Microsoft Doesn’t Love nor Hate Open Source, Just Needs it

I’ve been writing of Microsoft Open Source Strategy much before the idea of Microsoft having one was accepted, years before Microsoft started contributing to Open Source projects, not even to mention hiring Open Source talents and advocates. Back in time I’ve been called biased, if not worse.

Yesterday’s news and people feedback – ranging from unconditional praise to a call to migrate away from Github on the very same day – brought me to write this blog entry on my take on the matter.

  1. Microsoft is a platform company, and it aims to become ‘the platform company’;
  2. Github is where the scene is, no matter how hard (and well) others try;
  3. Developers are a scarce resource, so are Open Source developers.

Github from a long time is where smart companies look for talents, I bet Microsoft will do its best to nurture this amazing gathering of Open Source developers, for its own good. Remember Adam Smith:

It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.

Microsoft will take very good care of Github, as it is aligned with its business objectives.