Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 3rd Oct 2007 19:39 UTC, submitted by gonzo
.NET (dotGNU too) "One of the things my team has been working to enable has been the ability for .NET developers to download and browse the source code of the .NET Framework libraries, and to easily enable debugging support in them. Today I'm excited to announce that we'll be providing this with the .NET 3.5 and VS 2008 release later this year. We'll begin by offering the source code (with source file comments included) for the .NET Base Class Libraries, ASP.NET, Windows Forms, ADO.NET, XML, and WPF. We'll then be adding more libraries in the months ahead (including WCF, Workflow, and LINQ). The source code will be released under the Microsoft Reference License."
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RE[2]: Microsoft Reference License
by Kroc on Wed 3rd Oct 2007 22:33 UTC in reply to "RE: Microsoft Reference License"
Kroc
Member since:
2005-11-10

Yes, but all Microsoft have to do is make the allegations. They don't have to back them up, or prove them conclusively. Microsoft can claim that such and such app is breaking the licence, and it's up to the app writers to prove otherwise, not Microsoft. MS fires off some cease and desists to the ISP, and before you know it, Microsoft have spun an allegation into an anti-open source, anti non MS-vendor bit of PR.

There's only so many ways you can make a simple function return an answer. Making other programmers have to tip toe around Microsoft's specific implementation will slow down development and increase administration. Just look at the audit that had to be done on ReactOS because of Microsoft allegations.

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