<div dir="ltr">I don't entirely disagree, though it's worth noting that it's also being released under a patent promise:<div><br></div><div><a href="https://github.com/dotnet/corefx/blob/master/PATENTS.TXT">https://github.com/dotnet/corefx/blob/master/PATENTS.TXT</a><br></div><div><br></div><div>As well, there are already hints at changes to the Mono roadmap incorporating some of the stuff released, and movement to consolidate efforts (see "Next steps" in this blog):</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://tirania.org/blog/archive/2014/Nov-12.html">http://tirania.org/blog/archive/2014/Nov-12.html</a><br></div><div><br></div><div>In any case, regardless of their motivation or intent, it's rather remarkable to see this happen, shows how much things have changed in the software world since the 90's. This is one of the worlds biggest software companies releasing one of their most prominent technologies under the open source model, and that's pretty significant.</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Nov 13, 2014 at 10:50 AM, Alan W. Irwin <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:irwin@beluga.phys.uvic.ca" target="_blank">irwin@beluga.phys.uvic.ca</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><span class="">On 2014-11-13 08:07-0800 Adam Parkin wrote:<br>
<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Never thought I'd see this day:<br>
<br>
<a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/b/dotnet/archive/2014/11/12/net-core-is-open-source.aspx" target="_blank">http://blogs.msdn.com/b/<u></u>dotnet/archive/2014/11/12/net-<u></u>core-is-open-source.aspx</a><br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br></span>
This Microsoft employee still doesn't get it. There is no<br>
direct mention of exactly which OSI-approved license is being used<br>
(although there is an indirect mention of the MIT license in the<br>
remarks). Which license is important to open-source developers so<br>
should be front and center in any such announcement. The other big<br>
issue is who has the copyright on a contributor's work? Apparently,<br>
you have to sign a legal contract with Microsoft in order to<br>
contribute to .net which raises huge concerns with would-be<br>
contributors concerning whether they are entering into an extremely<br>
one-sided deal where they completely lose control of their<br>
contribution.<span class=""><br>
<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Wonder what implications this will have for Mono.<br>
</blockquote>
<br></span>
If you read what is said, it is an attempt to destroy it since Microsoft<br>
has no use for two different code bases. But I doubt that most<br>
Mono contributors will want to lose control of their work so I<br>
imagine it will become a failed attempt to destroy Mono.<br>
<br>
Finally, there is still the matter of trust. Both open-source .net<br>
and open-source Mono could still potentially become victims of<br>
Microsoft patent attacks. So many developers (including me) would not<br>
touch Mono (or open-sourced .net now) with a barge pole.<br>
<br>
In sum, I will say this Microsoft employee probably feels there is<br>
something to be gained (likely the annihilation of Mono) by the<br>
open-source development of .net with OSI-approved license. But to get<br>
open-source developers to trust Microsoft with a potential patent<br>
attack hanging over their heads and with the first demand being to<br>
sign a contract with Microsoft is (rightly) going to be extremely<br>
difficult so I doubt this is going anywhere.<br>
<br>
Alan<br>
__________________________<br>
Alan W. Irwin<br>
<br>
Astronomical research affiliation with Department of Physics and Astronomy,<br>
University of Victoria (<a href="http://astrowww.phys.uvic.ca" target="_blank">astrowww.phys.uvic.ca</a>).<br>
<br>
Programming affiliations with the FreeEOS equation-of-state<br>
implementation for stellar interiors (<a href="http://freeeos.sf.net" target="_blank">freeeos.sf.net</a>); the Time<br>
Ephemerides project (<a href="http://timeephem.sf.net" target="_blank">timeephem.sf.net</a>); PLplot scientific plotting<br>
software package (<a href="http://plplot.sf.net" target="_blank">plplot.sf.net</a>); the libLASi project<br>
(<a href="http://unifont.org/lasi" target="_blank">unifont.org/lasi</a>); the Loads of Linux Links project (<a href="http://loll.sf.net" target="_blank">loll.sf.net</a>);<br>
and the Linux Brochure Project (<a href="http://lbproject.sf.net" target="_blank">lbproject.sf.net</a>).<br>
__________________________<br>
<br>
Linux-powered Science<br>
__________________________<br>
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</blockquote></div><br></div>