C# frontend

[Joe Buck]

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.