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Hilf Claims Free Software Movement Dead
Posted by
ScuttleMonkey
on Mon May 14, 2007 05:08 PM
from the faster-than-a-speeding-fud dept.
from the faster-than-a-speeding-fud dept.
moe1975 writes to mention that Bill Hilf has taken a rather aggressive stance with regard to the status of the Free Software movement. With claims like; "The Free Software movement is dead. Linux doesn't exist in 2007. Even Linus has got a job today" it would certainly seem that the next offensive is going to be sponsored by denial. "For the desktop, Hilf sees a new frontier in terms of rich client programming. With more and more services by Amazon, Google, Yahoo and, of course, Microsoft being run as services rather than as software installed locally, it will be up to the desktop to provide richer functionality."
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MS's Hilf Named Windows Server Marketer 98 comments
netbuzz writes "The director of Microsoft's Open Source Lab, Bill Hilf, has added a new duty — general manager of Windows server marketing — to his already established role of shepherding the company's efforts to have open source software peacefully coexist with Microsoft technologies. What the company calls a 'natural evolution' of Hilf's job description may not be considered quite so natural among segments of the open source community that eye every Microsoft move with suspicion if not hostility." Bill Hilf answered Slashdot's questions two years back and sounded quite friendly to OSS; yet at other times he has come off like a hardcore Microsoftie.
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Will someone please clarify "free" for him? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Which isn't to say that he doesn't have a frickin clue since the idea of FOSS wasn't to prevent people from making money with it. Or from allowing companies to be formed to make money from it, or even to develop it. But to allow the open source and FOSS to be developed openly and thus "Freely" to allow more innovation
Misread ... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Misread ... (Score:4, Funny)
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Re:Misread ... (Score:5, Funny)
Hey, we can go ragging on Bill (be it Gates or Hilf), and the chair-throwing monkey-boy minion, but leave Melinda outa of it. At least until she gives us reason not to leave her out of it, of course.
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Re: (Score:3)
She already did. His name is "Bob".
omg I should've kept reading (Score:5, Funny)
"That's the dirty little secret. When I talk to open source developers, at least half are talking about Windows, from SugarCRM, MySQL, PHP. Every single one,"
Every single one
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Re:omg I should've kept reading (Score:5, Interesting)
Interesting, isn't it?
The FOSS devs are mainly interested in writing software people want to use. To that end they don't really care what platform their stuff runs on, so long as people find it useful.
Microsoft on the other hand approach the problem from the opposite direction. They don't really care whether people find their software particularly useful or not, so long as they can destroy all the alternatives. You could hardly ask for a more succinct summary of the difference between the two camps.
As an aside, wasn't Hilf supposed to be from a FOSS background, back before MS hired him as their Open Source Guy? Seems either he never really understood FOSS, or else he's just been at MS so long that's gone native.
I wonder which is is: "has been" or "never was" :)
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Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Correction: free software development is funded (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Correction: free software development is funded (Score:5, Insightful)
That is what he's saying, but it's really hard to see how this could make sense to anyone. Bill Hilf quote from the article:
What does that even mean? Linux is well funded, and therefore doesn't exist?
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Japan migrates to Non-existant Software (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Now me, I once tried Zen programming: Coding by not-coding.
Sadly Zen programming resulted in my employer Zen paying me.
Denial (Score:5, Funny)
Move right along.
Yawn. More FUD (Score:5, Insightful)
Only one way to respond to this... (Score:5, Insightful)
OSS Movement announces... (Score:5, Funny)
-Rick
Parent
How did I know this guy works for Microsoft? (Score:5, Interesting)
Indeed (Score:5, Funny)
You might even say that the Free Software Movement is in its "Last Throes".
Microsoft hurting? (Score:5, Informative)
Someone missed a memo (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Someone missed a memo (Score:4, Funny)
Parent
It's still free! (Score:4, Insightful)
People aren't moving to online services. They're still moving to "free". Just happens it's online instead of locally installed. Woop-de-fucking-do.
Story Mod (Score:3, Interesting)
Incoherent FUD from Microsoft... (Score:5, Interesting)
So, apparently, "Free Software" only exists if the people making it are unemployed?
Does this even begin to make sense?
