Microsoft appoints a “chief of licensing” (Dave Dargo)

I found this too funny…from Dave Dargo’s blog:

Customer: I want to use my super-powerful computer to help me be more efficient.

Microsoft: Great, first you need to speak with our chief of licensing.

Customer: Who?

Microsoft: He’ll help make sure you understand the terms of our licenses so you don’t run afowl.

Customer: What’s afowl?

Microsoft: Open-source.

Read the entire thing. Quite funny and, unfortunately, spot on.

It actually gels very well with Dave’s earlier post on transparency (and Microsoft’s lack thereof):

Yet, here we are with one of the most powerful companies on the planet apparently afraid to take on the open-source world in a direct way….

I believe they fear that their patents are unenforceable and probably a bit farcicle. Microsoft could stand up and say, “Here’s a patent you’ve infringed. We worked hard to invent this clever, neat elegant solution to a difficult problem and you are stealing from us. This is the only way to solve this problem and we are confident that every court in the land will agree with us. Therefore, either stop infringing or pay us.”

However, we see no such confidence from Microsoft. What does Microsoft fear more than open-source? I believe they fear what all little bullies fear – of being found out. There is no set of ingenious, clever, elegant solutions that they’ve invented for all the world to admire. There’s nothing but noise, bluster and shadowy skullduggery.

Microsoft fears transparency.

The ironic thing in all this is that the only reason Microsoft can make frantic patent claims is because others have been far more transparent than it has. Open source has nothing to fear. Microsoft…maybe so?