don't give up OpenGL and GO TO HELL MICRO$HIT (Score 1)

" This is an interesting case of Microsoft applying, to language, the technological strategy it refers to, publically, as "embrace and extend", and allegedly refers to, internally, as "embrace, extend, and extinguish". This strategy, also known as "pollution", is to partially embrace an open standard (such as the Java programming language), and then add proprietary features to it in an attempt to fracture the standard and win the market for the proprietary version. (e.g., Microsoft's version of Java). When applied to language and ideas, this strategy could be considered a case of what, in cultural theory, is referred to as recuperation, or incorporation. This is when a dominant class or interest observes and redefines a subversive subculture: for example, the socially-conscious Punk movement is redefined as a style of fashion and music. (the use of "recuperation" in this specific sense seems to derive from Dick Hebdige). In this case, Microsoft is deliberately seeking to redefine Open Source as a harmful practice, while transferring the positive associations of the term to its own substitute term, "Shared Source". " --http://www.tjm.org/blogger/blog_archive/2001_06_ 24 _archive.html What is happening now to OpenGL is very similar to the situation encountered by Sun with Microsoft's pollution of Java. Microsoft had no right to modify and make incompatible, let alone bundle, Java with its products. It just asked Sun for the rights to Java, and Sun, like idiots let them have it. Java for that reason never reached its full potential, and most web-users will not realise its intended purpose: cross-platform "one-code-fits-all" compatibilty, the average user will think its merely what it makes their Yahoo chat tick. Java is essentially a failure, due to Microsoft's intervention. M$ are doing very much the same here; just asking the IP owners for the rights and then screw them. Microsoft's claim is unlikely real; they're just using it to create a fear, and in confusion of what might happen and misinformation, while under pressure, they submit. They might sue whoever owns the IPs, whoever that might be; the public, the countless contributors and IP holders, but that will not happen, as they know right well they do not have a plausible case. In the mean time, however, Microsoft hope everything will drift its way, without the need for a court case, which I am not sure is even possible under the OpenGL arrangements. Anyway, why has it been so long that OpenGL was imposing on M$'s patents, if that is true, and action is only occuring now? Their claims on infrigements sound like essential, fundamental part of graphics; shading, vertex, developments these are likely to have begun at the start or early stages of the project, and ANY other graphic projects. Why has DirectX been around and developed for so long, since around 1998 with Blindows98, and this is only becoming an issue now, four to five years later? Why, we could do the exact same thing to Microshaft; create magical claims to rights of esssential, fundamental properties (But of course we're not that immature or so desperate or uncooperative; unlike Prick Gates and his evil M$ empire). The fact of the matter is that there is no need whatsoever to have knowledge and access to Microsoft's assets in exchange for your own, as, though it might seem attractive at first, Microsoft will screw you, it ALWAYS screws you, always have and always WILL, that's the purpose of this exercise; not to benifit OpenGL but SCREW OpenGL, its community and its development. Please, do not be so STUPID as to believe M$ is trying to do something beneficial to what is, after all, ITS COMPETITORS, competitors whose products are superior, and a MAJOR THREAT to M$'s monopoly and dominant position. As a comment above stated, government intervention is needed; M$ is getting too powerful. Palladrium, OpenGL, and more to come I would suspect, drawing MORE and more power to M$, much to the INTENTIONAL and CONSEQUENTAL detriment of the the Open Source movement - I'm getting scared; I don't want to be using and FORCED to be using M$'s products and I want their abuse of the market ENDED not made WORSE than it already is and has been for the last TWO DECADES. Yes, government intervention. I will admire the senator who will raise the matter and proposes new legistaion (which seems to be neccessary, as court cases are too long and, though they may conclude M$ maintains an ILLEGAL monopoly, they leave the matter unresolved). Microsoft is undergoing a desperate and rapid struggle of reconstruction in an attempt to maintain its ILLEGAL monopoly; OpenGl, .NET, Palladrium, are all part of this. The ulimtate purpose is to block and stunt the development of its competitors, the most threatening of which is now Open Source. They have caused enough damage to the industy; to innovation, to consumer choice, for too long and this CANNOT be allowed to contiunue. All OpenGL's work will go directly and exclusively to Microsoft, but where will Directx's work go? another problem, no one company/group ownes all the rights and patents to OpenGL. The purpose of this exercise is to stunt development of gaming on Linux and other platforms, which will, in turn, make Linux less attractive, as choice of games will be limited. But Linux popularity is growing, indeed, I CANNOT WAIT to free myself from the Blindows hell; I feel to escape from this disgusting M$ prison. I look forward too to when I can walk into my school and see all computers convert to Linux; and see students intrigued, and indeed challenged by it. Yes, the future's bright for Linux, but people will want games. As of now, though they are there, the selection is limited. This is due mostly to the fact that most games are made using M$'s Directx, which is propetiery technology, compatible only with Blindows. This was the reason Directx was created, to create incompatibilities. But, I know, and as Microsoft is so afraid of, is that if Linux usage was to increase by say, even 5%, it creates a substancial market, and you and I know that market will not be deprived of games software for long, no matter how much M$ tries to deter and infleuence the producers. This clever observation was made by Be too. The 'deter producers with the lack of Directx on competing platforms' strategy will only work for so long, as once usage increases, a market is created and OpenGL is waiting to be tapped into. This is what M$ can see, and this is what I can see, which is why they want to control not only Directx, but OpenGL too. I find M$'s argument to be invalid, so there is no need to be at our knees at for Micro$hit and Prick Gates. It was the same way for Sun with Java; no one was forcing them to give M$ Java, but they were stupid, but they failed to see that given the SLIGHTEST chance M$ will ALWAYS SCREW its competitors, instead Sun fell for it, they were screwed and Java FAILED. Microsoft will screw you, it ALWAYS screws you, always have and always WILL, that's the purpose of this exercise; not to benefit OpenGL but to SCREW OpenGL, its community and its development. Please, do not be so STUPID as to believe M$ is trying to do something beneficial to what is, after all, its competitors.