Oh, wait, its from the "head of Microsoft's Linux Labs". Microsoft sayibng "Free Software is dead and Linux doesn't exist" isn't news, though I guess the fact that they've changed how they are saying it might be.
Having failed with the "Free Software is unreliable stuff put out by hippie slackers ideologues that have no idea how to make software usable in the real world" line, Microsoft is apparently now trying out a new line of FUD which doesn't even superficially make sense. "Big companies are involved in open source and people are getting paid, so, whatever the licensing terms say, its somehow not really free"?
Apps as services means desktop freedom (Score:4, Insightful)
Huh, strange... (Score:4, Interesting)
Netcraft on bangkokpost.com [netcraft.com]
Even more strange, over 56% of the web [netcraft.com] must not exist either?
Commercial web services benefit GNU/Linux (Score:4, Insightful)
At present I am an OS X user because I am willing to pay for the high quality, hassle-free user experience Apple provides.
But already 90%+ of my computer use outside of work is of web-based. So long as GNU/Linux continues to be - and continues to improve as - a viable platform for this content, I suspect a great number of users will continue to inch nearer to being able to use GNU/Linux as their primary (and sole) system.
I'd really like to see usage statistics for the general populace: percentage breakdowns of non-business related usage categories.
My guess: email, web browsing, multimedia, games, taxes.
So what this Hilf weirdo is really saying is... (Score:5, Insightful)
* The Open Source Movement doesn't exist because it's been adopted by companies both large and small, which are all merrily making a profit from it.
* Because Open Source is mostly commercial and very successful, making lots of money for the large and small companies that are involved in it, the only way to "grow the ecosystem" is to switch to the Microsoft products nobody wants to buy anymore.
* Linux is only popular because it's the foundation for the LAMP web-development stack, which has been trouncing
* Because Open Source Software runs on Windows too, all those Apache guys are probably running Windows.
* Standards are a communist plot started by those hippies at IBM because darnit, they just don't like Microsoft. It's not fair (hilf makes pouty face).
* WPF-E needs a better name so everybody will want to program in it. If WPF-E gets a cool name like Flash, everybody will use it immediately.
* Because Programming is Hard and that's Just Not Cool, Microsoft wants to make it like "turning a knob" so that developers don't have to work in high-paying jobs anymore, and can go find something new to do for minimum wage that'll probably be funner.
Did I miss anything? I swear reading his comments is like being hit with one Zen Koan after another, machine gun style. What is the sound of one hand clapping?
Phew. Too much, too much. I've gotta go do something fun for a while. Hmm...
Warhammer 40K! Death to the False Emperor! C'mere, you Eldar hussy, you...
What did Ghadi say? (Score:5, Insightful)
We have now moved from the ignore phase to the ridicule phase. Fasten your seatbelts kids, its going to get bumpy.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
So what this really means is that MS has no .... (Score:3, Interesting)
Or maybe they are pretending Linux doesn't exist today so tomorrow when they recognize that it does they can claim all of Linux is infringing their patents... ya know a prior art thing.
One of my favorite statements (Score:5, Informative)
I have short stories and essays I created using Microsoft Word 10-15 years ago that I can't open with Word today. None of these used any fancier formatting than double spacing and varying font sizes. That is why standards are important. We can't apparently expect Microsoft to keep the formats backwards compatible, so it is up to us as consumers to seek standards that will ensure that the information we create today will be just as accessible tomorrow.
Re:Anonymous Coward Claims Hilf is Braindead (Score:5, Funny)
You could try reading the article. He's the head of Microsoft's Linux division. Which is a bit like saying that Sun's Windows division just declared Microsoft Windows irrelevant. Who cares?
Parent
Re:Anonymous Coward Claims Hilf is Braindead (Score:5, Funny)
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Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Informative)
They purposefully left the last sentence out of the summary to drive hits. This guy's just another paid microsoft shill. Nothing to see here, move along.
Parent
Viva Libre! (Score:3, Informative)
Verdict? Obfuscation, misdirection and deliberate misinformation. Linux has ad a day job since he left University.
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Insightful)
He talks about being hired [microsoft.com] by Microsoft as an expert in Linux-based systems. Near as I can tell, he is a glorified network administrator.
As for his comments, stating that the Free Software movement is dead because Linus has a job speaks volumes about his ignorance on the topic.
