Re: Microsoft begining to open source Windows 2000?

Mike Galbraith
2001-03-09T06:35:33Z

On Thu, 8 Mar 2001, J. Dow wrote:

> From: "Alan Cox" <alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>
>
> > > Please check out this article. Looks like microsoft know open source is the
> > > thing of the future. I would consider that it is a begining step for full
> > > blown GPL!!!!
> >
> > Oh sure
> >
> > Maybe 1200 people
> >
> > "Users are prohibited from amending"
> >
> > Sorry but Linus had > 1200 people able to modify his code in 1992
>
> So did BillyG. The difference is that BillyG's were all overworked hackers
> that were on the MS campus under BillyG's whip^H^H^H^Hpay. I treated that
> as proof that you need WAY more than that many monkeys to generate something
> stable and workable, if you adopted the Mongol hordes programming style.
>
> BillyG HAS thousands changing the source code. He pays them to do it.
> Linus has far fewer actually changing the source code if I read this
> list correctly. Experience suggests this is as it should be. Even in
> coding "too many cooks spoil the broth."

True (afaikt). A major difference is that those few who actually make
changes have to defend their changes in an open forum. They can't do a
half-assed job (intentionally or otherwise) and have it not be noticed.

We have a lot more people contributing to quality control and providing
input for designers than actual designers.

-Mike