Catching Up: Microsoft and Linux

It did not take long for Microsoft to prove many of us right. Yesterday, Steve Ballmer clearly identified Microsoft's true intentions towards Linux and the open-source community. His comments are a clear picture of what Novell has gotten itself into. This is not a Win-Win situation for Microsoft and the open-source community. It is, in my opinion, yet another heavy-handed tactic from Microsoft to scare people away from Linux under the false pretense of lawsuits. Microsoft learned to use FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) from IBM -- and as with the latter's case, the former will eventually suffer the consequences of its actions. They have tried every possible soft-handed method to steer users away from Linux, but the open-source OS' popularity continues to grow in both the server and desktop environments. This displeases Microsoft and now they are trying other ways of preventing further loss of market share. Please don't be fool by their FUD tactics. As with SCO, Microsoft will be unable to prove violations of patents or copyrights by Linux users. In the end, the smoke will clear and the mirrors will be smashed -- and Linux will continue to be the most attractive option for a PC OS.