“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win” -Ghandi

“You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant.” –Arlo Guthrie

The Portable Consultant has been silent on recent developments involving Microsoft and Linux. This is not because of lack of interest – I’ve been busy working out my own open source issues primarily upgrades to this blog site and my company site – but because it is being so fully covered elsewhere (and especially here, and here).

It seem that Microsoft has finally realized that open source is more than Linux or OpenOffice… it is, in the immortal lyrics of Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant, a movement (“…and all you’ve got to do is sing it next time it comes ’round on the guitar.”)

If there is anything that Microsoft doesn’t want to miss out on, it’s a movement. I mean, that Internet thing really did catch on after all, didn’t it?

Ok, so in Microsoft terms “joining them” means threatening the Linux community and their business clients with FUD in the form of 200+ patents while forging some relationships where they may figure they will have the upper hand. Novell, Xandros, and Linspire are not likely to bring down the house that Bill built, right? Ah, but will MS enter into an similar open source agreements with IBM? Hmmm… In any case, a few Linux “partners” may prove useful some day (probably in court).

It’s very early days yet, but I have the feeling that Microsoft may have jumped the shark with respect to Linux. In their own way they are now treating Linux, and all open source, as the popular movement it really is.

All together now… “You can get anything you want…”

Cheers,
-pmh

ps: Apologies to those sensitive readers who abhor boomer references.