Microsoft is apparently serious about its efforts to adhere to the letter of the Open Source Definition and is now set to relaunch its Sandcastle effort as a result.

There's something strange going on. As Bill Gates steps down from active involvement in the day-to-day running of Microsoft, there's a natural tendency to speak about the “end of an era”. That's certainly true enough, but people are going beyond this factual statement to indulge in some serious revisionism.

Various fronts, some of which associated/funded by Microsoft, are pushing for software patents in Europe using at least two back doors (harmonisation; Community Patent).

Microsoft seeks to made money by selling licences to open one's documents

Whilst new scandals seem to emerge, an older one gets the attention of regulators.

Sometimes media people are not ashamed to look like incompetent idiots. The only explanation I can imagine is that there is some purpose to pursuer. Going an mass for a hidden goal is a conspiracy by definition, right?

Novell's hybrid model is a deterrent to some who are involved; OpenSUSE may be negatively affected too.