Could Microsoft directly attack Linux and the Open Source community by...

[Fabyfakid]

...using its programmers to develop viruses and/or other malicious software to discredit the security of the Open Source projects (e.g., Linux and Firefox)? I think this could be seen in the very near future as the popularity Windows is starting to decline among the mainstream. And if M$ actually threatened Asian nations against using Linux, then this subtle way of taking it down is VERY possible, IMO. What do you think?, and, if M$ actually do this, how will the Open Source community react?

Check this out, isn't it strange that it didn't affect Internet Explorer?:

 

[Nikkon]

corporate sabotage is nothing new, so I guess its possible.

 

[utopianvision7]

I doubt Microsoft would do something that drastic. Seeing as how most companies use a hybrid of Linux/Sun/WindowsNT/2k/xp/server/ products including M$.The act would disscourage further use of M$ products and kill their name. Not to mention it's against the law, not that has really stopped anyone else before. But we see what happens to companies that cheat to get ahead.. IE Enron. I could be totally off, but thats my 2 cents.

 

[horndude]

Not likely, despite what many think, the reality is most linux distros are developed and maintained by a very very tight knit and small group of people.Take slackware for example, Patrick Volkerding maintains it and controls its progression, he has a small number of people that act as a buffer or liason bewteen him and the slackware/linux community, so for example when a suggestion or change is asked for or someone submits new code to create a change its get thoroughly scrutinized before its released with slackware.However ,third party apps are another story altogether and linux is just as vulnerable to that as windows with the exception that linux distro's typically ship with almost everything a user could need or want unlike windows.The sheer diversity of linux makes it a small target too, what works on one system wont work on another in many cases, apps are often kernel/library specific and the kernel updates and advances move pretty quickly.

Microsoft will have a tough time, they cant exercise their typical economic leverage and GPL/opensource makes their patent buying scheme diffcult to achieve and enforce.Microsoft has been actively trying to patent everything they can,often times frivoulous type stuff in an attempt to stop competitors.

 

[uchiha]

totally off topic, but there is a great movie called "Antitrust" starring ryan phillippe and rachel cook. If you are into Open source vs. for profit, this is the movie for you...