I was waving a quick meeting in a local restaurant last week about some user group activities when we were interupted by someone from the next table.  He asked if we worked for Microsoft.  We laughed and I said something like yes, but we dont get paid for it.  Well it turns out the crowd at the next table worked for a local Open Source development shop and the person who approached us was one of the most 'open source' of them.  When I realised this I made a lame joke about how we get paid for our software. 

Yes, it was a very lame joke but it turned out he didn't think so.  In fact I think he may have taken it a little to personally. So, if your reading this, I'm sorry.  I was just attempting a mild wind-up.

However, I really dont get it.  Why are so many open source advicates so incredibly sensitive?  I have never agreed with the open source fundemantal mantra that many part-time developers is better than a few well paid brialliant ones.  Yes, maybe software can cure cancer, foster global peace and be the eternal source of future happiness, but that doesn't mean we all need to have the right to change the code for this to happen. 

And will someone please explain to me why they think Microsoft is so anti open source?  What a complete crock!  Nearly every day I use source code provided free and openly by Microsoft. Ok, so I can't recompile Windows, but do I give a frac?  No.  In fact I'm sure it would be a much worserer world if every nerd and his pc could modify and recompile KERNEL.EXE.  I have no argument with Microsoft making money from software. Sometimes I think they ask too much for their software - especially in this part of the world - but I hardly ever have to pay for it so I dont care that much.

From my very limited field of vision it's all about productivity.  If someone can show me a platform that is as productive, powerful, flexible and open as Microsoft's, where it's possible to make lots of money, then I will be happy to consider retraining.  Until then, will all you open source preachers please take a pill and calm down!