Why you shouldn't use C#
July 01, 2009
Mono is a free/libre/opensource implementation of C#.
C# is a programming language that came out of a closed source software company named Microsoft. - and Microsoft own patents on C#.
Thus there's a threat hanging over any free software that relies on mono/C# - what if Microsoft suddenly decides enforce their patent.
Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation have released a Why free software shouldn't depend on Mono or C#.
The problem is not unique to Mono; any free implementation of C# would raise the same issue. The danger is that Microsoft is probably planning to force all free C# implementations underground some day using software patents. (See http://swpat.org and http://progfree.org.) This is a serious danger, and only fools would ignore it until the day it actually happens. We need to take precautions now to protect ourselves from this future danger.
Let me add my voice to this - don't write programs in C#.
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Yes software patents suck,
Yes software patents suck, but Brenda this is FUD of the highest order. Sun holds patents on Java, and in fact Java has been the target of patent suits from Kodak.
Don't fall for the dirty tricks. Point out where a language is best used, and use it.
Ben, Java is open source -
Ben, Java is open source - you can go and download the source, recompile it, change it, fork it - it is GPL however. It is also a spec, and other companies (e.g. IBM, Kaffe, Apache, etc) have created implementations of it from that spec. Comparing this openess to C# and Mono is disingenuous and typical of Microsoft tactics. Sun still maintains a closed source version simply because certain parts of it belong to other people.
I think you have the wrong end of what Brenda is trying to say here - patents and closed communities just expose you to incredible risk. Especially when it is Microsoft. Microsoft have tried again and again to threaten people/organisations, it is naive to believe you aren't going to get bitten. The only company of note that Sun has gone after is Microsoft, for trying to undermine Java!
Furthermore, Mono only has legs because Microsoft is loosing the OS war and wants Silverlight everywhere - which is part of its cloud initiative and attempt to seize control over the Web. So of course it is pushing Mono for Linux so it doesn't have to do the work. Microsoft have also invested in research for new replacement operating systems - again Silverlight is their way here. MS is in bed with Novell for the same reasons.
The only company that is quite as duplicitous as Microsoft is Apple, but Apple's psychotic corporate behavior is at least mostly limited to consumer devices and people inflict it on themselves.
Nothing wrong with C#, it's a
Nothing wrong with C#, it's a Windows platform specific language that - from what I've heard - does an admirable job.
I have no idea why people write for Mono or even, particularly, why it exists.
+1 Dave. Why does it exist?
+1 Dave. Why does it exist?
Umm... 1) Ben's right that
Umm...
1) Ben's right that there are patents on Java
2) Richard: ...and Mono's not under the GPL? Yeah, ok... (/sarcasm)
3) Winforms is the part of .NET that's patented. That part is not in Mono. Yay! GTK# looks better anyway.
still left with the main
still left with the main problem: the C# patents are help by microsoft - who have a long history of predatory tactics using patents, and even FUD with false patents they won't describe. It's not worth the risks.
Mackenzie: the people who
Mackenzie: the people who placed mono under GPL don't own the patents on C# - your point is moot.
If Microsoft placed their C# implementation under GPL, that would be different.
Although I don't think it
Although I don't think it changes the idealogical debate, commenters might be interested to read this:
http://port25.technet.com/archive/2009/07/06/the-ecma-c-and-cli-standard...
IANAL (totally love that acronym), but the 'Community Promise' appears to waive any Microsoft Patent claims against community users and GPL applications of the ECMA C# and CLI standards.
Strikes me that under Ray Ozzie, MSFT are making a point of not being evil to open source users. Of course ideologues will claim this is entirely selfish - it promotes use of C# so MSFT can embrace and extend at a later date.
Personally, I enjoy coding in C# because I'm comfortable with it and it provides me the power I need, and I found Java as a language stagnating during the whole J2EE debacle. They're finally starting to catch up now, and competition is all good.
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