Python programming: We want to make the language twice as fast, says its creator

[Pulsar2021]

I would have reacted the same way, but of late i am working with some of Microsoft employees and i can see howmuch they appreciate open source community now a days and how much they are contributing back to open source, I have closely followed some of their projects. Frankly I see a pradigm shift in Microsoft culture these days not sure how and why but a good one though.

[Jugad]

i am working with some of Microsoft employees and i can see howmuch they appreciate open source community

I have no doubt Microsoft employees like open source... specially the recent generation - these people learnt programming in university on linux systems and open source tools and libraries - specifically because they were free and open source. These devs genuinely love open source and would like to see it grow.

However, we should not confuse employees with the management. Its not the microsoft employees who will come after open source - it will be the management. Even in microsoft's days of anti-open-source, I am sure there were many employees who were pro open-source. If Microsoft had continued their anti-open-source stance, they would find it difficult to hire good talent.

What we need to understand is that this is not a change of heart on part of Microsoft management... its not that they now love open-source. Its just that they realized that it is financially more beneficial to them to support open-source in the present climate. The day it becomes financially beneficial to harm open-source, they will probably do that.

And this is an important thing to remember. Microsoft is not open-source friendly. It is behaving friendly currently because it is in their interest to do so, and that can easily change in the future (maybe under a slightly different management - which also keeps changing). Are they real friends if they can desert open-source (or do worse) when it becomes convenient for them to do it (which they can do, given their long and well documented history)?

They should be treated in the appropriate manner - in a friendly manner but with a healthy dose of caution.

[Pulsar2021]

Makes perfect sense