If the Open Source community wants to reverse-engineer
Microsoft's .NET framework, it may be harder than anticipated.
"Now several strong hints are emerging that the best and
brightest of software libre programmers are picking up the
gauntlet. Eric Raymond told LinuxToday that it would be smart to
"embrace and extend" the language and run-time, and encouraged
hackers to reverse engineer the project, citing the SAMBA Project's
shadowing of Microsoft's SMB file and print protocol as an
example...."
"Now if Microsoft wants to regain mindshare amongst young
developers emerging from college with Linux and BSD experience, C#
hasn't been quite the tool to do it. Although Giga Group rentaquote
Rob Enderle told the Merc '[Microsoft] found a way to capture the
next generation of programmers and get them excited with C#,' it
certainly hasn't happened yet."
"In fact it's a risky strategy for the Open Sorcerers. If .NET
isn't reverse engineered, it will surely remain a Microsoft-only
platform, as even the best funded efforts to port Microsoft
technology to non-Windows platforms in the past have remained at
best, a niche option. But if a good implementation is produced, it
has the effect of legitimizing the platform, and making much more
attractive to conservative, non-committed corporate buyers. Which
is certainly the last thing the Beast's foes want to see."
