Yahoo! News - Microsoft Memo Says It's Been Ineffective In Combating Open Source Microsoft believes many of its efforts to market its products against Linux and open source are backfiring, according to an internal memo leaked and posted on the Internet.
Particularly ineffective tactics inclue legal arguments and name-calling, the memo says. Top Microsoft executives have said open source is a "cancer."
The memo says the slam campaign just isn't working.
"Messages that criticize OSS, Linux & the [general public license] are NOT effective," the memo says. "Messaging that discusses possible Linux patent violations, pings the OSS development process for lacking accountability, attempts to call out the 'viral' aspect of the GPL and the like are only marginally effective in driving unfavorable opinions around OSS, Linux, and the GPL, and in some cases backfire. On the other hand, 'positive' OSS, Linux, and GPL messages are very effective -- both across geographies and audiences."