Language forks (was: Python tutorial/comparison for C++ programmer)

[Don Tuttle]

[Grant Edwards]
> MS seems to actively attempt to diverge from standards in order to try to
> kill off those standards and establish their own dominance.


I think it's more accurate to say that Microsoft, like all commercial
companies, seeks a competitive advantage.  Just look at the Sun vs.
Microsoft battle.

Sun has visions of Java running everywhere on everything.  Java rules!
Microsoft is history! Microsoft is scared and decides if it's going to keep
its client base, they have to make Windows the most attractive OS to run
Java on.  So Microsoft 'optimizes' Java to run faster on Windows then any
other OS.  Then they create the most advanced Java development system
available (at the time) Visual J++.

Time move on.  Sun sues Microsoft and wins.  But Java fails to deliver on
the grand vision of write once, run anywhere.  Sun seeks support from a
"standards" committee.  But after 2 tries gives up because they can't find a
standards committee willing to  rubber stamp 'their' plan without having to
reveal all of their Java code, which would be the loss of a competitive
advantage to them.

Meanwhile Microsoft developed the open source protocol SOAP, which uses XML
to make remote procedure calls (and more)in a heterogeneous environment.
SOAP is OS and application neutral.  A PERL app on Linux can interact with a
Netware box running a COBRA app.  It just doesn't matter!

And now Sun is scared because SOAP could be the final straw to it's vision
of Java everywhere. Did Microsoft create a proposed open source standard
simply to make the world a better place? Of course not! Microsoft believes
it can leverage its development strengths to create the best applications at
each end of the SOAP pipeline.  And that, of course, translates to a
competitive edge. ;-)

Don