[LINK] Open source gloats over leaked Microsoft memo

[Chirgwin, Richard]

Memo posted at www.opensource.org, here:
<http://www.opensource.org/halloween/halloween7.php>

RC

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bernard Robertson-Dunn [mailto:brd@austarmetro.com.au]
> Sent: Friday, 8 November 2002 08:05
> To: Link
> Subject: [LINK] Open source gloats over leaked Microsoft memo
> 
> 
> Open source gloats over leaked Microsoft memo
> BY GRETEL JOHNSTON
> 8 November, 2002 8:04
> WASHINGTON , U.S.
> Australian ComputerWorld
> http://www.computerworld.com.au/idg2.nsf/All/B601E6C98448DF4CC
> A256C6A00757F2C!OpenDocument&NavArea=Home&SelectedCategoryName=News
> 
> Open source software advocates have concluded that a leaked 
> Microsoft Corp.
> memorandum detailing a survey it conducted of IT 
> professionals on their
> views of open source software shows that Microsoft's public relations
> tactics on open source are failing and, to win out against 
> the software
> giant, open source software advocates just have to "stay the course."
> 
> The memo was posted this week at opensource.org, a Web site 
> run by the Open
> Source Initiative (OSI) as the fourth internal Microsoft memo 
> dealing with
> the company's strategy toward open source that OSI has 
> released at its Web
> site since October 1998, said Eric Raymond, president of OSI, 
> whose mission
> is to educate the public about open source software.
> 
> "The overall tone of the memorandum is very defensive," 
> Raymond said in
> advising open source advocates on his conclusions to the 
> survey. It's "not
> quite panicky, but the researchers are not able to name any 
> argument with
> the open source community that their own figures show them to 
> be winning.
> In fact, their figures indicate that we are winning. It looks 
> like all we
> have to do is stay the course."
> 
> In an interview Thursday, Raymond said the memo was given to him by a
> source, but he declined to provide any further description of 
> the source.
> He said he was satisfied that the document is genuine. 
> Microsoft spokesman
> Jon Murchison declined to comment on the memo, citing company 
> policy not to
> comment on leaked or speculative reports.
> 
> The memo describes the results of a telephone survey of 
> developers; system,
> network and database administrators; and business executives who make
> decisions on IT spending. The project was developed to 
> provide a greater
> understanding of how key "audiences" perceive open source, 
> Linux, shared
> source and general public licenses, and which messages will 
> be effective
> with each audience, an executive summary of the memo said. 
> The survey was
> conducted in the U.S., Brazil, France, Germany, Sweden and Japan.
> 
> The researchers who conducted the survey found that familiarity and
> favorability for open source software (OSS) and Linux was high across
> geographies and audiences. They also found that respondents cited open
> source software's "low total cost of ownership" (TCO) as one 
> of the best
> reasons to support OSS, but because it is an "alternative to 
> Microsoft" was
> second. Forty percent of all respondents felt that a low TCO 
> was the best
> reason to support OSS and one-third of all respondents cited "an
> alternative to Microsoft" as one of the best reasons to support OSS.
> 
> Among the OSI's conclusions are that the messages and tactics the open
> source community has developed over the last five years are 
> working well,
> according to Raymond.
> 
> OSI's messages about security, total cost of ownership and competitive
> impact "have achieved deep penetration in Microsoft's survey 
> population,"
> Raymond wrote in his advice to open source advocates.
> 
> OSI also believes the survey shows that Microsoft's "fear, 
> uncertainty and
> doubt" attacks on open source have not only failed, but 
> backfired, and the
> open source community needs to "keep Microsoft's feet to the 
> fire" on the
> total cost of ownership issue.
> 
> "Their figures indicate that we're winning that battle," 
> Raymond wrote.
> "Microsoft will attempt to reverse this with all the money 
> and marketing
> clout it can muster. One effective counter would be to point 
> out the time
> and money overhead of keeping track of all your Microsoft licenses --
> forever -- lest Microsoft send its jackbooted BSA (Business Software
> Alliance) thugs to shake you down."
> 
> -- 
> Hope is not a strategy
> -- Thomas McInerney
> 
> Regards
> brd
> 
> Bernard Robertson-Dunn
> Canberra Australia
> brd@austarmetro.com.au
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