Is Microsoft playing a role in SCO's attempt to spread fear about Linux?

Is Microsoft playing a role in SCO's attempt to spread fear about Linux?

With SCO apparently trying to undermine Linux, and Microsoft Corp. one of the first software companies to sign a licensing agreement with SCO, how much of Microsoft's hand do you see in SCO's attempt to spread fear and uncertainty in the Linux community?

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One can only speculate about Microsoft's role in SCO's actions and such speculation serves little real purpose, at least in this context. Certainly, it would appear that SCO's pursuit of the Linux community converges with Microsoft's perceived self-interest; there are few alternative explanations for Microsoft's attempt to support a historically failed business model. Whether Microsoft's work with SCO is premised on a viable long term strategy remains to be seen and will, in my view, be determined as much by the marketplace as by any legal actions taken.

This was first published in September 2003