Black Helicopters

by admin on April 25, 2006 07:26pm

Reading through some of the first posts to Port25, there has been some great ideas and posts.  There have also been some really interesting conspiracy theories, so let me clarify some things we’ve seen in the blog posts, emails, and even other Web sites and articles:

Port25 is not an attempt to subterfuge the OSS community
Microsoft does not have people posting to Port25 trying to make the OSS community ‘look dumb’
Microsoft moderators do not remove all the controversial posts
Port25 is not a marketing or PR stunt
Port25 is not related to the legal stuff in the EU
The guys in the OSS lab are not soulless sell outs or villainous rascals
Port25 does not have a hidden agenda
It really does not hurt our feelings when people try to get personal or make unfounded and derogatory claims – this is part of the reality of our jobs
I don’t speak Russian – but I’m thinking about learning since we launched Port25

You can disagree with the above, but this is the truth.  We are working hard to make Port25 more of a reciprocal community, but it requires everyone to partake in a two way conversation.  I understand there is a lot we do today and need to do in the future, but it requires smart and mature people and companies to work collaboratively.  I’m sure this will ruffle some feathers, but it’s the only way it will really work.  And after you put down the politics and rhetoric, I think you’ll see the same – it’s no different than any other relationship.  Working together can make it happen.