FSF sends hard drive to Microsoft, hoping to open source Windows 7

bigbat

FSF sends hard drive to Microsoft, hoping to open source Windows 7 [Copy link]

According to foreign news reports:

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) launched a petition on January 24 and collected signatures, calling on Microsoft to provide Windows 7 as free software in order to gather public support to keep the system "alive."

Perhaps seeing everyone's positive response, FSF took a more radical approach - mailing a hard drive and a petition with signatures to Microsoft, hoping that Microsoft would copy the Windows 7 source code to the hard drive, provide relevant content for the license, and then mail it back to FSF. Microsoft doesn't need to worry about what happens next, FSF will take care of it.

It is not yet known how Microsoft will respond.

So what do you think?

PowerAnts

A bunch of neurotics

PowerAnts

The refrigerator factory sells a refrigerator and provides a one-year warranty service according to the national three-guarantee policy. After five years, the compressor breaks down. This compressor has been discontinued and there is no compatible model. No one or organization has the right to ask the manufacturer to provide the design drawings of the refrigerator, saying that you don’t have to worry about it, we will do it ourselves in the future. The design drawings are the manufacturer’s commercial secrets. The manufacturer provides product services to users, not design services. If the user is willing, the refrigerator can continue to be installed in the normal temperature kitchen cabinet.

Similarly, the agreement between Microsoft's operating system and users is a "license to use", and there is no stipulation in the agreement that Microsoft must permanently solve the compatibility issues of the operating system in subsequent application environments, especially subsequent application software. If users want, they can install DOS and play with it until they die. Microsoft just stops providing support, not prohibiting the use of DOS.

It is said that Microsoft has already disclosed the source code of MS-DOS, which was disclosed voluntarily by Microsoft and outsiders are not allowed to interfere. Conversely, outsiders are not allowed to ask Microsoft to disclose other source codes, which are Microsoft's intellectual property and trade secrets.

bigbat

First, this is mainly a kind of "moral kidnapping" because Microsoft's market monopoly has created a huge user base. If the service is stopped, it may cause a world-class disaster. The US law stipulates that: monopoly is not illegal, but using monopoly is illegal. The Windows 10 system that is currently widely used uses a business strategy that uses monopoly, such as Apple's App Store. This has led to forced purchases. However, because there is competition, users have the right to choose, so it is not illegal. If there is no competition, it is the market monopoly obtained by using monopoly. So Microsoft injected money into Apple to save MAC OS. If MAC OS dies, Microsoft will be decomposed. Back to the present, Windows 10 is still the dominant market player. Therefore, FSF's request for open source Windows 7 has a certain moral rationality.

Second, the structure of Windows 10 is different from that of Windows 7/XP. Therefore, FSF believes that Microsoft's business position will not change. The open source of Windows 7 will not bring huge losses to Microsoft.

Third, open source does not mean that the ownership of Windows 7 immediately belongs to the open source organization or other organizations. Microsoft still owns the patent of Windows 7. Other organizations cannot use the patent code of Windows 7. If you use the PE format to make a compatible operating system, Microsoft has the right to sue you. (Of course, in some countries, cheaters do not abide by ethics and laws!) Even if Windows 7 is not open source, the patent right of Windows 7 will also expire after it expires. FSF believes that if they improve Windows 7, then FSF can also require the improved code to comply with the FSF agreement. This can extend the protection of Windows 7 patents.

PowerAnts

Trade secrets are trade secrets, and patents are patents. The two are two different things. The company will not provide the schematics of discontinued products to other organizations for analysis, regardless of whether the schematics contain patented technology. If you don't believe me, go ask Huawei for their product schematics and source code from 5 years ago.

PowerAnts

Don’t think that the information of discontinued products is not a big deal. You may not know that these outdated information contains the company’s design, manufacturing and other style genes. Competitors may predict what problems your company’s products will have for a long time based on these styles. Then they can design their own products specifically to create differences in user experience. These are all trade secrets.