[Split from viewtopic.php?p=157785#p157785 by WildX]
Speaking for myself I wouldn't really trust MS, ever. This company did enough to ultimately lose my trust. Opensource is now at scale it no longer possible to ignore it and hurts company reputation, sure, so MS had to adjust a bit, yeah. Yet I'm damn sure MS haven't really changed that much and only cares about own profits and goals and does not really cares what happens to others, especially wellbeing of opensource communities (except profits they can squeeze of it). So MS is kinda dangerous "ally" - you never know when it would backstab or what nasty things they would do. Especially under agenda of free cheese, that could prove to be yet another bait in mouse trap, MS is good at it.
Yet platyna proven to be even scarier/troublesome linux host than company like this. Not something to be proud of, btw. Especially for Linux geeks and somesuch (uhm, are there "facepalm" smile?).
TMW and Microsoft Azure hosting
Re: TMW and Microsoft Azure hosting
Microsoft Azure hosts the server, they do not own the content (kinda like Platyna did). We can always migrate if their policies change (kinda like other devs did with Platyna). And the best part is that they won't be salty about it for 5 years after because they have better things to do.
So just to be clear we haven't sold ourselves to Microsoft, they're just the parent company and developer of our hosting service. If we're talking of alliances we're a member of SPI which is very much in line with our values and even offers us legal protection.
So just to be clear we haven't sold ourselves to Microsoft, they're just the parent company and developer of our hosting service. If we're talking of alliances we're a member of SPI which is very much in line with our values and even offers us legal protection.
Developer: Source of Mana, TMW Classic
SPI Liaison (Donate to The Mana World)
Forum Admin
TMW Team member
Re: TMW and Microsoft Azure hosting
Microsoft used to be among the worst companies when it comes to open source, but these past few years they released more and more software under open-source licenses, so much so that they are now the #1 organization with the most contributors (16,419) on GitHub, and #2 when it comes to total number of contributions. They used to wage war against Linux and anything libre but now they are fully embracing it, going as far as releasing the Windows Subsystem for Linux. Microsoft changed their ways and now are the biggest advocator for open source.
As for the reason why we are on Azure: we are members of the Microsoft for Nonprofits program, which gives us free Azure credits (so we don't pay a single dime for hosting). Microsoft has no influence whatsoever over governance of TMW, they are merely a sponsor.
As for the reason why we are on Azure: we are members of the Microsoft for Nonprofits program, which gives us free Azure credits (so we don't pay a single dime for hosting). Microsoft has no influence whatsoever over governance of TMW, they are merely a sponsor.
Re: TMW and Microsoft Azure hosting
From purely technical standpoint,
1) Those who own host, own all guest VMs running on it. Just a matter of privileges and the "root of power". Technically, host could do whatever it wants with VMs running on it. Like, say, arbitrary memory read/write, eventually doing takeover if desired, etc. Just because it can. Same for storage, etc. Could != would, but possibility remains.
2) Same for network/datacenter infrastructure and so on. To lesser extent, life learns us not to blindly trust ANY networks. All routers on the way could be hostile, etc. Still MS could put some nasty surprises.
3) I do think MS only needs WSL and somesuch to stop devs running away from Windows to more suitable development platforms. Hell a lot of oldschool pros I know gone Linux - haha, sure, they aren't fond of backdoored laggy crap with totally insane devtools.
4) MS are a big proponents of blah-doh uefi secure boot, signed drivers, keylogger is built-in into Win10 "to improve service", they haven't really released source of Windows (sure, nobody would be able to develop it but its another story). They pushing hard DRM/restrictions and their windows store, eventually trying to turn PCs into iphone-like-something. That wouldn't be platform I've enjoyed earlier.
5) Btw MS bought github. So I would expect a lot of unhealthy crap to happen. Many sane opensource projects already moving away in huge numbers. As for me it looks like reasonable thing to do. Just looking on Nokia or Skype, I would expect yet another big good thing screwed up...
Speaking for myself - I do not need or want opensource where MS decides what I could or would do, starting from the very low level of system firmware, where they are ones who sign boot loader, so only MS-approved distros could boot (failing to comply with MS demands/policies can turn distro unbootable real soon, obviously). Then they also sign drivers (so driver development for windows isn't really for mortals, ironically that's why Linux is better at drivers quality & diversity) and eventually I guess windows would only run programs from app store - idea already got tested in Windows Phone. Somehow I can tell MS to burn in hell with "opensource" like that, even if they dump sources of this toy freedom. Looking on world around me and nasty low-level changes to x86 platform, etc I think that's what MS really up - trying to turn PC into locked down iphone clone while pretending to be good guysl, blah-blah. So I do think one have to be naive to buy MS mumbling as true statements. It's still about control & money, more than ever, MS is no way going to give it up. They just got new challenges and trying to adapt.
Ironically, Platyna with her views on players/devs/data/etc like her private property earns even less trust than THAT. Despite being Linux user, etc. C'mon platyna, do a double facepalm, that's the only proper thing to do if things come to end like this.
1) Those who own host, own all guest VMs running on it. Just a matter of privileges and the "root of power". Technically, host could do whatever it wants with VMs running on it. Like, say, arbitrary memory read/write, eventually doing takeover if desired, etc. Just because it can. Same for storage, etc. Could != would, but possibility remains.
2) Same for network/datacenter infrastructure and so on. To lesser extent, life learns us not to blindly trust ANY networks. All routers on the way could be hostile, etc. Still MS could put some nasty surprises.
3) I do think MS only needs WSL and somesuch to stop devs running away from Windows to more suitable development platforms. Hell a lot of oldschool pros I know gone Linux - haha, sure, they aren't fond of backdoored laggy crap with totally insane devtools.
4) MS are a big proponents of blah-doh uefi secure boot, signed drivers, keylogger is built-in into Win10 "to improve service", they haven't really released source of Windows (sure, nobody would be able to develop it but its another story). They pushing hard DRM/restrictions and their windows store, eventually trying to turn PCs into iphone-like-something. That wouldn't be platform I've enjoyed earlier.
5) Btw MS bought github. So I would expect a lot of unhealthy crap to happen. Many sane opensource projects already moving away in huge numbers. As for me it looks like reasonable thing to do. Just looking on Nokia or Skype, I would expect yet another big good thing screwed up...
Speaking for myself - I do not need or want opensource where MS decides what I could or would do, starting from the very low level of system firmware, where they are ones who sign boot loader, so only MS-approved distros could boot (failing to comply with MS demands/policies can turn distro unbootable real soon, obviously). Then they also sign drivers (so driver development for windows isn't really for mortals, ironically that's why Linux is better at drivers quality & diversity) and eventually I guess windows would only run programs from app store - idea already got tested in Windows Phone. Somehow I can tell MS to burn in hell with "opensource" like that, even if they dump sources of this toy freedom. Looking on world around me and nasty low-level changes to x86 platform, etc I think that's what MS really up - trying to turn PC into locked down iphone clone while pretending to be good guysl, blah-blah. So I do think one have to be naive to buy MS mumbling as true statements. It's still about control & money, more than ever, MS is no way going to give it up. They just got new challenges and trying to adapt.
Ironically, Platyna with her views on players/devs/data/etc like her private property earns even less trust than THAT. Despite being Linux user, etc. C'mon platyna, do a double facepalm, that's the only proper thing to do if things come to end like this.