Re: C# frontend

[Davy Durham <david dot durham at wcom dot com>]

Joe Buck wrote:

> OK, this is somewhat off-topic, but ...
>
> > You can bet on C# never being open!
>
> It makes no difference; C++ was not open (there wasn't even a spec
> beyond "whatever cfront does") when Tiemann wrote g++, and Java
> is still not completely open because of Sun's attempts to control the
> language.
>
> If people decide that C# is interesting and want to write a GCC front end,
> there is no barrier to them doing so (Microsoft has not made any IP claims
> on the language spec -- it is legally more open than Java was in the
> beginning).  If no one cares about the language that's fine too.
>
> > And besides that, MS copied Java,
>
> This is an odd thing to complain about on a list devoted to free software.
> Copying is perfectly legit. The GNU tools and the Linux kernel copied
> Unix, after all.  MS's offense appears to be that they want to copy Java
> without paying fees to Sun.  BFD.  By GNU/Linux copying Unix, we don't
> have to pay fees to AT&T/USL/Novell/SCO/whoever owns Unix this week.
>
> Reflexive anti-Microsoft thinking often ignores the fact that Sun's
> behavior is often equally problematic.  Scott McNealy doesn't want an
> open, fair playing field for all; he wants to replace Bill Gates.  In his
> fantasy, instead of everyone paying a Microsoft tax to Gates, everyone
> will pay a Java tax to McNealy.

Okay, idea: let's create gjava (pronouced 'gwava') then.....    ;)