[Official]Send a cake to Microsoft!!

[vicmarcal]

$60,000. Crazy Goal: Send Microsoft a cake

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Imagine sending a Cake to Microsoft. Yes. A Cake. With your design and shape proposal and the ReactOS Community logo on it.
Do you remember that cake that Mozilla sent to IE? Now, it's time for your Cake to Microsoft! It can even have the shape of a Metro Button

Of course we'll have, first, to reach the $60.000 goal.So help us boosting it!

Also you can send us your design proposals ( pr [at] reactos.org ), be creative!, and after the IGG is finished you will vote the best ones.
Our campaign: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/reac ... n#activity

[Linuxgamer94]

Um, I don't get the joke and how does React OS have anything to do with Minecraft?

[justincase]

That's Microsoft, not Minecraft, and the joke is in reference to Portal (by Valve)

[DOSGuy]

This seems like a bad idea to me. We don't want to be on Microsoft's radar. This thing with Microsoft and Mozilla sending each other cakes upon new releases of Firefox and IE is part of a friendly rivalry. Sending a cake to Microsoft is a declaration that ReactOS views itself a contemporary or competitor of Microsoft, when we want to be seen as beneath their notice. Why tempt Microsoft to search for frivolous lawsuits that could bankrupt the Foundation with legal bills, or make their products and services not work on ReactOS? Sending a cake is a bold and dangerous move. The less Microsoft is thinking about ReactOS, the better.

[Webunny]

This seems like a bad idea to me. We don't want to be on Microsoft's radar. This thing with Microsoft and Mozilla sending each other cakes upon new releases of Firefox and IE is part of a friendly rivalry. Sending a cake to Microsoft is a declaration that ReactOS views itself a contemporary or competitor of Microsoft, when we want to be seen as beneath their notice. Why tempt Microsoft to search for frivolous lawsuits that could bankrupt the Foundation with legal bills, or make their products and services not work on ReactOS? Sending a cake is a bold and dangerous move. The less Microsoft is thinking about ReactOS, the better.

There is something to be said for that.

Then again, I don't know exactly what kind of relationship ROS has with MS (if any).

I seem to remember in the vid, aleksy said something about sending bugreports to MS, and those guys going 'huh'? when they see the code, and 'wasting their time with it'. The latter more of a joke, I presume. So we don't know how things are between the two entities, or different personnel of both groups. It probably is minimal. On the other hand, I do think MS is already aware of us at some level.

I feel you might have a point, though. The cake, on itself, is a fun idea, but should it be send to MS? Maybe the one who came up with this idea can shed some light on his thoughts on the matter?

[Black_Fox]

IMO interest should be placed upon the hidden $55,000 stretch goal

[DOSGuy]

On the other hand, I do think MS is already aware of us at some level.

There are undoubtedly people at Microsoft who are aware of ROS. If we send a cake, people who were unaware of ROS will hear about it, and it may change the perception of those who already knew about it. What if one of those people is someone who has power or influence within the company -- or the legal department? Obviously there will be some kind of reaction, so what is the message that we're sending? It looks to me like the culinary equivalent of "come at me, bro". I'd rather they didn't.

[Webunny]

On the other hand, I do think MS is already aware of us at some level.

There are undoubtedly people at Microsoft who are aware of ROS. If we send a cake, people who were unaware of ROS will hear about it, and it may change the perception of those who already knew about it. What if one of those people is someone who has power or influence within the company -- or the legal department? Obviously there will be some kind of reaction, so what is the message that we're sending? It looks to me like the culinary equivalent of "come at me, bro". I'd rather they didn't.

Well, I can't find a fault in your logic that it might be considered an unwanted 'look at me'. But it remains difficult to gauge how exactly they would perceive it - it could be friendly (or friendly-competitive) too.

But, you have a point, indeed.

I wonder what the devs, and especially vicamaral thinks about this.

