Neowin.net

Linux Leaders Plot Counterattack On Microsoft

By Daniel Fleshbourne, 15 June 2007 - 08:25 9 comments

The high priests of free software have congregated at Google Inc. headquarters this week to debate the future of the movement and face down recent patent threats by Microsoft. Leading names of Linux, the world's biggest grassroots software phenomenon, are spending three days to Friday debating whether an increasingly commercial open source community should fight or ignore the world's largest software maker.

Dressed in the alternative software movement's casual uniform of T-shirts and jeans, the group is coming to grips with internal divisions that sap at its success -- Linux is now used to power desktop computers, major Web sites, mobile phones -- since rival factions often create very similar products. But as many of the world's top tech companies and corporate customers demand ever more from Linux, open source devotees still fight among themselves with the fervor of a tiny monastic order seeking to root out theological error in their midst.

View: The full story
News source: CRN

Comments (9)

kyro - 15 June 2007 - 11:55

the article looks kinda slimy when it goes "alternative software movement's casual uniform"...... how will they cover microsoft's meeting on similar topic? "baby blood drinking, green blood oozing microsoft management gather today"...
markjensen - 15 June 2007 - 15:38

Yeah, it seems that Reuters made out a sensationalist headline to get hits and attention.
Evidence of 'Counterattack' Lacking as Linux Conference Convenes
But making little news "big" is what all the news agencies do. It is how they make money.
EduardValencia - 16 June 2007 - 00:25

i knew it i knew it
Just predicted your post here
David3k - 16 June 2007 - 17:38

wha?
black_death - 16 June 2007 - 18:01

why would they meet at google HQ, google is more evil than MS.
Eis - 17 June 2007 - 03:37

black_death said,
why would they meet at google HQ, google is more evil than MS.
Unless you're going to give either a source of information that doesn't just say something like "trust that feeling in your gut, Google's evil", or you're going to point out in some other way WHY Google is, as you say, "evil", I suggest you stop trying to impress everyone with your lack of insight and keep the groundless opinions that either your friend or your Google search for "Google's evil" gave you to yourself.
black_death - 18 June 2007 - 01:23

Eis said,
Unless you're going to give either a source of information that doesn't just say something like "trust that feeling in your gut, Google's evil", or you're going to point out in some other way WHY Google is, as you say, "evil", I suggest you stop trying to impress everyone with your lack of insight and keep the groundless opinions that either your friend or your Google search for "Google's evil" gave you to yourself.
why would I have to provide evidence for why google is evil? do I have to provide evidence for every statement I make in order not to be ridiculed by people like you? most posters here fail to provide evidence for why microsoft is evil or why mac osx is better than windows yet they dont get the "stop trying to be cool" speech. even If I have no evidence (which I do) I was sharing my opinion - not a fact. so I suggest you stop trying to impress everyone with your attacks on people who share an opinion that you dont like.
CRIKEY - 18 June 2007 - 07:47

black_death said,
why would I have to provide evidence for why google is evil? do I have to provide evidence for every statement I make in order not to be ridiculed by people like you? most posters here fail to provide evidence for why microsoft is evil or why mac osx is better than windows yet they dont get the "stop trying to be cool" speech. even If I have no evidence (which I do) I was sharing my opinion - not a fact. so I suggest you stop trying to impress everyone with your attacks on people who share an opinion that you dont like.
*waits for evidence*
black_death - 18 June 2007 - 20:17

CRIKEY said,
*waits for evidence*
http://www.neowin.net/index.php?act=view&id=41014
And theres plenty of sites floating around saying that google keeps our searches and emails (from gmail, even if theyre deleted) for marketing and for sending to the US government but of course If I gave you links to those sites you wouldnt take them seriously anyways and just call the conspiracy theories.
Frankly I think all large corporations are evil since most people can agree money is the root of all evil, but if youd rather believe a company thats about as close to owning the internet as anyone can get is all good and nice then thats for you to decide.