07.25.12

Microsoft ‘Community’ Takes Control of Mono, Passes Belated Bribes to Mono Developers

Posted in Microsoft, Mono at 1:18 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Monkey

Summary: Mono gets money from former Microsoft executives and the relationship with Microsoft tightens

SEVERAL years ago we gave some examples where Microsoft bribes people or pays them a reward for a service after the act, e.g. attacks on ODF [1, 2]. It is a special type of bribe, reminiscent of “revolving doors” to use a more familiar vocabulary.

Mono, a project led by former Microsoft staff (the CEO) and a Microsoft MVP (the CTO), is getting funding from former Microsoft executives at Ignition Partners [1, 2]. It’s like a bribe being passed by proxy, or a "man-in-the middle attack".

One reader of ours was quick to send an E-mail regarding this news from Xamarin. As Michael Larabel put it

Mono Working Close With Microsoft, Gets $12M USD

Xamarin, the company behind the controversial Mono software platform that was born by Miguel de Icaza and Nat Friedman when the Mono developers got let go from Novell, has announced a series-A financing round worth twelve million USD. They’re also continuing to work closely with Microsoft.

Xamarin announced its first round of funding today, which amounts to $12MM USD from Charles River Ventures, Ignition Partners, and Floodgate. There’s a Xamarin blog post about this series-A round.

It is necessary to know the people behind those shells. Many are former Microsoft staff. Moreover, we must commend Phoronix for describing Mono as “controversial”; this is progress. █

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