The Packet Scoop

Microsoft, yesterday, released news that .NET library code will be made available in what some are calling “open code.” The 2008 release of Visual Studio, the integrated development environment that many developers use to write programs, will provide the ability for software engineers to step through the .NET framework. You can file this under Microsoft’s Shared Code Initiative. But it’s still not open source because open source projects allow code submissions to the base project. Microsoft will not. The move is purely to let developers debug their programs more efficiently.

Why is this important for Network Engineers? Well, Microsoft is finally coming around. Network Engineers have used open source products for years. Microsoft has clearly kept a distance, but they are starting to realize more and more that opening the code base will not bring down their empire. In fact, opening the .NET framework will just increase the efficiency and transparency of .NET developed projects. It may even draw open source developers towards finally accepting Microsoft.

At least it’s a lean in the right direction….and it’s only good for Network Engineers who perfer open source solutions. Commerical vendors like PacketTrap are leading the way in supporting the open source community. Finally, Microsoft is starting to see the light.

It reminds me of funny story from 2003 concerning Steve Ballmer. Just five years ago people were calling BS on Microsoft’s open source stance, and the skepticism could be summed up in this funny anecdote…

“Date: April 25, 2002: In a surprise announcement today, Microsoft President Steve Ballmer revealed that the Redmond-based company will allow computer resellers and end-users to customize the appearance of the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), the screen that displays when the Windows operating system crashes. Major computer resellers such as Compaq, Gateway, and Dell are already lining up for premier placement on the new and improved BSOD. Ballmer even got a dig in against the Open Source community. ‘This just goes to show that Microsoft continues to innovate at a much faster pace than open source. I have yet to see any evidence that Linux even has a BSOD, let alone a customizable one.’

The move comes as the result of numerous focus groups and customer surveys done by Microsoft. Thousands of Microsoft customers were asked, ‘What do you spend the most time doing on your computer?’ A surprising number of respondents said, ‘Staring at a Blue Screen of Death.’ At 54 percent, it was the top answer. ‘We immediately recognized this as a great opportunity for ourselves, our channel partners, and especially our customers,’ explained the excited Ballmer to a room full of reporters. Immense video displays were used to show images of the new customizable BSOD screen side-by-side with the older static version. Users can select from a collection of ‘BSOD Themes,’ allowing them to instead have a Mauve Screen of Death or even a Paisley Screen of Death. Graphics and multimedia content can now be incorporated into the screen, making the BSOD the perfect conduit for delivering product information and entertainment to Windows users

The BSOD is by far the most recognized feature of the Windows operating system, and as a result, Microsoft has historically insisted on total control over its look and feel. This recent departure from that policy reflects Microsoft’s recognition of the Windows desktop itself as the “ultimate information portal.” By default, the new BSOD will be configured to show a random selection of Microsoft product information whenever the system crashes. Microsoft channel partners can negotiate with Microsoft for the right to customize the BSOD on systems they ship.”

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At least now, in 2007, Microsoft is starting to get it.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Open Source, PacketTrap, SolarWinds