“Tod Nielsen, vice president of Microsoft Corp.’s platform
group, opened Comdex/Spring in Chicago this morning with a relaxed,
upbeat keynote that extolled the virtues of Windows 2000, hinted at
the forthcoming Next Generation Windows Services and joked about
Linux.”
“If the keynote made anything clear about Microsoft’s
strategy, it was that the company is focused on Linux as a
competitor. Nielsen made several jokes at the expense of the
Linux community.”
“Nielsen described how Microsoft solicited the unwitting help of
Linux fans in security-testing Windows 2000 operating as a Web
server. He said Microsoft posted a message on a Linux bulletin
board that said a Windows 2000 Web server was active, which
resulted in thousands of Linux fans attempting to crash the system.
Then the attacks ceased when one Linux proponent suggested that
they were actually helping Microsoft, claimed Nielsen. But the
Linux community resumed its attacks after Microsoft posted a
second, taunting message that said the Windows 2000 Web server had
been up without interruption for three days.”