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Posted in GNU/Linux, Microsoft, Mono, Novell, Patents at 12:55 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Software that divides and discriminates
Popfly was introduced several months ago by Microsoft. It was not too clear at the time how Linux users would be treated. The following new article sheds some light on this issue:
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> However, the Silverlight platform — and Popfly — does have one flaw, which is no Linux support. Even Adobe releases its current builds of the Flash runtime to Linux users. Whether Microsoft likes it or not, Linux is here to stay and is a growing force on the desktop thanks to universal-audience distributions such as Ubuntu.
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As we recently pointed out, Novell’s Moonlight is a case of needing Microsoft-patented technology to just view Web sites. It is also incomplete and it puts Linux users in an awkward position. Silverlight has become a central issue of an ongoing antitrust debate. Popfly — and whatever comes out of it — is worth keeping an eye on as well.
Moonlight will potentially give some Web developers the impression that Silverlight does not harm Linux users. It might be another case where Microsoft has developers carrying water for it by ‘punishing’ Linux users.
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> A Microsoft Corp. technical evangelist referred to independent software developers writing for Windows and the company’s other software platforms as “pawns” and compared wooing them to convincing someone to have a one-night stand, according to testimony presented Friday against Microsoft in an ongoing antitrust case in Iowa.
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At the time, an Iowa exhibit was available, but the mirrors haven’t a copy of one of the latest additions. Microsoft settled quickly to end the torrent of the 'smoking guns' which had gone public.
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> 23 Q. Okay. Apparently, Mr. Plamondon says there are very valuable pawns in the struggle, however.
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> ——-
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> 18 Q. Okay. He then goes on to say, I have decided that we should not publish these extensions.
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> 24 Q. Okay. And what’s the effect of not documenting those extensions?
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> 1 A. They won’t be available.
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The take-away message is that Microsoft will continue to use third-party developers (a derogatory term in its own right) to do its dirty work. Silverlight is one tool that achieves exclusions when used by an army of developers. █
Related articles:
Microsoft’s Silverlight Promises to Disrupt Linux Web UsersMicrosoft’s ‘Everywhere’ excludes LinuxECIS Accuses Microsoft of Plotting HTML Hijack
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