Microsoft denies Linux Office interest

crow writes "The Boston Globe columnist who started the rumor that Microsoft is porting Office to Linux now has a column where he reports that Microsoft claims it has no efforts underway to port Office to Linux. In fact, Microsoft claims that there has been no interest from customers about Office for Linux. However, Microsoft now has an email address where people can comment about Microsoft applications in regards to Linux: [e-mail] " Quite frankly, I'll be happy man if I never have to see that little paper clip again. Ever.

Please Don't Play Along With This Stunt

First of all, "asking for Linux community input"
is an obvious way to manipulate the opinions of
the (loosely-defined) Linux community. Often it's
an honest request for input; often only partly so,
or not at all.

Second, Microsoft can use a large response as
ammunition to support the story that Linux isn't
a serious business platform because it doesn't
have Microsoft apps.

Third, if Microsoft *does* get Office on Linux, it
will use that as leverage to kill other possible
application solutions, and then will further use
Office as a foothold to get proprietary frameworks
atop Linux. It will be difficult (though not
impossible) to prevent that. Isn't this kind of
monopoly leverage what many Linux people have been
trying to avoid?

(BTW, I have talked with Simson Garfinkel several
times, and he seems like a good guy, but I think
he's inadvertently helping Microsoft more than
Linux this time.)

MS BOB

I think I'm going to email [e-mail] to ask if they'll port MS BOB to Linux.