[Gllug] [OT] Support model for Linux vs M$

[Christopher Hunter]

On Fri, 2009-03-13 at 01:15 +0000, j.roberts wrote:
> salsaman at xs4all.nl wrote:
> >> One way IMHO to enable the environment for a move is to insist that MS
> >> publish ALL the details of its interfaces so that Wine et al can work
> >> properly. It already does an often-impressive job.
> >>
> > 
> > The EU already ordered this a few years back. Except that you have to pay
> > M$ to get the specifications, and many of them are patented anyway.
> 
> Yes, that's what I mean. Interoperability should be required by statute 
> for basic functionality and interfaces.

It's too Utopian to expect MS and Apple to reveal their inner workings.
MS certainly wouldn't ever want to reveal the innards of Windows because
it's embarrassingly bad, and because there's a LOT of "borrowed" code in
there.  Apple just simply won't because they're even more precious about
"their" code!

> Otherwise a society (and its documents) is royally screwed if someone 
> who owns the API decides to close it down.

That happens every time MS release a new version of "Office" - they
deliberately break interoperability in an effort to force users to
"upgrade".  The general business world simply fails to see this as a
significant problem...

Chris

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