Bonum Certa Men Certa

Interoperability Based on Tax (Novell) versus Open APIs (Free Software)?

Yesterday's new article on interoperability reminds us of the importance of open and free communication, which is based on established industry standards. Novell is mentioned therein in one particular context.

Microsoft also is cooperating with Linux distributor Novell on a number of sales, marketing, and technical fronts.

Will Microsoft's saber rattling over Linux patents derail such [interoperability] efforts?


As Shane pointed out, Red Hat does the right thing by demanding the use of free & open protocols, not deals. One must play by the rules of industry as a whole, rather than be subjected to the rules of one reigning vendor.

Consider how Microsoft uses its deal with Novell to squeeze Novell into its own agenda, even optimising things like virtualisation to its own platform, with its own programming frameworks. Zend is probablya victim of the same type of tactics.

Zend is investing in a number of open source projects like Framework aimed at furthering the strength of the PHP technology and its thriving community, as well as collaboration with other software developers such as Microsoft.


The gist of the story is that an Open Source company is being encouraged by Microsoft to improve the performance of their products for Windows, at the expense of Linux. This collaboration, which began in October/November last year, is intended to make Linux servers less attractive to PHP developers. This is not new. Mozilla and Xen are fine examples of the same issue.

Returning to focus on Novell, the company has had a negative impact on Europe's battles with Microsoft. These are the battles that have gone on for years. They are about refusal to permit free access to Microsoft's proprietary protocols. Novell was bent the 'Microsoft way' to make open protocols less attractive and for the EU harder to win their case (and to change Microsoft's monopolistic ways).

The Mono/Silverlight situation leads to similar concerns. It (mis)leads Web developers to the illusion that Linux -- regardless of the distribution -- will be able to access this proprietary and heavily patent-encumbered technology, which is disguised as "Open Source" Novell makes it seem like Linux is converging with Windows based on proprietary, Windows-specific foundations. In case you lack context, here is a quote from one of the most recent articles.

Miguel de Icaza has led the Mono Project, which implements Microsoft's .NET development platform on Linux and Unix-like platforms, since it was announced in 2001. In that time de Icaza's enthusiasm for the project has remained fervent.


Discourage the use of Silverlight. Do not let the Net become .NET. As the following two articles stress, it's Microsoft's attempt to hijack the Web. Sadly, at present, Novell is helping Microsoft reach that goal.

An industry coalition that has represented competitors of Microsoft in European markets before the European Commission stepped up its public relations offensive this morning, this time accusing Microsoft of scheming to upset HTML's place in the fabric of the Internet with XAML, an XML-based layout lexicon for network applications.





Software manufacturers, citing 2004 European Commission finding, contend the operating system violates server laws in Europe.

[...]

"Vista is the first step of Microsoft's strategy to extend its market dominance to the Internet," the ECIS statement said.

It said Microsoft's XAML markup language was "positioned to replace HTML," the industry standard for publishing documents on the Internet.

Microsoft's own language would be dependent on Windows, and discriminatory against rival systems such as Linux, the group says.

They said a so-called "open XML" platform file format, known as OOXML, is designed to run seamlessly only on the Microsoft Office platform.


Addendum: The CNN link is now broken. Here is a a similar story.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Changing One's Name Won't Change One's Past
People who have earned a bad reputation are not magically "entitled" to reset
People Who Assault Women Are Not Victims of "Distress"
It seems like an American tradition. In a country with almost 50 presidents, not even one was a female.
Adoption of Gemini Protocol Still Growing
Gemini Protocol is being obscured by the media - it doesn't help that Google 'hijacked' the word "Gemini" - but people still manage to find out about it, download a client, and use it
Brett Wilson LLP "Takes it Personal" (Character Assassination, Not Professionalism). Everybody Can See That.
On behalf of violent men
Pissing Contests and Pissing Off Everyone
people who came from Microsoft are trying to vex and divide the community
Microsoft Repeats the Mistakes Made by the EPO After We Exposed a Major Microsoft/EPO Scandal 10 Years Ago
That scandal was all over the media, not just in English
 
