Posted on 07/06/2022 11:21:21 AM PDT by ShadowAce
Microsoft’s new service for automatically writing AI-based code, Copilot, has sparked outrage in the Open Source community.
“Microsoft loves open source.” So much has been put on this slogan recently, only to change the Open Source community’s perspective toward the Redmond company.
And while Microsoft was no longer demonized as the worst thing that could happen to the Open Source, certain of the Redmond tech giant’s tactics remained regardless of the times.
It must be said unequivocally, now and forever, that Microsoft loves open source! However, with one additional qualification: when it can generate a profit from it.
While this may appear to be perfectly acceptable from a business standpoint, it is quite the opposite regarding moral violations. And Microsoft did it again.
As you know, Microsoft acquired GitHub in 2018 for more than seven billion dollars. In reality, GitHub is the world’s largest repository of open-source code.
At the heart of the problem that has blown up the Open Source community in recent days is the GitHub Copilot service. It’s a code writing assistance tool driven by artificial intelligence (AI) that the company just unveiled.
And now we get to the core of the issue. Copilot is powered by natural language text and openly available source code, including code in GitHub public repositories. And, of course, you must have a paid subscription or a special invitation from Microsoft to access Copilot.
To put it another way. You are a developer who has contributed valuable content to various GitHub projects over the years. Of course, everyone is welcome to use it.
Would you be satisfied if your code was used for profit by a closed-source app without giving you credit? In its classic fashion, this is where Microsoft tramples on moral boundaries.
In response to this action, the Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC), a non-profit that provides various services to open-source software projects, has stated its intention to leave GitHub and has asked others to do the same.
Today, we take a stronger stance. We are ending all our own uses of GitHub, and announcing a long-term plan to assist FOSS projects to migrate away from GitHub.
After the SFC last week reminded GitHub of its unanswered questions and refusal to participate in public discussions, GitHub responded that it would not participate in any public or private discussion because “a broader conversation seemed unlikely to change your (SFC’s) stance, which is why we (GitHub) have not responded to your detailed questions.”
Without a doubt, an arrogant and rude approach. In other words, “Leave if you don’t like it. We don’t mind.” But what Microsoft’s GitHub fails to realize is that the Open Source community is extremely sensitive to violations of software freedoms. And the snowball that is currently bouncing on top of the mountain could roll and become an avalanche.
The conclusion of all of this is obvious. For Redmond’s tech giant, there have never been and will never be moral borders that are not worth crossing in pursuing profit. So, they’ve done it again. Is anyone surprised?
Gitlab is kind of a user-interface on top of Github
I use GitHub because MBED uses it. You can designate a library to be private. Are they not really private?
You should be able to read without an account, same as Twitter.
Tech CEO Jeffrey Peterson, in the aftermath of the Nov 2020 election steal, put together a worldwide working group to pull the world away from Windows, iOS, Google, Android and other captured Big Tech agents to make computers and internet thrive on open source Linux.
The group is intensely active and charged with passion for freedom.
See if you can peek in. If not, LMK and I’ll send some links that will get you access in less than a minute.
FreeBSD
everything is a file
MS got a code contract with LOTUS 1-2-3 and promptly stole the source code.
MS also made an early version of Word that enabled legal secretaries to use their memorized WordPerfect hotkeys when using MS Word. Word emerged to bury WordPerfect.
MS got a contract with Steve Jobs of Apple to help develop their WYSIWYG Word processing and spreadsheet products. MS stole those also, then emerged “Windows.”
Thieves.
WA State is now a brood of thieves but Marxists are descending on them.
Serves them right.
Hope they eat each other.
Signs show their moment in the Sun is fading.
WA state was once conservative, Scoop Jackson conservative.
But vote fraud is entrenched since year 2000.
Seattle was once a Boeing town with a lot of very talented machinists and engineers. They are now setting up shop in South Carolina.
My guess is that Microsoft has been playing nice in order to infiltrate open source, and later control it. Everything gets infiltrated now by the darkness.
My guess is that Microsoft has been playing nice in order to infiltrate open source, and later STEAL it!............................
Good list. It brought back memories. Disk compression and optimization was another technology they crushed. I think it is safe to add their Media / Video player too.
> It is open-source code, meaning anyone can use it without need for attribution.
If it’s open-source, there must be a specific license describing it. Each of the open source licenses describe requirements and allowances for licensing, distribution, and attribution. Code with no license is not automatically open source, and open source doesn’t automatically imply “anyone can use it without need for attribution”.
Yup. That’s Gary Kildall’s fault too for being a sucker.
When Linux takes over there will be Free Fish for everyone
Same with the Bitcoin space by Central Bankmeisters and their lap poodle, the Federal Reserve.
Keep your enemies closer.
Be ready to devour them..
Can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a smallco CEO get a tingle up their leg when sociopath Bill Gates has his executive goon call them for the purpose of discussing some interesting aspects of their “business”
They get all misty-eyed, heart afluttered; dreams revived of infinite riches flowing towards them.
They know mot how tasty and crunchy they will be.
Bait and Hook.
Thanks to ShadowAce for the ping!
The BSD licenses were completely open source/public domain, but allowed people to make money off of selling it or any changes made to it.
I strongly prefer BSD, and always have. The rest of this is Commie-inspires code.
MS took more than DOS. In the early 80s I had a source code license for the HDOS 2.0 OS used on Heathkit H8 computers. I wrote lots of specialized devices drivers for that OS. The concept of loadable device drivers was stolen directly from HDOS. Likewise, the concept of "mounting" and "unmounting" a disk was stolen. How do I know? The principal programmer for HDOS was JG Letwin. His initials are all over the HDOS source. MS hired JG Letwin to transform the sloppy purchase from People's Computer Company into MS DOS.
I was also a CP/M programmer in that time frame and wrote a few drivers for that OS too. MS did steal a few concepts from CP/M, but not nearly as many as from HDOS.
True, but then there’s Google’s Chrome which was taken from the open source Chromium, then compiled with spyware and marketed worldwide.
Brave is based on Chromium and enjoys eating Chrome’s lunch.
Early on Gates did indeed steal from others. He stole and rearranged the deck chairs, then marketed under a different name after compliling the source code so no on could track where it came from.
Open source is a buffet of free food. But MS will take and then hog the buffet table, cliosing the eating hall to outsiders, or set up a tent outside with minimal crumbs to feast on.
That’s how they roll.
So yeah, it’s not stealing, it’s bullying or maybe better, it’s morbid obesity eating all the hamburgers and leaving scraps for those that linger around for whatever reason.
“I was also a CP/M programmer...”
That’s pretty cool and a good history lesson for me. I think I read that MS copied CP/M API (look and feel) and that is why I thought they stole a lot of the internal code.
Never much of a programmer except for HTML / CSS / Java. More hardware and electronics. But I made some mean batch files in the day. I miss them.
In the interface everyday. I am the IT manager for a mid-size company (150 employees) and we use 365. The web interface isn’t too bad (both server and consumer side). But I don’t like MS because I think they crushed innovation on their way up.
Who knows what could have been if everything was open source.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.