Can We Trust Microsoft? Part 2 - The Video
It sure seems like Microsoft wants at least those with some influence, like Linus or The Linux Foundation, to trust them. Even after all their nefarious rhetoric and behavior, not to mention legal attacks, they are still trying to pretend to offer olive branches. This time it's a cute little video.
Microsoft has a bit of a track record sending gifts to their rivals - the ones they can't buy or sue. For example, they have sent Mozilla congratulations cakes on their milestone releases many times in the past.
So, I suppose this peace offering from Microsoft should be taken with a fair amount of skepticism. For the Linux Foundation on the 20th Anniversary of Linux, Microsoft has prepared a cute little video satirizing the rivalry between the two entities. And cute it is. It features cartoon-like Tux and Bill Gates animations drawn on a chalk board and the various stages of trying to just get along.
It begins with Gates offering Tux a birthday cake, but instead of accepting Tux turns his back and returns to his igloo. Gates looks sad and asks what happened. Then almost as if he's looking back at the history the show begins. The "rocky start" is depicted as Tux throwing a rock at the famous Windows four-pane window logo. It seems to break one of the panes, but still bouncing back off as Gates peering out, looking cynical, lowers the blinds. Tux retreats looking a bit sad.
In the next scene we have a pumpkin-headed Gates scaring Tux as a ghost off with the caption, "Halloween 1998, Microsoft tried to scare Linux off..." This of course refers to the famous Halloween Memos circulated between Microsoft big-wigs about Linux, its effect on Microsoft's bottom line, and how to deal with it.
Next is Tux surfing on what is suppose to represent the Internet with Gates sitting on the beach looking distracted and bored with the caption, "...their ideas seemed too childish to Microsoft." This obviously depicts Microsoft's late arrival to the Internet game thinking it wouldn't amount to anything important.
It continues to say the two are still bickering with no truce in sight. Until, now back at the igloo, Tux slides the birthday cake into his icy home bring a smile to Bill's face. The next frame proclaims, "Or is there?"
Finally we're treated to the words "Microsoft vs. Linux" with an invisible hand scratching out vs. and writing "and."
"Happy Birthday, Linux!"
Microsoft now needs Linux, but should we to let bygones be bygones? Does this video change anything? I admit, it is kinda cute, but I'm still skeptical.