[KLUG Members] What makes Linux great?

[Robert G. Brown]

On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 21:22:11 -0500, Bruce Smith <bruce@armintl.com> wrote:

>> I am a program manager at Microsoft doing some research around how we
>> can improve our operating systems. My goal is to help us identify
>> capabilities, improvements, and features that Microsoft should be
>> focusing on to help our customers over the next 5 years or so.
>> 
>> I am particularly interested in hearing from Linux users, and get their
>> input about what they feel should be the priorities. In particular, I
>> would like to better understand what it is that makes Linux and Open
>> Source solutions so useful for you.
>> 
>> If you would be willing to take a survey I have put together, please
>> write me at lnq@microsoft.com.
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> Michael Surkan
>> 
>> P.S. I did confirm with Bruce Smith that it was ok to post this note.
>
>I checked all the IP's in the mail header of his message, and they all
>are IP's owned by Microsoft, so this appears to be a legitimate request.
>
>Did you ever think you'd see the day when Microsoft was asking the Linux
>community for help?  Me either, so mark your calendar as a day to
>remember, it just happened!  :-)
>
> - BS


It is also very interesting that the request is very much in the spirit 
and structure of conventional commerce. The mailing list is used as the 
means of distributing a call for information to everyone, but Michael
requests a private response from each of us, and thus we are implicitly
left without seeing the answers we give. It will be interesting to see
if the survey itself carries an agreement not to distribute or discuss
the questions and answers. In all, it may be very much a proprietary model
of collecting information, for the benefit of only one party involved.

In my view, we would do well to post our responses any survey to this
list as well, so that we will all be able to share in the points of view 
being expressed. In  essense, this makes it a series of "Open Source" 
transactions, and everyone can benefit from shared points of view. I am
going to reply to Mike and point out that this is my intent when I take
the survey, and I'll post the response from him as well.

							Regards,
							---> RGB <---