Links 14/07/2025: Chatbots Broken Again, McHire LLM Shows Limits of the Hype
Links for the day
Slashdot Media Turned Linux Journal Into a Slopfarm and Now Slashdot Actively Promotes Anti-Linux Slopfarms
Yes, "no-nonsense" apparently means actual nonsense
Links 14/07/2025: Arresting Photographers, Threats to Revoke US Citizenship Over Criticism
Links for the day
More EPO Leaks on the Way
We hope that Mr. Rowan will actually try to refute what we say and show, not merely point the finger at the messengers
Decommodification is a Corporate Strategy Against Communities
systemd is led by Microsoft and hosted by Microsoft
copyleft.org 'Hijacked' by the People Who Attack the Person Who Created Copyleft
So far there's nothing "tasteless" in copyleft.org, but that can change at any time in the future
Asking People to Take Down Articles and Videos Only Makes These More Popular and "Viral"
If you do something bad, one of the worst things you can possibly do it try to silence those who speak about it
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, July 13, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, July 13, 2025
Two-Thirds Towards FSF Goal, Richard Stallman to Give Talks in Europe
There are 67 left before reaching the target
Gemini Links 14/07/2025: Politicised Tech and "Leaving GitHub"
Links for the day
The Demise of LLMs
We've just checked BetaNews again. They've dropped all the slop and went back to human authors.
Gemini Links 13/07/2025: Sonpo Museum of Art and FCEUX
Links for the day
Links 13/07/2025: UnitedHealth's Censorship Campaign, Australia Wary of China
Links for the day
Firing Away With Nonsense
Or fighting fire with fire
Links 13/07/2025: Climate Crisis, GAFAM Poisoning the Water
Links for the day
Turns Out LLMs for Code Don't Save Time and Don't Improve Quality
Neither legal nor useful
The Microsofters Will Have an Obligation to Compensate Us
This story isn't just about Microsoft. It's also about corruption, there are many women victims, there is abject "abuse of process", and many more scandals to be illuminated in years to come.
Reproducing at the EPO Instead of Producing Monopolies for Foreign Monopolies With Their Price-Fixing Cartels
Does the EPO recognise the need of well-educated Europeans to bear kids?
Valnet Inc. Dominates Real (Not LLM Slop) GNU/Linux Coverage in 2025
And likely in prior years, too
Free Software Foundation (FSF) Fund Raiser Goes on
Later this month we'll expose another OSI scandal
EPO Staff Representatives Issue a Warning About Staff's Health and Inadequate Care
Even the EPO's own stakeholders (money sources) are openly protesting against what the EPO became
Links 13/07/2025: Partly Assorted News From Deutsche Welle and CBC
Links for the day
Gemini Links 13/07/2025: Board Games and Battle Styles
Gemini Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, July 12, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, July 12, 2025
Plunder at the Second-Largest Institution in Europe
cuts, neglect, health problems, even early deaths
Links 12/07/2025: Political Developments, Attack on Opposition, Climate Actions
Links for the day
Gemini Links 12/07/2025: Melodic Musings and Small Web July
Links for the day
Links 12/07/2025: Jail in China for Homoerotica, South Korea Discriminates Against Old Workers
Links for the day
If Only Everything Was Rewritten in Rust, We'd Have No More Security Issues?
Nope.
Links 12/07/2025: Birdwatching and Fake/Misleading Wall Street 'Valuation' Figures
Links for the day
Gemini Links 12/07/2025: How to Avoid Writing, Apps for Android
Links for the day
Using SLAPPs to Cover Up Sexual Abuse and Strangulation
The exact same legal team of the Serial Strangler from Microsoft and Garrett already has a history fighting against "metoo"
EPO Staff Committee on Harassment in the Workplace
slides
Adding the Voice of Writers to UK SLAPP Reform
The journey to repair antiquated (monarchy era) laws will likely be long
EPO Takes More Money From Staff for Speculation (Pensions), Actuarial Study Explains the Impact
"The key change in this year’s Actuarial Study, due to cascading the new “risk appetite” from the financial study, is a significant increase of the total pension contribution rate of 5.7 percentage points, up to a total of 37.8%. This is driven by an unprecedented decrease in the discount rate of 105 bps down to 2.2%."
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, July 11, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, July 11, 2025