Microsoft became the darling of the community, OR, in addition to embracing open source, they embraced voting ring tactics. These are two explanations I have, maybe there is another. Maybe my criticism really was obnoxious...
And the thing about open source projects, is just that. They're open source. If the wider community takes hold of them, there's not much Microsoft can do. Because then you just see a fork.
You don't have to be a fan of Microsoft to simply appreciate the contribution to open software, as it is.
So, yes, we can edit those TeX documents they put on GitHub to our heart's delight.
https://github.com/Microsoft/checkedc-llvm
Doesn't that look like an open source implementation? Or did I misunderstand something?
However:
> The compiler is not far enough along for programmers to "kick the tires" on Checked C. We do not have a installable version clang available yet. If you are really interested, you can build your own copy of the compiler:
Now why does anything in your post matter?
I respect your right to have a different opinion. I don't have to respect the opinion itself. Hope you can see the difference.
The only thing I'm talking about is honesty - MS is trying to show they love open-source just because they are so awesome and hackers, but in reality it's just profitable mask and they are glad to wear it.
"Power to the people" has always been the whole point of personal computing, as far as I'm concerned. Give people control over their data, their processes, their lives; that's why we're doing this, isn't it?
That's why I'm doing it, at least.
I think the writing is on the wall. Computing devices will split into two diverging branches: one tailored for limited configuration and aimed at media consumption and use by non-tech users, the other providing (hopefully) full freedom to modify, aimed at IT co. and interested hobbyists. It will be quite some achievement if mechanisms to increase vendor control aren't increasingly integrated even into the devices in the second segment, as things like Intel ME/UEFI Secure Boot show.
And 'forced' is a stretch anyways, how to block it is well documented, and was months in advance. And you can revert, something Google and others will not let you do.
- Paid OS != Free OS.
- OS update != software update.
I paid for my phone. I paid for my Windows license. I paid a lot more for my phone, which Android is trying to forcibly update without my consent to a version which will cripple my phone's functionality substantially.
I also deleted all the Google apps I could find on my Android phone, and I avoid storing any of my personal data on it, because Google seems to believe it's their machine, not mine. I'd use some other mobile OS if I had any choice in the matter.
Or maybe we stopped categorically demonizing some technology because of its provenience and started evaluating it based on criteria like usefulness and applicability.
You know, like if we actually take the "engineer" part of "software engineer" seriously instead of using it for everyone who once wrote a PHP page for his uncle.
The argument is exactly to make this difference. There is the technical and somewhat objective aspect of the language and its implementation, and there are the people who created the language, who use the language etc. A bad language can have a great community, and vise versa.
Well, the "maybe in addition to embracing open source, they embraced voting ring tactics" part sure is.