Despite best efforts .NET is still not an open platform (isdotnetopen.com)

Article summary

The article discusses concerns that despite efforts to open up the .NET platform, it is still not fully open due to proprietary extensions and lockdowns. Miguel de Icaza, a prominent figure in the .NET community, expresses frustration with the direction of the platform, citing issues such as the lack of an open-source debugger and the removal of hot reload support. The .NET Foundation is also criticized for serving the interests of Microsoft rather than the community. This has led to a loss of trust among some developers, who feel that Microsoft is prioritizing its own interests over the needs of the community.

Main themes

• Open-source vs proprietary
• Microsoft's intentions
• Community trust
• Debugger and tooling issues
• Ecosystem control
• Alternative open-source options

What commenters say

• Microsoft is undermining the openness of the .NET platform by introducing proprietary tools and extensions.
• The lack of an open-source debugger for C# is a significant issue that needs to be addressed.
• Some developers believe that Microsoft's actions are a classic example of 'embrace, extend, extinguish' tactics to maintain control over the platform.
• Others argue that the .NET platform is still open, despite some proprietary tools, and that developers can choose to use alternative open-source options.
• The introduction of closed-source tools may push developers towards Microsoft's ecosystem, including GitHub and Azure.
• Some commenters think that the issue is not with the .NET platform itself, but with the tools and extensions surrounding it, and that open-source alternatives can fill the gaps.
• The debate highlights the tension between corporate interests and community needs in open-source software development.