Linus Calls Microsoft Hatred "a Disease"

Hugh Pickens writes "In the aftermath of Microsoft's recent decision to contribute 20,000 lines of device driver code to the Linux community, Christopher Smart of Linux Magazine talked to Linus Torvalds and asked if the code was something he would be happy to include, even though it's from Microsoft. 'Oh, I'm a big believer in "technology over politics." I don't care who it comes from, as long as there are solid reasons for the code, and as long as we don't have to worry about licensing etc. issues,' says Torvalds. 'I may make jokes about Microsoft at times, but at the same time, I think the Microsoft hatred is a disease. I believe in open development, and that very much involves not just making the source open, but also not shutting other people and companies out.' Smart asked Torvalds if Microsoft was contributing the code to benefit the Linux community or Microsoft. 'I agree that it's driven by selfish reasons, but that's how all open source code gets written! We all "scratch our own itches." It's why I started Linux, it's why I started git, and it's why I am still involved. It's the reason for everybody to end up in open source, to some degree,' says Torvalds. 'So complaining about the fact that Microsoft picked a selfish area to work on is just silly. Of course they picked an area that helps them. That's the point of open source — the ability to make the code better for your particular needs, whoever the "your" in question happens to be.'"

RMS is spinning in his grave

[linzeal]

RMS is going to helicopter out of his grave. 'The Ride of the Valkyries' is going to start playing and innocent civilians will be killed. Theo will say he loves the smell of 'Fresh Napalm in the Morning'. Mark my words.

Re:What?

[Anonymous Coward]

>Do you honestly believe the whole open source movement depends on people uniting around a hatred for Microsoft, as opposed to sharing a love for innovation and technology?

Welcome to Slashdot! You must be new here.

Re:RMS is spinning in his grave

[Captain Spam]

So... you're suggesting we kill RMS first so that he can spin his way out of his grave?

And make sure we bury him the right side up so he helicopters out instead of drills his way through the planet?

Re:a disease

[FooAtWFU]

Microsoft-hating is a disease that you catch from doing business with Microsoft.

Re:RMS is spinning in his grave

[jeremyp]

Trying to get out.

Re:Not a disease, Tribalism

[morgan_greywolf]

If you simply dislike spinach, you don't have a disease. If your dislike of spinach, however, makes you start a massive campaign calling spinach evil and saying nobody should eat it, then yes, you have a disease.

But....spinach is evil!

Re:free software and open source

[thrash242]

Thanks for further clarifying the difference between "open source" and "The One True Free Software--Stallman Be Praised!".

Re:Um, no

[derGoldstein]

So, everyone who fought against the Nazis in WW2 had a disease, then?

**Ding Ding Ding!**
We have Nazis! Finally this has become a real discussion!
Remember players, extra points if you get "Nazis" and "Hitler" in the same jab!

(I actually agree with your position, but adding nazis to an argument does nothing that make it seem like a parody, most of the time)

Re:free software and open source

[drsmithy]

Oh, okay. I didn't realise it was "Freedom, but only on our terms". I thought it was just "Freedom".

The correct term is "GNU/Freedom".

This helps to distinguish it from regular "freedom".

Re:I disagree

[fat_mike]

Wow...I mean wow. You just compared the imaginary Microsoft vs. Linux bullshit to the Nazi's vs. the Jews.

I can't wait until you retards have to go out into the real world.

HR: So what qualities will you bring to our company, why should I hire you?

FT: I WILL SHOUT AND SPOUT A LOT ABOUT LINUX AND HOW MUCH BETTER IT IS THAN MICROSOFT BECAUSE MICROSOFT IS TRYING TO ERADICATE ME BECAUSE THEY'RE A WELL FUNDED ORGANIZATION THAT HIRES HIT SQUADS. WAIT, YOU DON'T USE LINUX!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE THE NAZIS!!!!!!!!!!!

HR: Okay, I'm just going to repeatedly hit the security button now.

One of these days I need to make a short film about all of you that think that free software is so fucking important in your lives.

Re:free software and open source

[Fred_A]

MS has called Free Software "a cancer", "unamerican", "implicitly criminal", and "a threat to the economy". It's been practicing *extortion* when dealing with large corporation so that they include no open-source/free software in their stack. They've threatened to sue, and excommunicate companies advocating OSS, and have been slandering free software in an on-going, relentless campaign that any totalitarian regime would be proud of. They have fired *their own employees* who dabbled in OSS. Their FUD tactics have been to keep painting OSS as legally, and commercially unmaintainable.

Who, Microsoft ?
Oh, you mean the *old* Microsoft !

This is the *new* Microsoft. They wouldn't do anything like that. Not at all. No sir. No way. The new Microsoft is only run by Carebears and Unicorns and rainbow coloured ponies (or so I'm told).

Re:RMS is spinning in his grave

[Anonymous Coward]

"What is RMS doing in his grave?"

Making sure it's sufficiently open, of course.

Microsoft is cancer,

[arndawg]

Linux is AIDS, Apple is gay and *BSD is the product of a retarded offspring of fat monkeys having buttsex with a fishsquirrel. Don't get me started on how much i hate intel and amd.

Re:free software and open source

[doxology]

They'll find Jobs when they call home.