Re: [DotGNU]Microsoft.NET compatibility

[David Sugar]

It also provides some interesting possibilities, at least in US govt contracts 
as covered by the FAR (Federal Aquisition Regulations).  If one has a 
procurement request for something that says "ECMA spec compliant X", and a 
given vendor's solution is demonstratably non-compliant, they cannot make that 
sale regardless of how well they shmooze the contract officers involved!  If 
the only product(s) that are demonstratably compliant happen to be a free 
software solution, and the free software vendor(s) involved are willing to 
persue the matter all the way thru the protest process, all the better.  The 
system (federal procurement) actually does usually work and can and has 
excluded vendors that one would expect would be "favored" politically.

Rhys Weatherley wrote:

> meson wrote:
>
>
> > Do you realize that by taking the responsibility of .NET compatibility
> > you are targeting a moving platform? Consider this statement given a
> > long time ago by some Microsoft manager (I don't remember the exact
> > words) "We must keep the Windows API a moving target since we are NOT
> > in the BIOS business". By drastically changing the .NET platform
> > Microsoft can seriously dent our claim of 'backward compatibility' at
> > any time it chooses.
>
>
> On the other hand, Microsoft is standardising many
> of the .NET components through the ECMA.  Because
> they are the only implementation at the moment, it is
> next to impossible to determine if they are indeed
> sticking to the spec.
>
> If we have an alternative implementation of ECMA,
> then pointing out where Microsoft deviates from their
> own spec will be a lot easier.  The public is then
> better informed.
>
> One thing that gets lost in the Java vs MS debate is
> that Microsoft's attempt to embrace and extend the
> Java platform did backfire on them a bit.  PR-wise
> they were monumentally hit.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Rhys.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Developers mailing list
> address@hidden
> http://dotgnu.org/mailman/listinfo/developers