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To: Golden Eagle
But since as you said open source has been around since before Microsoft, you can't claim IBM just now got on board.

Why not? IBM didn't start open source (they'd almost certainly behave as Microsoft does if they were in Microsoft's place), it originated with the first programmers. IBM did just jump on board a few years ago to try to compete with Microsoft.

Stallman's first job was with IBM, and he still consults with them to this day.

You put a lot of stock in innuendo, don't you? His first job is irrelevant, particularly when it was that long ago. As to the consulting, all it proves is that...he does consulting for IBM. Which makes sense, as IBM wants to use open source to compete with Microsoft. They themselves have no real allegiance to it, it's just a tool to compete with Microsoft. In any event, I like competition. Competition is good.

Microsoft wants to lease US IP to the rest of the world, while Stallman wants to give it to them for free.

While Stallman hates closed-source and would do away with it if he could, the fact remains that he gives away only the code generated by GNU. Why should that bug you? If that sinks an American business, fine. That's the free market.

23 posted on 09/19/2006 1:53:36 PM PDT by Señor Zorro ("The ability to speak does not make you intelligent"--Qui-Gon Jinn)
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To: Señor Zorro
IBM did just jump on board a few years ago to try to compete with Microsoft.

Who are you trying to kid? When IBM started selling the first mass-produced commercial computers in the sixties, the software and its source code came as part of the package. Something they rarely if ever do anymore.

If that sinks an American business, fine.

Maybe fine according to you, but most of us care about what happens to America, including our businesses.

24 posted on 09/19/2006 6:06:59 PM PDT by Golden Eagle (Buy American. While you still can.)
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