[Charles H. (The_r0nin)]

I understand property ownership just fine. And I also understand the movement by powerful lobbies to invent new property "rights" (like intellectual property, etc.) to maintain an income stream without having to remain innovative. Go shill somewhere else, because you are way too obvious here...

[Nick Danger]

Go shill somewhere else, because you are way too obvious here...

The shilling is obvious, the question is for whom? We know who the major supplier of discussion-forum FUD is, but this appears to be something else. Today I found on the web a leaked Microsoft internal memo from late 2002 discussing the effectiveness of various FUD tactics. They had conducted a telephone survey of "developers, IT and non-IT BDMs, IT Pros and Issue Elites." ("BDM" stands for 'Business Decision Maker')

Here is one of their conclusions:

Messages that criticize OSS, Linux, & the GPL are NOT effective. Messaging that discusses possible Linux patent violations, pings the OSS development process for lacking accountability, attempts to call out the 'viral' aspect of the GPL, and the like are only marginally effective in driving unfavorable opinions around OSS, Linux, and the GPL, and in some cases backfire.

The memo goes on to say...

In the short term, then, Microsoft should avoid criticizing OSS and Linux directly, continue to develop and aim to eventually win the TCO [Total Cost of Ownership -- ND] argument, and focus on delivering positive Shared Source messages that contain transparent, audience specific proof points.

This guy is not a Microsoft Munchkin. He's something else. Are there Sun Munchkins? I've never heard of that, but anything is possible.