An open letter to Bill Gates

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/11/hakon_on_ms_interroperability

Opera to MS: Get real about interoperability, Mr Gates
By Hakon Lie
Published Friday 11th February 2005 18:00 GMT

Last week Bill Gates got the interoperability religion. Allegedly - given Microsoft's long and sometimes less than constructive history in the field of interoperability, a certain amount of scepticism is perhaps appropriate. Hakon Lie, Chief Technology Officer of long-standing Microsoft competitor Opera Software, welcomes Gates' new-found enthusiasm for interoperability, but in the following response to Gates, has just a few suggestions about what Microsoft might do to actually achieve it.

So, Mr. Gates, writes Hakon Lie, you say you believe in interoperability. Then why, pray tell, doesn't the web page of your interoperability communiqué conform to the HTML4 standard as it claims to? Why does the W3C validator diagnose 126 errors on your page?

You say you believe in interoperability. Then why is your document served in different versions to different browsers? Why does your server sniff out the Opera browser and send it different style sheets from the ones you send to Microsoft's own Internet Explorer (WinIE)? As a result, Opera renders the page differently.

You say you believe in interoperability. Why does the Hotmail service deny Opera access to the same scripts as Microsoft's own browser? As a result, Opera users can't delete junk mail. (...)

Lots more at link. Recommended reading for all nerds, especially to those who don't have fixed residence (if you catch my drift).

[benburch]

1. You know as well as I do...

that Microsoft's entire business model is based on the "Embrace and Destroy" strategy of spoiling interoperability. Without their sometimes subtle lock-ins, they would collapse like a house of cards.

Mind you, Microsoft will not exist in five years. Technology is passing them by and Malware is eating them alive!

Major Linux desktop initiatives will be rolling out shortly.

Also, look for open licensing of MacOS X some time in 2006, with Sony coming online at the launch with the "Power VIAO" line of machines which will be bundled with a customized version of Open Office that will read and write all current MS Office file formats, and which will be exactly the same price as comparable X86 Sony machines. (This information is from a friend of mine with connections, and is at least fourth-hand - treat it as a rumor.)

All-in-all it does not look good for MS, and you can look for those at the top of the company to be shedding shares as fast as the SEC and the markets will allow.

[amber dog democrat]

2. For the most part,

Friends don't let friends use Microsoft. My 'puter of choice will be a Mac - hands down.
Lately I did some temp work in the call center that supports the X Box and I was astounded at some of the kinds of issues I overheard people calling in about.
There is a whole script on what to say if the device caught on fire....

Well anyway, there are other options out there.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. Afternoon kick