Hacker News Reader

Comment by chx | Hacker News Reader

I disagree. "it will probably take Microsoft at least a year before they can start squeezing" you could squeeze Github with a streamroller and still never see over seven and a half billion dollars of profit out of it. If you think Microsoft bought this because they want Github alone to make this money back in any sane time frame then you utterly deluded.

> Microsoft never was and never will be trustworthy. Replacing a loud (“Linux is a cancer”) with a charismatic CEO (“We love developers, and we love open source developers”) does not magically change a corporate culture that has been cultivated for years.

For decades but yes a corporate culture can and does change. I am willing to give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt. Seriously, after bringing SQL Server to Linux, Linux to Windows, open sourcing Chakra Core and so much more ... what would they need to do before you believe them?

View on HN

> what would they need to do before you believe them?

The reason people trust other companies (Google and Facebook) more when it comes to open source is because these companies actively use open source products in their core products, and would be affected significantly if open source degrades in any way. Although Microsoft contributes to open source (vscode, dotnetcore, etc.), in no way are they reliant in open source, and in a lot of ways their core products (windows) compete with open source.

So short of changing their business model and core competency completely, microsoft can't do anything to gain the trust of serious open source developers in a matter like this.

Their core product is increasingly Azure.

boggles If you think I trust Facebook more than Microsoft...

(And that's saying something.)

I think MS finds FOSS as the cancer not just Linux.

How can a software exist free to use/modify/share and hit them hard on their own turf. It is the anti-thesis of MS. How will they allow it to exist?

I think you have mistaken the 90s Windows - Office alliance reliant Microsoft with the Azure - Office 365 reliant Microsoft of today.

Stop spying on their users and stop the patent extortion against Linux. They only love open source when it benefits them, they don't love it so much when it is able to benefit others or might lead them away from the Windows ecosystem.

I'd say you're utterly deluded if you think MS did this out of the goodness of their heart. They expect to get their money back somehow.

Microsoft made seven billion dollars by issuing new stocks prior to the purchase. Github was basically free for them.

> I am willing to give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt. Seriously, after bringing SQL Server to Linux, Linux to Windows, open sourcing Chakra Core and so much more ... what would they need to do before you believe them?

EEE

(Embrace, Extend, Extinguish)

You point out their tried and tested setup, but still expect them to play the game differently this time.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com