If you could ask Microsoft a question, what would it be? - FAQ

This is a list of frequently asked questions pertaining to the SLUG meeting on January 25, 2008. Microsoft are sending representatives to answer your questions.

Microsoft approached the SLUG Committee. It’s been just over a year since the (in)famous MS-Novell deal, and they would like to talk about the advances made in Linux-Windows interoperability. They would also like to talk about their efforts in OOXML and open source.

Initially we were to have Sam Ramiji, Director of Microsoft’s Open Source Software Lab in Redmond, just before he visited linux.conf.au. Unfortunately, he had to pull out, and his replacement does not arrive until the 26th (one day after our meeting). In his place we have several representatives from Microsoft Australia:

• Sarah Bond, Platform Strategy Manager. Sarah will be on hand to talk about Microsoft’s current position with OOXML, especially with regards to the interoperability with Linux. She is also able to update SLUG members on the current and future plans for the open source labs in Redmond.
• Amit Pawer, National Technology Specialist. He specialises in Windows Server technologies.
• Alistair Speirs, Technology Specialist - Office. His background is in Java and .NET development.
• Rosemary Stark, Product Manager, Windows Server and Infrastructure Products.

This list may grow as we get closer to the event.

It has been mutually agreed that this shall be an open Q&A session, with a SLUG member acting as moderator. Our guests might (at our discretion) be granted a short period at the beginning to explain themselves and to set the tone of the meeting. No conditions have been imposed.

The strength of Free Software and Open Source lies in its freedom and openness to ideas. We fully recognise that Microsoft isn’t particularly loved in our community, but we feel that we would not be keeping with our beliefs if we censored opinion. Community members are of course free to attend and to form their own opinions.

Another reason is that almost all of us deal with Microsoft products in our day-to-day lives, whether it be directly or indirectly. It is in our mutual interest to ensure that we are interoperable with their technologies, and vice versa. It is hopefully a means to promote understanding and collaboration and ease the distrust on both sides.

It is a sign that Microsoft are taking us seriously and not simply discrediting us as ‘a cancer’ or ‘hippies’. Microsoft are in a similar position to where IBM was in the mid-1990s. If we keep the door open a crack, they just might get a whiff of what we’re cooking and decide to join the party.

Cynics may chose to interpret it as ‘know your enemy’, or ‘keep your friends close... and your enemies closer’ :)

This is merely a single meeting. It isn’t an alliance, and we don’t kiss on the first date :p

We need questions to ask! If you aren’t going to be at the meeting in person, please post your questions on our wiki. You can create an account at our Web site.

Whether you attend or just post a question, please abide by the rules. We want the meeting to be as productive and informative as possible. Scuttling it doesn’t help anyone.

We need volunteers for the following:

• [DONE!] someone to operate the camera to record the event
• someone to edit, organise and collate the questions on the wiki so that they may be efficiently raised at the meeting

If you are interested, contact the Committee.

We also need:

• people to help us set up beforehand (before 18:30) and pack up afterwards (after 20:30)
• people to monitor the mailing list discussions and post any questions they find there on the wiki

You don’t have to inform us if you want to do these. JFDI :)