Lawsuits against Linux?

[deadly7]

Hahaha.  This article is just M$ using the intimidation factor.  "We'll just act like we have no stance on suing Linux and scare people into using our product!"

[igimo1]

Hahaha.  This article is just M$ using the intimidation factor.  "We'll just act like we have no stance on suing Linux and scare people into using our product!"

Keep your pants on.

[Warrior]

Or they could actually do it and scare people into using their product! They are breaking the law either way, no one is exempt from the laws. Not Microsoft not Linux not Apple not anyone.

I mean a patent on double clicking? They'd own almost every OS out there..also.. Patent on FAT anyone? Cmon.

[iago]

Or they could actually do it and scare people into using their product! They are breaking the law either way, no one is exempt from the laws. Not Microsoft not Linux not Apple not anyone.

The problem is that Microsoft can hire better legal protection.  That counts for something. 

[Warrior]

So? Linux better get a free laywer haha.

[Hitmen]

So? Linux better get a free laywer haha.

There are actually lots of lawyers (EFF included) that do pro bono work for open source projects.

[Warrior]

Question is, can they compete with whatever lawyers MS has on it's payroll?

[rabbit]

Probably, otherwise they would probably be out of work.

[deadly7]

The people that do the work pro bono do it because they LIKE the thing they're supporting.  I'm willing to bet you that a majority of, if not all, of the lawyers that Microsoft has are there because of the damn good money.

[Warrior]

And they don't get the damn good money withought doing a damn good job. Point stands.

[deadly7]

So?  Work done because you want to do it will end up being better than work done because you're good at it and you get paid a shit load.
Let me put it in these terms for you War.  You're suddenly in charge of software development for Windows.  And you still remain a Windows zealot.  Now, since you love Windows so much, you want it to succeed, so you will end up working harder and demanding perfection from those below you.  Now let's change the situation so that you're still in charge of software development, but you hate Windows.  Your annual salary is $500,000 (I don't care if this figure isn't accurate to what they're making, so shut up about it).  Sure, you still want the product to succeed, but you just want it to sell enough so that you make your big fat paycheck because as far as you care, you don't even like it.  You're just there because you're talented and you accepted because you get a big fat paycheck.

[MyndFyre]

So?  Work done because you want to do it will end up being better than work done because you're good at it and you get paid a shit load.

I don't think this is necessarily accurate.  Provide actual statistics, please.

Now let's change the situation so that you're still in charge of software development, but you hate Windows.  Your annual salary is $500,000 (I don't care if this figure isn't accurate to what they're making, so shut up about it).

I think this hypothetical is too far-fetched to work.  I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a software developer (you might have noticed, they tend to be factional) who would work on Windows even though (s)he hates it.  I can't imagine any MS employee who hates MS - they might be humorously cynical about it, but that's completely different than hating.

[Warrior]

If it isn't done well, you don't get paid. You get paid for coding excellence. I don't think you'd be one to make that comparison (as outrageous as it may be) since you don't program.

[deadly7]

I don't think this is necessarily accurate.  Provide actual statistics, please.

I would question the credibility of any test that conducts something like this.  I'd give examples of my life, but I doubt you really care/would believe me.

I think this hypothetical is too far-fetched to work.  I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a software developer (you might have noticed, they tend to be factional) who would work on Windows even though (s)he hates it.  I can't imagine any MS employee who hates MS - they might be humorously cynical about it, but that's completely different than hating.

Maybe hate was too strong of a word.  How about instead of him hating it, he has his current opinions on Linux and it's userbase (i.e.: they suck, are arrogant, stupid, etc whatever he believes).
Besides, I'd take up a job that I hate if it payed me 500 G's a year.  Quit in a few years and work somewhere I like after that.

If it isn't done well, you don't get paid. You get paid for coding excellence. I don't think you'd be one to make that comparison (as outrageous as it may be) since you don't program.

What does me not programming have to do with anything?

[Warrior]

Everything? You don't know how it works. You base everything on stuff you pull out of your ass as shown above.