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Randy Holloway at Microsoft

Blogging from the field.
Linus on Microsoft

This is why many people (like myself) have a love/hate view of Linus.  Linus is clearly very bright and has a lot to offer the technology industry, but at the same time he constantly says dumb things.  It is hard to take someone seriously who can't maintain a balanced perspective or restrain themselves and avoid this kind of hyperbole.

There is an interesting NYTimes interview with Linus Torvald:

"Really, I'm not out to destroy Microsoft. That will just be a completely unintentional side effect."

He also says, "from a technology angle, Microsoft really has been one of the least interesting companies." Linus needs to go to next month's PDC.

[.NET Undocumented]

Posted: Sunday, September 28, 2003 11:12 PM by RandyHolloway

Comments

anon said:

I dunno. In the long run, Linux will erode Windows to a great degree. There's just no other possible outcome.
# September 29, 2003 12:39 AM

Cadmium said:

Repeat after me... competition is a good thing. Being from the Microsoft side of the fence, you probably don't recognize the humor in the statement. He wasn't being literal in the first statment you quoted, and for the second; besides .net (which isn't THAT unique) what's Microsoft done lately that's very interesting?

Yeah, Longhorn, Yukon, etc sound interesting, but we have to wait a few years untill they are finished, and who knows what else will be around then.
# September 29, 2003 9:58 AM

Bruce said:

Honestly, I don't mind it too much. I'd rather have him feel free to speak his mind, even if what he says sounds stupid to some people.

If you constantly censor yourself, so you are "appropriate" and "sending the right message", then you will soon be working in marketing - and we all know that is the road to Hell.

(With all apologies to the many great and wonderful marketers out there. <grin>)
# September 29, 2003 10:18 AM

Randy H. said:

I'm all for competition and I'm no Microsoft shill. In fact, I'm tougher on MS than most people I know. Competition is fine, and everyone benefits from having a choice in the products and services they use.

Having said that, I think Linus is purposely provoking people with those statements. Sure, he has a sense of humor about it, but humor must have some element of truth to be really effective. I think that Microsoft being one of the least interesting companies just doesn't resembly the truth.
# September 29, 2003 11:15 AM

Tim M. said:

Linus is speaking on a purely technical level. Microsoft has never done much that would interest the UN*X community. Richard Stallman will talk about destroying everyone he sees as evil, Linux Torvald will keep hacking and look for the beauty in the code.
# February 1, 2004 11:51 AM

Arvind Singh said:

ok...

maybe you are right about it...

but you see...Microsoft and Linus have different philosophies about life and things.

talkin abt the way of communication and making comments and all things of this kind...Linus, and for that matter, all of OpenSource community, is quiet frank.

On the other hand Microsoft seems to like more of *corporate* way and that officiousness.

To put it simple : Linus is from Linux *community* but Microsoft is a company/firm.
# February 11, 2004 1:07 PM

Arvind Singh said:

yeah...

a suggestion :

if Microsoft likes to linger on words like a lawyer...they should better deal with ESR...he is kinda best from Linux **community** for things like Microsoft.

*** for the white color **corporates** of Microsoft, ESR is <a href="http://www.catb.org/~esr/who-is-ESR.html">Eric S. Raymond</a>.
# February 11, 2004 1:13 PM
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