We had two Soylentils submit stories on Microsoft's joining the Eclipse Foundation:
Eclipse Foundation Gains Member
Coincident with a solar eclipse, Microsoft Corp. has joined the Eclipse Foundation. The company has also made its Team Explorer Everywhere software, "the official TFS [Team Foundation Server] plug-in for Eclipse," available in source form under an MIT-style licence.
coverage:
- Ars Technica
- Tech Crunch
- The Register (Cloudflare-protected)
- Infoworld
- ZDNet
- Network World
- The Inquirer
- CIO
- Fortune
- WinBeta (Cloudflare-protected)
[Continues.]
MSFT is Sinking its Claws Into the Eclipse Foundation
from the openwashing dept.
TechRights reports
Microsoft is Turning Eclipse Into a Proprietary Software Tool by Sinking its Claws Into the Eclipse Foundation
Microsoft is spreading proprietary software and surveillance, extorting Linux with software patents, and [...] contaminating FOSS frameworks--all in less than a single day
Less than a day after the latest "loves Linux" nonsense, we begin to see puff pieces, e.g. [1, 2, 3], which seem more like Microsoft advertisements than actual journalism. No critical thinking, no background/research, no fact-checking. Nothing. Just parroting Microsoft's marketing/propaganda.
"Microsoft today announced that it is joining the Eclipse Foundation," one 'journalist' wrote, "the open source group that's probably best known for its Eclipse IDE, but which also offers a number of other developer tools."
This is "embrace, extend, extinguish", for reasons we already explained in [...] past articles.
[...] Eclipse is actually against software patents, which Microsoft uses against Linux even this week. What was the leadership of Eclipse thinking here? That Microsoft has changed? That there's a 'new' Microsoft? No such thing, it's all marketing/reputation laundering.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by Gravis on Friday March 11 2016, @07:25AM
What was the leadership of Eclipse thinking here? That Microsoft has changed? That there's a 'new' Microsoft?
they were thinking of money. it's really that simple. that's ok though because java is a proprietary language that needs to die along with Eclipse.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday March 11 2016, @07:32AM
Developers, developers, developers.
They decided they don't like Vista8/10 as a Wks for their developer works and started to migrate to other platforms; MS is just following them (OK, "stalking them" if you say so).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by bitstream on Friday March 11 2016, @12:58PM
Developers need to move on I presume.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday March 11 2016, @01:42PM
I'm afraid I lost you on this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by bitstream on Friday March 11 2016, @01:56PM
Move on to avoid the entanglements of Microsoft. It's their ecosystem, way of thinking, business models etc.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday March 11 2016, @02:20PM
Nope, they can continue to ignore MS forays into Eclipse's territory without any extra risks.
Everything working under Eclipse is a plugin - if you don't need something, you don't install the plugin (or, if pre-installed, you remove it).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday March 11 2016, @02:50PM
that's ok though because java is a proprietary language
Excuse me? Did Oracle close Sun's source when I wasn't looking?
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2, Informative) by nitehawk214 on Friday March 11 2016, @06:05PM
Java has always been "sorta closed". This is why BEA and IBM had their own implementations. This is why OpenJDK tried to make a cleanroom implementation (which is not quite compatible). And this is why Oracle sued Google over Android's API.
Supposedly Google is going to switch to OpenJDK, I will believe it when I see it. OpenJDK is a good idea, but stuff will break left and right.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday March 11 2016, @09:08PM
In my dictionary "95% open but you just need the blessing of the parent organization" does not make something "proprietary." Maybe it doesn't make you No True Scotsman open-source, but is this really a razor-edge dichotomy? Hell, apparently the open majority is even GPL.
http://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/1/2011/11/13/open_sourcing_java_five_year_anniversary/ [theregister.co.uk]
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday March 11 2016, @09:12PM
Ah crap. Copied the wrong URL.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/13/open_sourcing_java_five_year_anniversary/ [theregister.co.uk]
(And yeah I'm aware the article is from 2011.)
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Monday March 14 2016, @05:55PM
I agree with you. I think the problem is thinking in this binary "open source vs closed source" terms. Java's model is somewhere in the middle.
And I am perfectly fine with this. Having the backing of big companies keeps it at least somewhat closed, while also giving it enough market push to be a major force. It might not be very fast on updates, but it isn't abandonware either. What is the appropriate amount of "openness" depends on the project. I think this suits Java perfectly.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 1) by eravnrekaree on Friday March 11 2016, @04:50PM
Hasnt Java been open source for some time?
(Score: 5, Informative) by c0lo on Friday March 11 2016, @07:28AM
Reality: MS wrote a plugin/extension (or a set of them) for the Eclipse Framework (free) to work with its (proprietary) Team Foundation Server.
You are free to not install their extension and continue to use it as it was until now - which is what I'll be doing.
