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edesignuk

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Mar 25, 2002
19,232
2
London, England
In fear off goverments leaving the Windows platform in favour of open source solutions (linux?) Microsoft are offering the source code to several goverments.
Taken from wired.com article
The source code Microsoft has long guarded as secret intellectual property is now becoming the carrot dangled before governments to keep them from defecting to competitors' software.

Microsoft on Tuesday announced a new program to make the underlying code for its Windows operating system available to several governments and governmental agencies for viewing.
Full story.
 
Let's hope everyone sees through this. Not likely.

I wouldn't even want to see what Windows code looks like. It's surely not very pretty or efficient. On top of that, even if outsiders were to develop, I am certain M$ would still keep a tight strangle-hold on the final product, negating many advancements.

Dan
 
damn im getting tired of windows. i just messed around all night trying to install windows 2003 server on a slave drive on my pc. screwed up everytime. now way i am putting it on my master, i got windows xp just the way i want it. i guess ill need to order the cd's from microsoft. i know this is a mac site but have any of you mac/pc people played with windows 2003 yet on your machine. it not be worth my time to install and check out.

iJon
 
Originally posted by edesignuk

I can't say I've heard of Windows 2003 Server, do you mean .Net Server?
no it is windows 2003. i am in their beta program and rc2 came out yesterday. i decided im gonna wait till my friend gets his official copy in because my burned cd's keep screwing up. i am very satisfied with xp though so i dont want to mess that up.

iJon
 
Microsoft has made the source to Windows available to select partners for years, under very restrictive terms. Adding select government agencies to that list isn't much of a concession at all.

A few years ago I worked for a partner who had access, and no, it's not pretty code at all. Much of what I saw looked to be intentionally obfuscated, which shouldn't be a surprise.
 
*in Homer Simpson voice, with eyes closed*
"Hmmmmm... Obfuscated..."

Seriously though, Just showing it to a select few, just like Gelfin said will not ammount to anything. People will NOT see through this and will assume that Microsoft is A. O. K. *gives thumbs up with fake smile*


I wonder if by placing a harmless easter egg in the code (by people having access to MS source) - we could track any kind of change in the source. Most likely it would never show up in consumer software, because all possible suggestions would go in the trash bin.
 
Isn't this just a publicity stunt?

Sounds more like hot air than anything else. Why would M$ be willing to "go open source" with anything unless there was some damage control involved?

Don't they have $40 billion in cash reserves and are working on rewriting windows from the ground up? I just don't get it. Please help enlighten me. It sounds like a bunch of poo-poo to me.

:D
 
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