I was quite surprised to find out that my blog was mentioned in the Wall Street Journal. For those that don't have a WSJ subscription below is an excerpt of the story (***fair use***)
The rivalry between Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. has been heating up since the Redmond, Wash., software behemoth last year unveiled its own search-engine technology. But tension between the two recently flared amid an online scrap about Google's use of open-source software. The scuffle started with a Dec. 29 Web log post by Krzysztof Kowalczyk entitled "Google -- we take it all, give nothing back," in which the former Microsoft employee accused Google of freeloading. Mr. Kowalczyk, who now works at PalmOne Inc., cited a blog post by Google executive -- and former Microsoft staffer himself -- Adam Bosworth in which Mr. Bosworth called for open-source programmers to build better database software that Google and other big companies could use. Mr. Kowalczyk wrote in his blog that Google gets an estimated tens of millions of dollars worth of software for free thanks to open-source developers, who release their programs without charge. And he alleged that Google gives little back to open source in return: "Microsoft creates more open-source code than Google." Microsoft staffer Dare Obasanjo excerpted portions of Mr. Kowalczyk's post on his personal blog and also took issue with at least one element of Mr. Bosworth's blogged response. Mr. Bosworth fired back, posting in the comments section of Mr. Obasanjo's blog. "For Microsoft to condemn those of us who benefit from Open Source is rich," he wrote. Spokesmen for Google and Microsoft declined to comment on the exchange. The Microsoft spokesman said the company "treats blogs as individuals expressing their independent opinion."
The rivalry between Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. has been heating up since the Redmond, Wash., software behemoth last year unveiled its own search-engine technology. But tension between the two recently flared amid an online scrap about Google's use of open-source software.
The scuffle started with a Dec. 29 Web log post by Krzysztof Kowalczyk entitled "Google -- we take it all, give nothing back," in which the former Microsoft employee accused Google of freeloading. Mr. Kowalczyk, who now works at PalmOne Inc., cited a blog post by Google executive -- and former Microsoft staffer himself -- Adam Bosworth in which Mr. Bosworth called for open-source programmers to build better database software that Google and other big companies could use.
Mr. Kowalczyk wrote in his blog that Google gets an estimated tens of millions of dollars worth of software for free thanks to open-source developers, who release their programs without charge. And he alleged that Google gives little back to open source in return: "Microsoft creates more open-source code than Google." Microsoft staffer Dare Obasanjo excerpted portions of Mr. Kowalczyk's post on his personal blog and also took issue with at least one element of Mr. Bosworth's blogged response.
Mr. Bosworth fired back, posting in the comments section of Mr. Obasanjo's blog. "For Microsoft to condemn those of us who benefit from Open Source is rich," he wrote.
Spokesmen for Google and Microsoft declined to comment on the exchange. The Microsoft spokesman said the company "treats blogs as individuals expressing their independent opinion."
For those who missed the discussion and the original posts you can find them in my work blog in the posts entitled Google and Open Source and More on Google and Open Source.