This means MS' extension is just one of the heaps of others which may fall into the following categories:
* FOSS extensions standalone or using/interoperating with FOSS products
* FOSS extensions that integrate/interoperate with proprietary software (e.g. all the extensions/plugins for WebSphere/Lotus Notes/etc )
* Proprietary extensions. E.g. almost all if not actually all of the "Rational whatever" IBM products, or Redhat's JBoss Developer Studio [wikipedia.org], or Parasoft C/C++test [wikipedia.org], or plenty of others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 11 2016, @08:02AM
no sale! no buy! no use!
(Score: 2) by bitstream on Friday March 11 2016, @12:56PM
1) Enable use of Team Foundation Server etc
2) Make people use software dependent on that extension
3) Demand.. when people have a sufficient barrier to leave. That the main software does X, Y or Z.
4) Corrupt everything beyond usability.
5) People leave.. GOTO 10.
What is needed is some kind cold hand over anything that is Microsoft. Get of their software and services. Refuse to collaborate on anyone working for them etc. Make it hard for Microsoft software to work. Allow only interfacing that strictly benefit open source etc. Don't invite their wetware drones etc.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday March 11 2016, @01:36PM
You forgot:
0) convince people to use Team Foundation Server
without this step, everything on that list is moot.
Now, let me ask: why the hell someone that didn't have any point of touch with MS dev technologies would suddenly feel the urge to do it?
Most of the Eclipse users won't feel this compulsion - MS kept its developers captive with different Visual Studio versions until now, so the set intersection between Eclipse users and VS users is so small it can be neglected.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by bitstream on Friday March 11 2016, @01:47PM
Eclipse users will be entangled in the Microsoftverse. There is a reason for Microsoft to do these moves. They are motivated by money and power.
So any suggestion to counteract this and other moves?
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday March 11 2016, @02:16PM
No they won't.
Because what MS released is optional
As an Eclipse user, one only installs whatever plugins or extension one needs and nothing else. You can even start with an Eclipse installation that is devoid of any plugin coming from the Eclipse site**
If you need to install the MS TFS extension in Eclipse it is probably because you need to use the Team Foundation Server (perhaps your employer already uses uses it?). In which case, Eclipse or not, you'd be already fucked - you stepped into MS' shit and you are already stinking.
But if you don't use Team Foundation, there's no way MS can force you (an Eclipse user) to touch Microsoft's extension - you just do not install the the TFS plugin and continue to do whatever you'd be doing oblivious to the fact that MS is drooling after developers or the FOSS activists try to raise hell.
--
** this has been used as a technique to maintain up-to-date a non-browser application. I know for a fact that, before the advent of high frequency trading bots, a certain financial behemoth in London built their real-time trading client application as an Eclipse framework plugin.
Everytime their traders would start their "application" (in fact, an Eclipse installation with no externals plugins), the Eclipse would check if a new version of plugin (materializing their internal trading application) is available and, if so, would download and start to use it.
Et voila - a rich client application combined with the low cost of new-version-distribution typical to a Web application - the best of the two worlds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by opinionated_science on Friday March 11 2016, @02:45PM
GPL , FOSS , ONLY. RMS is correct and the continued smear campaigns are an attempt to discredit the core principle in favour of "somethings are different".
There is no difference. Microsoft is doing this because they have the resources to legally blur any license they touch *except* the GPL, where they publish the source.
They also have the resources to take any GPL product then bolt on a closed source MIT blob, and entrench you the way every sh*tty thing they have ever done.
Disclosure: 10 years *almost* M$ free (those f*ckers got rent for the crappy exfat on android, but I couldn't avoid that without paying the fruity tax).
(Score: 2) by bitstream on Friday March 11 2016, @02:54PM
You could pay the Replicant tax.. oh wait ;)
(Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 11 2016, @09:49AM
We need another category for submissions besides "Accepted" and "Rejected". [soylentnews.org]
Merged? Unified? Enfolded? Amalgamated?
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 11 2016, @02:44PM
No. You don't even bother to register a handle - what do you care if a story is "unified" or "enfolded" or whatever as long as it gets posted in some fashion.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday March 11 2016, @05:07PM
How about "Original"? Oh look, you can click it.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 11 2016, @11:01AM
Why worry about Microsoft! Microsoft Loves Linux! Microsoft Loves Open Source!
This isn't your father's Microsoft! Trust us!
“I would love to see all open source innovation happen on top of Windows.”
–Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO
(Score: 1) by mrpacmanjel on Friday March 11 2016, @04:11PM
"This isn't your Dad's Microsoft"
Are you sure?
http://news.softpedia.com/news/another-company-will-pay-microsoft-for-its-android-and-linux-tech-501561.shtml [softpedia.com]
Microsoft are the new IBM - made some great software donations to the open source community but still trying clinging to dubious business practices.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Friday March 11 2016, @05:38PM
Obviously pleased????
"Yes sir, your Honour, we were obviously pleased that we reached an agreement to pay Guido and 'Broken nose' Barney protection money and that they didn't break our legs."
Yeah... Microsoft is doing nothing.... send the goons and watch the money roll in: why is no one going to the FBI (or whomever) over racketeering?????
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---