"One Bullet is never enough" Paper

[Patrick]

"Kragen Sitaker" <kragen at pobox.com> wrote in message
news:838z6epblf.fsf at panacea.canonical.org...
> "Patrick" <postmisc at yahoo.com.au> writes:
> > Submitting the language to a standards body and opening it up to other
> > implementors is hardly a clever way to lock programmers into a specific
> > vendor.
>
> It's an excellent way to get programmers to use it.  ECMA does not
> require that the standardized technology be patent-free, and Microsoft
> has declared their intention to make it not patent-free.

Eek! I wasn't aware of that. Can you point me to a reference?
If this is the case, they've just lost one potential user.

> The ultimate
> result will be that the patents will issue in a couple of years, at
> which point you will be able to compete with Microsoft's .NET by
> producing a compatible implementation as long as Microsoft finds it
> convenient to allow you to do so, or as long as you don't need to sell
> in the US.  This is the clever way to lock programmers into a specific
> vendor.

I guess it always pays to watch one's step with Microsoft.

The first time they release something technically interesting, it turns out
to be booby-trapped ... What a pity.