Yesterday, September 10, 2009, the announcement came that Microsoft launched and is funding a new open source organization named CodePlex Foundation. The major players in the new organization are from Microsoft, Novell and DotNetNuke. Does this mean that a brave new Microsoft is beating its proprietary, closed-source swords into open source plowshares? Maybe.

Maybe not.

Is this new effort a ploy by Microsoft to garner goodwill from the open source community and open our collective heart for a big Redmond hug? Can it be that Microsoft is through saying, "Put up your dukes" and is attempting to preen its Lion's mane and snuggle up to the open source lamb?

Some see Microsoft as a wolf in sheep's clothing on this issue--gaining our trust and letting down our guard only to strike with enough venom to kill off our most prized open source possession: Linux.

Microsoft has a history of "interesting" business behavior but current economic conditions might be sending a message to the formerly blood-starved brains of those at the helm that it's time to declare peace--at least for a season.

Someone needs to research to which of Nostradamus' quatrains this refers as I'm sure he predicted this before the end time.

First, they conjured Port25, then donated major dollars to the Apache Foundation, recently they gave away Hyper-V (as in free, $0.00, priceless) and now the final deathblow: CodePlex Foundation.

If I were a suspicious person who felt that Microsoft had something dark up its sleeve, I'd certainly let you know. If I were a gullible fool that believed every word of corporate speak and double-talk I hear, you'd have never seen this post. On the surface, I'm proud of Microsoft for this new era of business cooperation but underneath that thin veneer am hoping that it isn't a Trojan Horse waiting within our walls.

So, what's Microsoft up to with this extended-hand initiative? Am I paranoid or prudent? There is a time to be silent and a time to speak--this is a time to speak--write back and tell me what you think.