Posted on 12/29/2009 8:11:58 PM PST by nickcarraway
One of the unusual aspects of open source is the fact that the software development philosophy spills over into the way that the project is run. This means that how and why things are done, and by whom, is plain for all to see. Contrast that with Microsoft's approach, which mimics the black box of its software: mostly, all we ever get to view are the results, and rarely the cogs and gears behind those results.
Sometimes, though, some apparently obscure document grants us a rare insight into what is happening deep in the bowels of the Microsoft machine. Here's an example, a delightfully jargon-ridden job advertisement for the “Linux and Open Office Compete Lead, US Subsidiary (CSI Lead)”:
If you’re looking for a new role where you’ll focus on one of the biggest issues that is top of mind for KT and Steve B in “Compete”, build a complete left to right understanding of the subsidiary, have a large amount of executive exposure, build and manage the activities of a v-team of 13 district Linux& Open Office Compete Leads, and develop a broad set of marketing skills and report to a management team committed to development and recognized for high WHI this is the position for you!
Once you've got past the entertaining “top of mind” and “complete left to right understanding” phraseology, this reveals something incredibly important about the current thinking at Microsoft: that OpenOffice.org now figures almost as largely in the competitive landscape as does GNU/Linux, and the fact there are no less than *13* “district Linux and Open Office Compete Leads” focussing on what is described as "one of the biggest issues" for no less a person than Steve Ballmer.
That's huge: until now, most people have tended to dismiss the open source office project as a distant runner-up to Microsoft Office, and certainly not a serious contender. Microsoft obviously feels otherwise, which means that OpenOffice.org is clearly doing something right.
The ad has some more details about the post:
The core mission of CSI is to win share against Linux and OpenOffice.org by designing and driving marketing programs, changing perceptions, engaging with Open Source communities and organizations, and drive internal readiness on how to compete with Commercial Linux and participate with Open Source Communities.
What's of note here is not just the business about marketing programs and changing perceptions, but the fact that a key part of this “Linux and Open Office Compete Lead” position is “engaging with Open Source communities and organizations”. This confirms what many of us have been warning about for some time: that Microsoft's new-found eagerness to “engage” with open source has nothing to do with a real desire to reach a pacific accommodation with free software, but is simply a way for it to fight against it from close up, and armed with inside knowledge.
Free software projects need to bear this in mind when Redmond comes knocking on their doors, and tries to suggest that it would be mutually beneficial for them to work together. The intent is for that benefit to flow one way, and one way only, as this job advertisement makes clear.
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I use OpenOffice 3.x and it works like a charm.
Same here, I am extremely happy with this software.
I like Open Office.
For most home users, OO.org is more than sufficient. After the 3.x releases, it’s actually starting to be somewhat pleasant to use. Once I finished school, I had no need of MS Office on any of my home PCs (it also helps that I also ditched Windows for Ubuntu on 3 out of my 4 PCs).
Mark
I mean, for gawd's sake, it's got ITS OWN WIKIPEDIA PAGE.
I just read that. Most of it sounds like capitalistic competition.
I LOVE Open office! I recommend it to anybody I meet... No reason whatsoever to buy Microsoft office.
I had to chuckle when I went to register it and they asked the question, why did you pick open office... and one of the quick answer choices on the pull down was “because it is not Microsoft”
Don’t worry. Fascism is in full swing nowadays and you guys will be happy to see MS soon fully controlled by the courts and the Justice Department. Damn. I’ll miss these threads.
Most of it is.
The problem is ethical, not economic. EEE incorporates not just capitalistic business practices, but also deceit and/or business agreements that are ignored.
Microsoft used to be a very good company, and used to compete successfully on technical merit. Unfortunately they haven't been able to compete on merit for nearly two decades, and have instead used the clout of Windows being the default business computing platform to crush those who could beat them on merit.
Microsoft's business managers are no longer capitalists, they have become mere crude slobs, business-wise. It's very disappointing to those of us who used to think very well of Microsoft.
I use it at home.
But I am stuck with word perfect at work. At least I finally got a co worker to quit using wordpad for his word processor(don’t ask me I have no idea). And I got another to give up works, and another to give up word. I wasn’t able to consolidate everyone on open office. I did get everyone consolidated on word perfect but I had to quit using open office in the bargain.
Things were really screwed up there for awhile. One guy was using floppies, one was using rewritable mini CDs, and one was using flash cards with an adapter. I was using 750mb zip disks. I agreed to give those up and switch to thumbdrives.
I have been using Open Office exclusively for one year now.
It “may” be a little slower and it “may” be different in how it operates but the fact that it is free makes it an easy package to accept. Free is always good as long as it is comparable with MS Word.
There once were several fine word processors,spreadsheets,databases,etc,that were not clones of each other or MS stuff.
MS has won its share more through questionable ethics in marketing ,than by technical merit alone.But sometimes the competition did really dumb things,too. Nor is MS the first company to bully their way to the top-for a real eye-opener investigate retailing,especially groceries,pet products,and personal care items.
The playing field isn't level,maybe never has been;the rich kid always could come to the game with a new mitt,ball,and uniform and a private coach.
Welcome to capitalism, Microsoft. Why so serious?
bookmark
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