It’s a farce, a charade. The Master Magician has coming to Town.

Well, that’s just why we need to speak out louder. As time goes by, the press is listening more to ‘that other side’. More people wake up.

Novell is no longer a victim in this blackmailing. Novell is now a partner. It benefits every time Microsoft threats other commercial distros. They’re Microsoft rivals, but they’re also Novell rivals. It’s a win-win situation.

Either they pay and ruin the Community. Or they refuse to pay and ruin their commercial reputation.

Novell and Miguel de Icaza are also helping Microsoft redefining what is Open Source (It will be more difficult to ruin Free Software, specially GPL3). Open Source is no longer Free (either in Freedom or in Cost). It’s only for the hobbyist! See for example the source code release for Singularity; Academic license (only for the hobbyists, in this case for student/hobbyist).

Last year’s licenses submissions to OSI were all about gaming the system, exactly like they did with the ISO (OOXML).

Pretending to be cooperating when they are in fact gaming the system. They win both ways. Appearing to be doing good work by opening up or undermining the credibility of the institutions or both.

Why isn’t Novell releasing the fruits of the colaboration with Microsoft under the GPL3: Mono; Moonlight; OOXML converters; and so on?

Doesn’t matter; Their PR blitz is working. Buzzwords its all people want to hear:

- OOXML is open and a ISO standard;
- they’re releasing Silverlight for Linux
- they’re an open source company because they’re opening up specifications for their protocols
- they support other open source companies and developers by promising not to sue

This is all people will hear.

Never mind that OOXML is not open and is not (for now) a ISO standard.
Never mind that is Novell doing the “dirt” work by porting Silverlight to Linux.
Never mind that opening up protocols does not make it a open source company.
Never mind the fact that using those specifications would make every open source license useless and no longer Open Source.

It’s a farce, a charade. The Master Magician has coming to Town.

What’s is really surprising is why so few people are opposing
this. This is going to ruin their business. They depend of a true Open Source environment. Why no one dares criticize Novell and Miguel de Icaza, the saboteurs.

“Silverlight cross-browser plug to Linux is getting patent protection from Microsoft, indemnifying users from aggressive patent holders and litigators such as the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).”

How can Microsoft protect them from the MPAA. Does this means that people using Microsoft codecs can pirate films at will.

de Icaza, meanwhile, is excited by Silverlight 2.0, released to beta this week. He highlighted the inclusion of .NET class libraries, integration with LINQ, integration with sockets and the ability to program with Silverlight using a choice of languages as important features.®

Oh gosh.