[Z98]

Microsoft is well aware of ReactOS' existence. We have had at least one former dev get a job at Microsoft and at least one of their executives was asked about his opinion on ReactOS.

[vicmarcal]

For those worried about the legal department of MS: They know us since 10 years ago. Also they k ow Wine too.
Regarding our relationship with MS: We dont have any at all, neither they contacted directly the project at any time.
A cake is just a wink to those canes being sent among projects as Firefox to IE and IE to FF.
It is just a funny thing and nothing more. This is common within projects and noone has felt offended.
We will be really happy of reciving MS or Firefox cakes. Cakes are nummy.

[justincase]

Just FYI: The cakes between the IE team & the Firefox team have historically been sent to congratulate the recipient for some feat or other (usually a major release), so I can see how the ReactOS team sending the Windows team a cake in conjunction with their own release could be taken wrongly. However, it's a cake. I doubt they're not going to eat it, and as long as it's not a gross cake (make it a delicious and moist cake instead ) those who get to eat it will likely see it as something along the lines of "We mean you no ill-will."

Also I would guess (this is speculation) that the original cake sent by the IE team to the Firefox team was likely meant to indicate two things, 1: 'congratulations, we know you had to work hard to get this far' and 2: 'yes, we see you reintroducing our old rival with improvements and a new name, let's be mature about our rivalry this time around.'

And for those of you out there wondering why I would make the above guesses:
1 In developing Firefox as a standalone browser (separating it from the Mozilla Suite) there were a number of difficulties, both technical and legal, which had to be dealt with appropriately.
2a The Mozilla foundation was Netscape's method of open-sourcing Netscape Navigator (IEs biggest rival for a long time), which Microsoft could have taken as provocation.
2b The Netscape Navigator vs. Microsoft Internet Explorer rivalry included some very public shenanigans, which I would think Microsoft (and the IE team) would not want to relive.

[DOSGuy]

For those worried about the legal department of MS: They know us since 10 years ago. Also they k ow Wine too.
Regarding our relationship with MS: We dont have any at all, neither they contacted directly the project at any time.
A cake is just a wink to those canes being sent among projects as Firefox to IE and IE to FF.
It is just a funny thing and nothing more. This is common within projects and noone has felt offended.
We will be really happy of reciving MS or Firefox cakes. Cakes are nummy.

And up until now, Microsoft has had nothing to fear from ROS. Sending a cake says that we want Microsoft to take us seriously, as Microsoft and Mozilla take each other seriously. The difference is, we don't want to be taken seriously.

On 16 February 2005, Ivan Leo Puoti discovered that Microsoft had started checking the Windows registry for the Wine configuration key and would block the Windows Update for any component.

That's the sort of thing that could happen if Microsoft starts to take ROS seriously. Maybe it ends with small stuff like that, but anything they do to thwart ROS is bad for the project, so why poke the bear? Don't acknowledge their existence and hope that they never acknowledge ours.

[SignedAdam]

Good point DOSGuy, but maybe whoever's in control of the project, knows something we don't, maybe Microsoft really cant do anything I have hope

[mrugiero]

On 16 February 2005, Ivan Leo Puoti discovered that Microsoft had started checking the Windows registry for the Wine configuration key and would block the Windows Update for any component.

That's the sort of thing that could happen if Microsoft starts to take ROS seriously. Maybe it ends with small stuff like that, but anything they do to thwart ROS is bad for the project, so why poke the bear? Don't acknowledge their existence and hope that they never acknowledge ours.

Do you realize that doesn't directly hurt the WINE project? It just stops people from using MS code to update WINE, which is perfectly sane, as that's the kind of service you have to pay for a license to get. It wouldn't hurt ReactOS either, as the whole point of the project is so you don't need the Windows OS to begin.

[DOSGuy]

That's called an example. It demonstrates that Microsoft is willing and able to make code changes to prevent their products and/or services from working under Wine. They could do the same thing with, for instance, Microsoft Office. Or Skype. Or some other Microsoft product or service that would be missed by ReactOS users.