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People can contribute to Free Software without holding mindsets that are so extreme in one end as those of rms. Perhaps de Icaza has just gradually shifted his views to the other end.

I completely agree, I have just read that Icaza was awarded the "Advancement of Open Source Software" a while back. I'm just curious as someone who has made such commitments to the open source and also to the Linux eco system, can use another platform so enthusiastically.

Since when does becoming an advocate for open source make that advocacy exclusive?

Thats not what I'm saying nor am I criticizing him for it. From prior experience, when I make something I can use on a daily basis, I would find it hard to use something different.

Also being an advocate for open source software would make it more difficult to transfer to being a closed source software user. I'm not saying its not possible or wrong, I just feel his case is a curious one.

He is effectively a self proclaimed Apple fanboy on Twitter etc, and I would like to know more about the circumstances.

>From prior experience, when I make something I can use on a daily basis, I would find it hard to use something different.

Well, I think he feels that Gnome failed to build something he can use on a daily basis. Back in 1998 it was all about overtaking Windows and building the platform for the future. That didn't pan out that well -- Windows are still dominant, and OS X is more prevalent and useful as a desktop system than Gnome is. Nowadays Gnome is bleeding developers (GTK, the very core toolkit of Gnome has like 1 maintainer) and mainstream distros even think of switching away from it.

You tend to get disappointed from such outcomes.

He still contributes open source all the time. He's just not an open source fanatic. He'll use an Apple because it's a nice computer, and he'll write open source on it.

I used to be a Gnome contributor as well, I worked on Ubuntu at Canonical. Now I use a Mac. Does that mean I'm not allowed to work on open source now?

It's not a fucking religion.

I don't think there has been any shift for him at all. Ive always found his views on things refreshingly pragmatic.

MonoTouch and Mono for Android are they main reason, that Mono is in such a good shape, after the near death experience when Novell fell apart. Both products are the primary source of income for most people working on Mono and both products would not stand a chance if open source. Why? Because they target developers (who can compile their shit from sources) and open sourcing them completely would remove any incentive to pay. (And no, selling support would not generate significant income.) The core (Mono, MonoDevelop and MonoMac, which is very similiar to MonoTouch) are already open source. Open sourcing the rest would probably kill Xamarin and take half of Mono down with it.

On a different note, I disagree with Miguels opinion regarding patents. I also think that he has shifted slightly on the political spectrum over the last decade (a small movement towards the center from the far left), as well as that of software politics. He has always been pragmatic, though and even now, I think, his moderate opposition is a good reminder to somtimes step out of the echo chamber and avoid the mistake of falling into extremist views.

I despise Apple's practices, but I'm typing that on my MBP. In all fairness it is a company machine and my main reason for having it is that we do some iOS development. That being said, it's still one of the nicest laptops (as far as form factor and hardware) around so I wouldn't fault anyone for choosing their hardware. I would personally, however, choose a linux variant in a heartbeat if I could somehow solve the iOS development issue.

>This is slightly off topic, but I don't really understand Miguel de Icaza.

It might be that you have a narrow view of free/open source software. The idea behind it is not all about GNU or Linux or anything. iTerm 2 is a mighty fine open source software -- for OS X.

Open source is not incompatible with Apple or Windows. Nor it is a religion/principle thing to everyone, some see it more casually.

>I appreciate that his company xamarin are working solidly on Mono which is open source, but a number of their products are not open source such as Mono Touch and Mono for Android.

Well, he also has to make money. He tried the open source non commercial approach with Evolution et al, and it didn't work very well for them (or for the Nautilus guys). If it wasn't for Novell buying them they would have nothing to show for today.