07.06.19
Gemini version available ♊︎Microsoft Chose to Embrace the Linux Brand and Extend Windows
Credit: unknown (Twitter)
Summary: Phoronix posts and comments highlight the sentiments of technical people, who aren’t foolish enough to be impressed by Microsoft’s “goodies” which target GNU/Linux users/developers
“Linux is a cult that captures the best-and-brightest kids,” wrote Jim Gray (Microsoft Research) [PDF]. They’re jealous because they know good developers reject Windows and Microsoft. The marketing lies don’t bamboozle the world’s hardcore programmers.
I recently asked Michael Larabel why his Web site, Phoronix, seemingly ‘promotes’ Microsoft stuff (sometimes). Larabel and I have long had amicable relations (at times he sent pointers to Techrights — things we ought to cover), so he politely explained that it was done partly for entertainment reasons. This latest post says: “Not a particularly new feature itself, but recently Microsoft has begun promoting a workflow for developers of encouraging them to use Windows 10 to do Linux development by leveraging Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Visual Studio Code Remote.”
“It’s a retention plan for “DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS,” but they might also use colleges to steer young developers towards their spyware, Vista 10.”“It doesn’t sound particularly compelling unless you’re locked into using Windows to begin with,” Larabel wrote a few hours ago. As we recently explained, they target people already on Windows to ensure they stay on Windows. It’s a retention plan for “DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS,” but they might also use colleges to steer young developers towards their spyware, Vista 10. That’s a problem.
As someone noted earlier on in the comments: “I think Microsoft would be better off if they embraced Wine instead. It feels like their operating system is becoming irrelevant for everything than getting the most performance out of video games. Only old developers will be willing to put up with Windows out of habit, and maybe because they like to use Visual Studio for whatever reason.”
“Surely people can spot “EEE” when they can see it this clearly.”Microsoft has long discouraged the use of WINE and with its 2006 Novell deal it also sent implicit threats WINE’s way (we covered it at the time). Microsoft does not want GNU/Linux users to run Windows software locally (almost natively with WINE as it’s a compatibility layer rather than emulation and it does not require a Windows licence, i.e. no Microsoft ‘rent’)
“Sounds like a solution that requires additional unnecessary steps when compared to just developing on Linux,” said another comment.
For those still wrestling to figure out Microsoft’s strategy, it’s basically calling Windows "Linux". This is causing a sort of “brand dilution” (confusion also), which devalues GNU/Linux and steers people away from the “real thing”. Microsoft does not love Linux and it certainly does not want GNU/Linux to succeed, except on Microsoft’s terms (and platform). Surely people can spot “EEE” when they can see it this clearly. Maybe journalists cannot see it when paid not to (“Travel & Lodging was sponsored by CNCF,” say the Linux Foundation‘s ‘choreographers’). █
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