"I understand people being skeptical given Microsoft's checkered past with open source, but at least give them a chance to prove that they've changed."
No. ;-)
No. ;-)
Microsoft hasn't and will not change. It's in the DNA of Microsoft to be the way it is. And some bunnies and a little girl in a Windows 7 ad is not a sign of change.
A couple days ago there was an article of Steve Ballmer harrasing an employee because of an IPhone, if that's the way you treat your employees, what can the customers expect.
They're a corporation, a large group of people pursuing profit on behalf of an even larger group of shareholders, with its members constantly being replaced. These associations don't possess philosophical consistency. They only appear to when the illusion aids in profitability.
I also suspect the Ballmer iPhone incident was him simply joking about rather than any actual harassment.
So when given clear indications of change occurring (codeplex.com, codeplex.org ), your response is what? Just denial, or is there more to what you are saying?
FWIW, I disagree in general, Some things in Microsoft are clearly changing, particularly the processes of the developer tools division are much more open and community-involving than they were a few years ago. Hence. codeplex.
Other things that people think of as "Microsoft", like Office and Windows releases - not so much change I suppose.
As to if Microsoft actually has changed with regards open-sourcing some things that run on their IIS/.Net technology stack, I don't know enough yet. I do know that my views will be lead by what's happening, not by stale dogma that's counter to evidence.