Saturday, February 24, 2007

Show Us the Code: Open Letter to Steven Ballmer

It's come to many in the Linux community’s attention you have claimed again and again, that Linux violates Microsoft's intellectual property.  Not only that, but it's been reported Microsoft has convinced businesses to pay for a Linux patent that you can't provide.

Therefore, this website will serve as a response to this accusation, and within it, a request.   The request is simple, since you, Microsoft, claim to be so sure of yourself: Show Us the Code.

If Linux developers are made aware of the code, then the code can be omitted and Linux can re-write necessary aspects of the kernel or operating system.  This is a fairly simple request and common courtesy. Why wave around lawsuit threats, threats that will cost Microsoft in a court room as well as the defendants? It lacks logic, especially when you consider that there are developers around the world who would be more than happy to work with Microsoft to resolve this issue. Don't you owe it to your shareholders to work with others to ensure their intellectual property isn't being violated?
Also, we were under the impression you wanted to work with the open source community. That's what Port 25 is all about isn't it?  That's what the Novell deal is about, correct?  Here's your chance.  If you're right you'll make thousands upon thousands of open-source advocates hush up and make your competitors scramble for ways to not violate your IP.

Linux community members do not want your code.   We don't want lawsuits.  We don't want non-free code.   And much to your dismay, we don't want Microsoft's code specifically. 

So this is what we're requesting.  We are requesting the support of the Linux community.  We are calling out to Richard Stallman, Linus Torvalds, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Dr. Eric Schmidt, Mark Shuttleworth, Kevin Carmony, and Matthew Szulik, as well as any and all developers for any Linux distribution or any company that feels threatened by your non-existent lawsuits:

Publicly pledge your support for Microsoft showing the public the code within Linux that violates their intellectual property by May 1st, 2007.  

How many corporations, how many organizations, how many community members will it take to call your bluff, Steven?  

We are not the first (1, 2) to request this of you, but we are willing to take it to the next level.  If you or Microsoft cannot comply with a response by the date outlined, everyone who endorses this will consider your threats and claims to be empty and libelous.  Anyone paying attention to the marketplace should as well.
Happy code hunting.  Google Patent Search may help you out.

Note: If you work for or own a company, or partake in maintaining, selling, or providing Linux services or services and products via Linux, then you are encouraged to contact me privately.  I will be building a page that will display each person's professional request for Steven to provide the code.

Contact

Via: http://www.showusthecode.com/

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Proverbs

"A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it." ~ Albert Einstein

"Condemnation without investigation is the height of ignorance." ~ Albert Einstein

Monday, February 5, 2007

SharePoint Workflow: SharePoint Designer vs. Visual Studio

Category

SharePoint Designer

Visual Studio

Supported WF Hosts

WSS/MOSS

WSS/MOSS/Others

Development Model

Wizard based

Graphical Designer

Types of Workflows Supported

Sequential

Sequential and State

Workflow Type

Markup only; markup file, rules and supporting files are uncompiled

Markup with code behind compiled into an assembly

Code Behind

No

Yes

Activities

Built-in and use custom

Built-in, use and develop custom

Forms Technology

Autogenerated, customizable ASP.NET Forms

Design forms in any technology including ASP.NET or InfoPath

Association

Associated automatically with a single list at design time. No other associations possible.

Can be associated with multiple content types, lists, and document libraries

Initiation

Initiation forms are supported

Initiation forms are supported

Modification

Cannot modify workflow using modification forms

Can modify workflows

Tasks

Supports custom task forms

Supports custom task forms

Deployment

Automatically deployed to associated list, live changes

Must build package and deploy workflow using SharePoint feature technology

Debugging

No Debugging

Visual Studio Debugging

via: MSDN

God as Computer Programmer

Some Important Theological Questions are Answered if we think of God as a
Computer Programmer.

Q: Does God control everything that happens in my life?
A: He could, if he used the debugger, but it's tedious to step through
all those variables.

Q: Why does God allow evil to happen?
A: God thought he eliminated evil in one of the earlier revs.

Q: Does God know everything?
A: He likes to think so, but he is often amazed to find out what goes
on in the overnite job.

Q: What causes God to intervene in earthly affairs?
A: If an critical error occurs, the system pages him automatically and
he logs on from home to try to bring it up. Otherwise things can
wait until tomorrow.

Q: Did God really create the world in seven days?
A: He did it in six days and nights while living on cola and candy
bars. On the seventh day he went home and found out his girlfriend
had left him.

Q: How come the Age of Miracles Ended?
A: That was the development phase of the project, now we are in the
maintenance phase.

Q: Will there be another Universe after the Big Bang?
A: A lot of people are drawing things on the white board, but
personally, God doubts that it will ever be implemented.

Q: Who is Satan?
A: Satan is an MIS director who takes credit for more powers than he
actually possesses, so people who aren't programmers are scared of
him. God thinks of him as irritating but irrelevant.

Q: What is the role of sinners?
A: Sinners are the people who find new an imaginative ways to mess up
the system when God has made it idiot-proof.

Q: Where will I go after I die?
A: Onto a DAT tape.

Q: Will I be reincarnated?
A: Not unless there is a special need to recreate you. And searching
those .tar files is a major hassle, so if there is a request for you,
God will just say that the tape has been lost.

Q: Am I unique and special in the universe?
A: There are over 10,000 major university and corporate sites running
exact duplicates of you in the present release version.

Q: What is the purpose of the universe?
A: God created it because he values elegance and simplicity, but then
the users and managers demanded he tack all this senseless stuff onto
it and now everything is more complicated and expensive than ever.

Q: If I pray to God, will he listen?
A: You can waste his time telling him what to do, or you can just get
off his back and let him program.

Q: What is the one true religion?
A: All systems have their advantages and disadvantages, so just pick
the one that best suits your needs and don't let anyone put you down.

Q: Is God angry that we crucified him?
A: Let's just say he's not going to any more meetings if he can help
it, because that last one with the twelve managers and the food
turned out to be murder.

Q: How can I protect myself from evil?
A: Change your password every month and don't make it a name, a common
word, or a date like your birthday.

Q: Some people claim they hear the voice of God. Is this true?
A: They are much more likely to receive email.

Q: Some people say God is Love.
A: That is not a question. Please restate your query in the form of a
question.
Abort, Retry, Fail?

Via: http://www.columbia.edu/~sss31/rainbow/god.qa.html