[Linux-aus] [Osia-discuss] Re: If you could ask Microsoft a question, what would it be?

[Jiri Baum]

Hello,

> > The professionals (journalists, negotiators, lawyers) spend years
> > learning and honing their skills, just as we spend years improving ours.
> > We're likely to do about as well conducting a potentially hostile
> > interview as a lawyer or journalist writing a subtle piece of code - not
> > very well at all.

Jeff Waugh:
> You're saying "we" as if you think this represents all of us...

Yes. Yes I am and, for the most part, yes it does.

No doubt there are those among us who are expert negotiators, hard-hitting 
journalists or excellent lawyers. However, mixed with everyone else in an 
audience, their voices are unlikely to be effectively heard, especially if we 
let MS representatives moderate the discussion.

> > If there is, in fact, a possible positive outcome, let's make sure that
> > it happens.

> Having a conversation. It doesn't need to be more complicated than that.

I guess that goes to my earlier point - we should be careful of the language 
of cooperation, since it is apparently alien to MS and may be interpreted as 
weakness to be exploited rather than reciprocated.

> The venue is unlikely to provoke a PR earthquake for anyone involved.

Agreed. Though if we could swing it, it'd be neat :-)

Jiri
-- 
Jiri Baum <jiri at baum.com.au>                   http://www.baum.com.au/~jiri