Comments on: Why Did CNET Remove Microsoft’s Attack on Open Source?

By: Stephen Shankland

Stephen Shankland — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:39:49 +0000

The article in question was a wire-service report that we reprinted at CNET News. (I can’t remember offhand if it was from Reuters, Bloomberg, or AP.) We only have permission to show such articles for a limited time, typically 30 days if memory serves, after which you get the not terribly helpful “is no longer available on CNET News” page.

By: Scott Mace

Scott Mace — Sat, 09 May 2009 00:05:09 +0000

Jai Singh was editor in chief in 2001, IIRC, but he’s retired. I can’t tell who the author of this story was, or I would ask him or her. Other CNet folks who covered this back in 2001 include Joe Wilcox and Stephen Shankland. Wilcox appears to have a Web site at http://www.joewilcox.com, but it’s down right now. Shankland is still a writer at CNet. You might ask him. There’s a link to email him at http://www.cnet.com/profile/Shankland/?tag=mncol;title.

If I knew either Wilcox or Shankland personally, I’d ask them myself. I’ll be watching to see what you can find out!

Scott

By: Roy Schestowitz

Roy Schestowitz — Fri, 08 May 2009 07:11:35 +0000

I don’t know their editor. Who would be best to contact?

By: Scott Mace

Scott Mace — Fri, 08 May 2009 03:30:24 +0000

Roy, have you tried to approach CNet for comment on this?

By: Roy Schestowitz

Roy Schestowitz — Fri, 08 May 2009 01:00:34 +0000

Microsoft did cut its PR budget. It was in the news in April. I was also told by a Slashdot admin that Microsoft hires agencies to game the site.

By: David Gerard

David Gerard — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:43:39 +0000

I'm seeing the cuts in Microsoft's PR spend take effect. Their Slashdot astroturfers appear to be taking shifts - I had no comments from them for about three days, then several comments showed up in the past few hours. I can only assume they're feeling the layoffs. Anyone else?

By: Roy Schestowitz

Roy Schestowitz — Wed, 06 May 2009 22:00:51 +0000

Thanks. I'd preferably like to find the CNET article or rule out the possibility that they just relocated the article. I had some conversations with InfoWorld's editor last week for similar reasons. 'Amnesia' is not always an accident; there are mischievous staff members.

By: DiamondWakizashi

DiamondWakizashi — Wed, 06 May 2009 21:53:35 +0000

I found part of that article here:

“Microsoft exec calls open source a threat to innovation,” Bloomberg News, February 15, 2001, 11:00 a.m. PT

One of Microsoft’s high-level executives says that freely distributed software code such as Linux could stifle innovation and that legislators need to understand the threat.

The result will be the demise of both intellectual property rights and the incentive to spend on research and development, Microsoft Windows operating-system chief Jim Allchin said this week.

Microsoft has told U.S. lawmakers of its concern while discussing protection of intellectual property rights . . .

”Open source is an intellectual-property destroyer,” Allchin said. ”I can’t imagine something that could be worse than this for the software business and the intellectual-property business.” . . .

http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases/ms_tuncom/major/mtc-00028313.htm