Parent
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Insightful)
Microsoft is desperate, really desperate. They see the writing on the wall, and they know their empire is about to collapse.
Parent
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Insightful)
They actually prove the point that MS never, ever invented anything and that huge ecconomical success was just due to a ride on top of monopoly wave. That doesn't cut it anymore - Apple and Free Software community are making supperior products already. Windows is in such a mess that MS is not able to make any real improvements without breaking everything and basically starting from scratch. This is the reason to sing 'software as a service' song - Windows is dead and their desktop market share will start shrinking soon. It is 90%+, so yes - wiles, l take some time but they are in trouble.
Oh, Hilf - yes, we still exist. We are here! [redhat.com]
Parent
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Funny)
<on a highway>
radio: pls be aware of the one guy driving in the wrong way!
guy: one? All of them!
</on a highway>
Parent
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Funny)
Geeze, I just can't keep up with all these application-specific html tags! I bet that doesn't render the same on IE and Firefox...
Parent
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Not dead... it's not even pining for the fjords. (Score:5, Funny)
Mr. Hilf: 'Ello, I wish to complain about this Free Software parrot what I purchased not half an hour ago from this very boutique.
Owner: Oh yes, the, uh, the Finnish Blue...What's,uh...What's wrong with it?
Mr. Hilf: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's dead, that's what's wrong with it!
(Parrot squawks noisily and flaps about)
Owner: Looks fine to me.
Mr. Hilf: Look, matey, I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now.
(The parrot is attempting to move but seems to be having some trouble. It squawks loudly).
Owner: Are you sure he's not just pining for the fjords?
Mr. Hilf: PININ' for the FJORDS?!?!?!? What kind of talk is that?, look, why did he fall flat on his back the moment I got 'im home?
(Owner inspects parrot closely. Looks up incredulously, then takes another look before raising his head again)
Owner: It looks like someone nailed him there! Look. (Owner removes the nail, and the parrot flaps about)..
Mr. Hilf: Well, erm.... of course it was nailed there! If I hadn't nailed that bird down, it would have nuzzled up to those bars, bent 'em apart with its beak, and started eating into our market share!
Owner: I thought you said 'e was dead?
Mr. Hilf: Ermm....... 'E's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a..... OOOOUCH! Little bastard bit my finger.
Owner: I'd say that clearly proves your Finnish Free Software parrot isn't dead.
Mr. Hilf: Well, can I stick a nail through its head just to be sure?
Owner: Get out of my shop before I call animal protection, you sick bastard!
Mr. Hilf: This is the worst bastardisation of a Monty Python sketch I've ever been in. I never wanted to be this creepy Microsoft shill you know... I wanted to be a lumberja...
Owner: Get out!
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Re:Bill Hilf saying FS is dead (Score:4, Funny)
Parent
Re:Bill Hilf saying FS is dead (Score:5, Funny)
A: Never try to frame a guilty man.
I kid I kid...
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
lanc
ps: what, are they the only ones allowed to fud around?
Re:Oh man... (Score:5, Interesting)
Software as a Service will never become popular as long as the open source movement exists. This is why Microsoft is trying its hardest to make everyone believe its dead and doing all the sabre rattling with regards to patents.
Proprietary software has its place in the marketplace but trying to force people who are already operating under the licensing model of software to switch to Software as a Service(SaaS) scheme... Even the most financially irresponsible person can see that paying $10-20/mo over the course of your computers lifetime is more than buying a single copy at $100-120 (oh wait sorry for Vista thats like $400 for Ultimate, this in comparison to Server 2003 which is $600).
SaaS has its place as well... I mean look at all the MMO's out there, they are all basically SaaS schemes. They work because they are providing something people want (a forum for interaction with both real people as well as computer AI 'mobs' and a sense of accomplishment). Of course one could argue that the servers the thing runs on is basically a service in which case a MMO truely becomes a Service as a Service scheme where you buy subscriptions (sorta like how Linux server distros sell service contracts to come help fix things if stuff gets broken)
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Re:Once again.. (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm serious. After Microsoft's positioning over the last few days, I don't think there's anything more to talk about. They are THE enemy of open source. They are THE enemy of free software. There are THE enemy of choice. They are THE enemy of competition.
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