When Hugh posted this cartoon
I had a bit of a chuckle.
But when I saw the news about Microsoft suing because free software violates 235 patents I nearly fell off my chair.
No doubt a lot of blog ink will be used up on this issue, but I don’t think it is a conversation or a case that Microsoft will win. It will annoy a lot of people who are involved in the open source industry and seems to already have if you follow the links below.
When Hugh and Steve started the conversation for Microsoft to change the world, I didn’t think it would take this turn. OK Hugh and Steve don’t run the Microsoft legal department but this is going to change the software world and make a whole buncha laywers rich. Don’t we have better things to do with our time.
If Microsoft was a TV show, I think they just “jumped the shark“.
Today I think there will be a lot of people that want Microsoft to “go home”.
Thought for the day. What does “live” spell backwards?
Links:
I eat Penguin
Microsoft must really be hurting, Microsoft about to enter into patent war, theWHIR.com Blogs, All about Microsoft, Ask The VC, O’Reilly ONLamp Blog, Microsoft Watch, The Technology Liberation …, Patent Law Blog, Neomeme, Scobleizer, Channel 9, IPcentral Weblog, Texas Startup Blog, FurdLog and Slashdot
Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Blue Monster, Open Source
Getting Technical 
i honestly hope this doesn’t affect what we’re trying to do with the Blue Monster. The original cartoon was all about Microsoft telling it’s story better than they do. The Blue Monster series certainly touched on open source but more with regards to the ability for Microsoft Partners to build a business on open source vs. commercial software. It got turned in to Open Source vs. Commercial in a competitive manner which I hadn’t foreseen.
Whatever happens, I’ll continue with the Blue Monster as a symbol of the change I want to see in Microsoft.
Thanks for your comments Steve. For the record I am a registered Microsoft partner and deal with a lot of open source stuff as well. I am not a technology religious nut. I will use whatever gets the job done for my clients.
This sort of legal action is not going to help anyone. I will be watching how it plays out with interest.
Thanks again for your thoughts.
Nigel