Is Yahoo deal behind Microsoft's Open Source push?

Missing something.

Preston, you're missing a few things in your willingness to grant MS the benefit of the doubt.

First, the EU court system isn't buying it, noting that MS has made at least four previous half-a$$ attempts to pacify the court with similar statements, and not followed through in any meaningful way.

Second, the promise of interoperability is only valuable for commercial developers. It hangs Open Source out to dry, because it's incompatible with the GNU Public License that most use. Thus, it's a shill at best, and a deliberate attempt to spear Linux and the GPL at worst (most likely).

Third, Microsoft not only has a running history, but CURRENT ACTIVITY toward killing off competition - it's anti-competitive nature hasn't diminished one iota. It's current target is the not-for-profit XO Laptop from the One Laptop Per Child project. More to the point, its Linux based operating system is absolute anathema to Microsoft, and a threat that they cannot let stand.

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39292078,00.htm
http://mobile.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/11/24/2015229
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20080123114324664
http://technocrat.net/d/2008/1/10/33518
http://www.pcbuyersguide.co.za/showthread.php?t=7097r-another/

Also, the potential of the Yahoo deal to kill off Exchange competitor ZIMBRA, which was recently purchased by Yahoo and which falls under a variety of licenses, most other than the GPL, is a little gravy on top.

While Microsoft's focus on the money is not in question, they are clever enough to make any change in strategy beneficial to themselves on as many facets as possible. Easing regulatory barriers is probably on the agenda here, but don't underestimate the virility of the ant-GPL, anti-Linux poison pill that they're attempting to offer.

Ewww

Microsoft offering a carrot to the FOSS movement? Check it for poison, anthrax spores, and hidden microphones.

I hope the movers and shakers behind FOSS see this for what it is: a thin facade.

Vista alone (neck-deep-full of DRM that requires tons of horsepower to run, rewritten UI that is nearly impossible to learn, shuts things down if it feels like it's not legal) should tell you all you need to know about this nasty, nasty corporation.

Long live Linux, Open-Source, and the free and open exchange of ideas. Avoid any Redmond "olive branches" like the plague.

Exactly right

Yep, this is the first thought in my mind when I heard about MS's supposed new outlook on open source.

Can anybody truly think that it is mere coincidence that suddenly when MS has a new big deal in the works that requires anti-trust buyoff... that they are the "good guys" that just want to make the world a better place! Puleeeezzzzeeee...

I can't trust this company further that I could throw the Redmond campus - and never will.