Open Source Guy Takes the Hardest Job At Microsoft 325
jbrodkin writes "Gianugo Rabellino, founder of the Italian Linux Society and a key member of the Apache Software Foundation, traded his Linux and Mac PCs in for a Windows 7 laptop and took on a newly created job at Microsoft designed to encourage collaboration between Redmond and open source communities. 'Developers nowadays are mostly to be found in the open source world,' the new Microsoft executive says. 'We need to go where they are.' With Rabellino's help, Microsoft is expanding its successful partnership with PHP developers , but Steve Ballmer and crew are a long way from completely erasing their poor reputation in Linux and open source circles."
Re:As always... (Score:1, Interesting)
Post once manned by Bill Milf (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:As always... (Score:4, Interesting)
Microsoft interoperating more easily with open source formats and tools (better support for open document formats, etc)?
I would like to believe that but there's one reason I doubt it. By their nature, open formats are accessible and open to anyone who would like to implement them. Microsoft wouldn't need outside help for that. If this were important to them they would have already done it.
Abandoning the vendorlock that comes with proprietary file formats goes against their grain. If they do it, it will be reluctantly.
Comment removed (Score:2, Interesting)
Sounds Familiar... (Score:5, Interesting)
Anyone remember when Daniel Robbins (founder of Gentoo Linux) went to work for MS?
From Wikipedia [wikipedia.org]
Robbins' move to Microsoft, on 13 June 2005, attracted attention[15][16] within the Linux community, which has historically had a combative relationship with Microsoft. He described his role working for Bill Hilf as "...helping Microsoft to understand Open Source and community-based projects..."[17]
However, Robbins resigned less than a year later on 16 January 2006 due to frustrations that he was unable to fully utilize his technical skills in this position. His new job is at ABC Coding Solutions where he will be focused on building in .NET on Windows.[18]
I'm quite certain he browses Slashdot, perhaps he could chime in on what Microsoft has been up to?
Re:13 years ... (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:As always... (Score:4, Interesting)
Indeed. I smell an "embrace and extend" coming.
Apologies to Frank Capra:
Ballmer: Gianugo, I'm an old man, and most people hate me. But I don't like them either, so that makes it all even. You know just as well as I do that I run practically everything in this town but Open Source. You know, also, that for a number of years I've been trying to get control of it...or kill it. But I haven't been able to do it. You have been stopping me. In fact, you have beaten me, Gianugo, and as anyone in this county can tell you, that takes some doing. Take during the Internet bubble, for instance. You and I were the only ones that kept our heads. You saved Open Source, and I saved all the rest.
Gianugo: Yes. Well, most people say you stole all the rest.
Ballmer: The envious ones say that, Gianugo, the suckers. Now, I have stated my side very frankly. Now, let's look at your side. Young man, twenty-seven, twenty-eight...married, making, say...forty a week.
Gianugo (indignantly): Forty-five!
Ballmer: Forty-five. Forty-five. Out of which, after supporting your mother, and paying your bills, you're able to keep, say, ten, if you skimp. A child or two comes along, and you won't even be able to save the ten. Now, if this young man of twenty-eight was a common, ordinary yokel, I'd say he was doing fine. But Gianugo Rabellino is not a common, ordinary yokel. He's an intelligent, smart, ambitious young man - who hates his job.
Gianugo (taken aback): Now what's your point, Mr. Ballmer?
Ballmer: My point? My point is, I want to hire you.
Re:We will when MS does. (Score:4, Interesting)
This is not how patents work. You can let A infringe all you like and never tell B why. Heck, maybe A is just your good buddy. Patents are not impacted by your choice not to litigate against one infringer.