“Did the Microsoft-Novell deal really have anything in it to promote interoperability? What’s next for Samba? Should we call it “GNU/Solaris”? What’s the first rule of Google? And what goes in your .burritorc file? We ask the only person who can answer all.” Note that the first linked page starts playing the podcast immediately.
I think the main goal is interoperability, yes.
If people don’t want that, they basically say — hey linux is fun but not to be used seriously.
The patents deal is of no use so we can forget that.
Msft does not need some supeciously secretive deal to more interoperable. Other that msft’s own stubborn refusal, what has there ever been to stop msft from being more interoperable?
The reality is: msft refuses to be more interopable, even to the point of paying huge fines rather that stopping their downright illegal behavior.
If msft just wants to be open and honest and fair, then why is the deal so secretive? Why not tell us exactly which patents are being protected? What code is being infringed?
From years of work on Samba, Allison is all too aware of the BS around software patents and interoperability, the latter issue caused by secretive monopolies such as Microsoft. Yet he can still laugh at it and other things in the interview (about 18 min.), showing off the fun in his work that typifies his new employer, Google. So even if he cannot say anything about Google, it is good to at least see a human side of them once in a while.
Allison is already a whistleblower of sorts — what we need more of, particularly at powerful companies such as Google. Kudos to Don Marti for the interview.