"
at <http://icfcst.kiev.ua/panorama/OSS/bsd_vs_gpl.shtml>.
Off course any good marketing department will pick up such a word
to scare the innocent ;-)

> They are very powerful, have a 30 billion $ warchest, MSNBC and there has 
> been at least one case where news about Microsoft has been edited and 
> reported differently on MSNBC.

That _is_ really scarry. But then again, the recent past shows us that
the network of open source communities works very well -- there are a lot
of new information sources (online fora like /. or freshmeat) that are hard
to 'conquer' with traditional advertizing warfare.
It's actually pretty entertaining to watch how Microsoft (and similar companies)
try to fight free software as if it would be yet another competitor.
At least over here every single FUD attack from Microsoft backfired with
lot's of very Linux-positive press coverage. Their latest attack (an online
whitepaper on Linux as an OS for Point of Sales systems claiming better stability
and more security for Windows) caused long and very sarcastic articles in allmost
all leading computer magazines. The whitepaper disapeared from the server after
tow days ;-) 

> One can expect more subtle manipulation with strengthening the association 
> of virus and open software.
> 
> Counter measures should be taken to ward this off.

by mutening all followers of BSD ?:-) It should be made clear
what "viral" means in this context. GPL _is_ viral, as much as 
citizenship is viral -- you get some privileges, you get some duties.
Of course this might be hard to get over in marketing parlance :-/

> What does a virus? Sucks your energy.
> 
> Somewhere I heard that Bill Gates net worth is equivalent to the net worth 
> of a considerable percentage ( > 10%, < 20%) of the lower part of the US 
> wealth pyramid.
> 
> Talk about a sucker!
> 
> (If anyone has more info on that, could you please email me - it must have 
> been on KGNU, maybe counterspin).
> 
> Actually, I suspect for a long time that Microsoft is playing the virus 
> thing to cover up their own bugs crashing their software, but that's 
> another topic.

That's an old trick. Point somewhere and shout " there's the thief ..."


 Ralf