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Last post Author Topic: Free Software from Microsoft.  (Read 24653 times)

Deozaan

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Re: Free Software from Microsoft.
« Reply #25 on: March 13, 2013, 12:32 PM »
WebsiteSpark is being discontinued:

Thank you for your interest in the WebsiteSpark program. Based on the changing needs of web developers, Microsoft has created new offers at no cost to help Web Pros like you continue to create rich interactive web applications. These resources are designed to help you design, develop, publish, and deploy world class websites.

Since Microsoft is making these powerful new resources available to you without cost, the WebsiteSpark program will no longer be accepting new membership applications.

But there's still BizSpark: http://www.microsoft.com/bizspark/

40hz

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Re: Free Software from Microsoft.
« Reply #26 on: March 13, 2013, 01:07 PM »
I'm guessing it's either because (a) people have actually been reading the licensing terms and other agreements and aren't exactly jumping to sign up, or (b) Microsoft intends to move the whole shebang to the cloud soon and suddenly realized it was still allowing downloads of apps that could be run locally.

While looking at some of the info on their WebMatrix substitute offering I saw this half-truth:

Open Source Web Applications
Made Easier

Open source web apps make it easy to get started developing websites, but they can sometimes be time-consuming to get configured on your computer. WebMatrix makes it simple and straightforward.

Streamlined Install

To get an open source application, you have to find and install all the required dependencies and configure them *just* right before you get started.

But WebMatrix takes care of all of that for you. Choose from dozens of popular open source applications and let WebMatrix do the rest.

Yup. Neatly leaving out just how easy that is to do using numerous FOSS products and utilities that will do exactly the same thing - and have been doing so for several years now. Which is all well before Microsoft was even willing to acknowledge the existence of 'open' software. I stopped reading what else Microsoft had to say at that point. :-\

BTW, these days all you need to know is how to spell the name of what you want to install in most cases when using Linux.

Seriously...you can do it from the command line (sudo apt-get install wordpress), via the synaptic/yum installer tools, or even with one of those pretty new 'software managers' now found in many major Linux distros. All the dependencies are automatically identified and installed (with your permission) if needed. This is what you'll see in Linux Mint:

wpss.pngFree Software from Microsoft.

« Last Edit: March 13, 2013, 03:49 PM by 40hz »

Carol Haynes

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Re: Free Software from Microsoft.
« Reply #27 on: March 13, 2013, 06:43 PM »
WebsiteSpark is being discontinued:

Sorry beat you to it - look at the last post on the previous page ;)

Deozaan

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Re: Free Software from Microsoft.
« Reply #28 on: March 14, 2013, 02:26 AM »
WebsiteSpark is being discontinued:

Sorry beat you to it - look at the last post on the previous page ;)
-Carol Haynes (March 13, 2013, 06:43 PM)

I guess that's what happens when I quickly skim a topic I'm not particularly interested in to try to make sure I don't post duplicate news. :-[

Carol Haynes

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Re: Free Software from Microsoft.
« Reply #29 on: March 14, 2013, 06:38 AM »
You aren't alone - I have done it many times myself!