Java Lobby says Microsoft official tried to 'pull a fast one' infoworld.com
"Fast one" being a figure of speech here, Microsoft's Java strategy has been fairly transparent all along. But an entertaining story nevertheless. A little intrigue and subterfuge makes the war coverage more interesting.
Brad Merrill, who is employed by Microsoft as Java Evangelist, used his personal e-mail address to RSVP to the Java Lobby event. Merrill (who noted he has joined other Java user groups) said he joined the Java Lobby "as an individual and not as a representative of my employer," and indicated that he sought to attend the Java Lobby meeting not purely as a Microsoft employee but as "a developer, a professional, an employee, and a human being, all rolled into one."
. . .
"Forget about the fact that the thrust of our two discussion items for the meeting relate to tactics for offsetting Microsoft's attempts to wrest control of Java," countered Tony Pujals, chief technology officer at ObjectMedia and a Java Lobby member who helped plan the event. "Forget about the fact that Microsoft has refused toparticipate in dialogue with the Java Lobby or respond to the Java Lobby's Open Letter to Microsoft. Forget about the fact that Brad is Microsoft's Java Evangelist and paid to promote his party line. And don't even waste time thinking about how we probably wouldn't be welcome at a Microsoft meeting. Brad actually might have been welcome to join the dinner and present his perspective, except it seems he deliberately tried to conceal his relationship to his employer, Microsoft."
Maybe he was just there as a human being. Give the guy a break. Anyway, Microsofties everywhere are known for their honesty and forthrightness, like when Bill said that thing about Windows being replaced in a day, and how nobody cares about the stock price.
The group officially supports Sun's concept of write once run anywhere. Java Lobby founder Ross, a frequent critic of Microsoft's Java-related activities, contends Microsoft's latest version of Visual J++ is "specifically designed to kill WORA."
Well, if you want to Embrace and Demolish, you got to crack a few heads from time to time. Java's a great language, it just has to be rescued from the nefarious Scott McNeally and the other fraudulent technoweenies.
Cheers, Dan. |
