Summary: Apart from IE8 support, Microsoft's joint campaign against Google receives backing from its new vassal, Yahoo!

SHORTLY after Yahoo had become a "zombie" of Microsoft, the impact on Free software at the company became apparent. Yes, very shortly after Yahoo's deal with Microsoft, Hadoop's principal person decided to quit, which works well for Microsoft because Hadoop builds so-called 'clouds' that compete against Microsoft on the Web. Moreover, in contrast to Yahoo!'s recommendation of Firefox 3.0 last year (under Jerry Yang's leadership), Yahoo! now promotes IE8.

Well done, Bartz. Really, well done. Microsoft loves you.

In addition to all this, we now learn that Yahoo is joining an anti-Google coalition, which involves no-one other than Microsoft. Well, Microsoft was Yahoo's enemy one year ago when Yahoo was becoming friends with Google, remember? Microsoft used its might inside the government to break apart those two willing partners. And now -- one year later -- Yahoo! is headed by a former Microsoft ally (Autodesk CEO) and a poisoned board of directors. This changes the story completely. Engadget puts it like this:

Microsoft, its new pet dog Yahoo, and Amazon have decided to join together in the soon to be formed Open Book Alliance.

Microsoft didn't have to buy Yahoo!, yet in many ways Yahoo! seems like an asset of Microsoft now, just like Citrix, Corel, or Novell.

“To stress how hypocritical Microsoft has been, it too scanned many books before it called the whole thing off.”It ought to be emphasised that Microsoft supported more aggressive actions, including lawsuits, against Google's book scanning. To stress how hypocritical Microsoft has been, it too scanned many books before it called the whole thing off. It was losing the game to its competition, Google. At the same time, Microsoft used underhanded legal and political tactics to derail Google's endeavours, so this is merely the latest such attempt. This is not the first time that Microsoft (co-)creates or supports a coalition against Google in books, either directly or by proxy, as proven many times before (it's not a theory, it is substantiated).

It should also be added that quite a few Amazon managers came from Microsoft. Amazon's infatuation with DRM is no news, either [1, 2].

Maggie Shiels, who routinely spreads pro-Microsoft material, is also promoting Microsoft's cause, but to be fair, it was covered by very many people, so this may not mean much other than media contacts like Microsoft PR or even those whom Microsoft employed to seed anti-Google AstroTurf campaigns. ⬆