It's all about domination and about money

Summary: Microsoft has just bought some more seats and more control over Free/Open Source software; all it had to do was shell out some 'slush funds'

"HAPPY TIMES" for Jim Zemlin at the Linux Foundation. Two companies he adores, Apple and Microsoft, are on board (or Board) with him. More press releases this past week from the 'Linux' Foundation about Microsoft and Apple (than about anything else combined). Whose foundation is it? The proprietary software giants'.

Here's the Microsoft puff piece and a separate one for Apple. "The Academy Software Foundation," it says, "a collaborative effort to advance open source software development in the motion picture and media industries, today announced that Apple has joined the Foundation as a Premier member."

"It's about helping to run the "Open Source" on proprietary operating systems with DRM and back doors."That just means payment. That's all. Nothing else is necessary! Cheap PR stunt (by their financial standards this is 'slush funds').

Apple-centric sites take note (for openwashing of Apple of course!) and so do Microsoft apologists, in all their colours of the rainbow. Openwashing is a powerful PR tactic after all -- one we shall deal with separately (later this weekend).

So what's it all about?

Not much.

Do Apple and Microsoft give some code?

No.

"Well, the Linux Foundation says it's an "open source" and "collaboration" platform. So why is it outsourcing all that collaboration to a proprietary software platform (GitHub) owned and controlled (even censored) by the biggest opponent of Open Source?"Microsoft pays some more money to Zemlin; for the ‘Linux’ Foundation to keep outsourcing virtually all of these projects to Microsoft (GitHub). It's like a recruitment drive. Microsoft pays ‘Linux’ Foundation to outsource everything in this foundation to Microsoft, as we explained earlier (check where the Academy Software Foundation shelves its code).

Here's one press article with "Microsoft", "Apple" and "Open Source" in the headline:

Microsoft and Apple have both joined the Academy Software Foundation, a group designed to promote the use of open source in Hollywood. Both companies joined the foundation at the premier membership level, which helps it to surpass $1 million in annual funding.

“Filmmakers everywhere use Apple products,” said Academy Software Foundation executive director David Morin in a statement. “We are delighted to welcome Apple as a new member, and we look forward to working with them to ensure that our open source projects run well on Apple software platforms.”

In addition to becoming a premier member, Microsoft is also joining the foundation’s governing board and technical advisory council.

It's about helping to run the "Open Source" on proprietary operating systems with DRM and back doors. Is that an actual contribution?

Also notice how Microsoft has just, in effect, bought itself a seat on the "governing board and technical advisory council."

Well, the Linux Foundation says it's an "open source" and "collaboration" platform. So why is it outsourcing all that collaboration to a proprietary software platform (GitHub) owned and controlled (even censored) by the biggest opponent of Open Source? Because that's just this foundation's business model. Nothing out of the ordinary here (from their point of view). ⬆