Microsoft's Open Source Licenses

[Chris Travers]

On 11/2/07, Cinly Ooi <cinly.ooi at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I do not like the idea of "yes or no" argument. Whether Microsoft can claim
> that its "other" licenses share some characteristics of OSD approved license
> is up to OSD to decide. Not me.

I know I am saying the same thing as *everybody* else, but this is
still worth saying for the sake of clarifying the discussion.

If one says that a tangerine is similar to an orange, is this no
different from calling Microsoft's "limited" licenses similar to the
open source ones?  (not open source because they limit development to
Windows.)

However, I don't think that factual, descriptive statements are for
OSD to regulate either.  At the same time, I don't think anyone wants
to see misleading marketing of Microsoft shared source licenses.  So I
think that the proper response is to provide honest feedback to
Microsoft as many people here are doing, but ultiimately give the
company a chance to market their shared source program responsibly.

Best Wishes,
Chris Travers