Microsoft is not our worst enemy. We are.
It really bothers me when people bash Microsoft for no real good reason. In this case, it's a matter of not understanding how the web works in fundamental ways. What other way are they supposed to quickly deliver video content? Flash? Obviously that's a more open and standard platform right? (sarcasm)
Really I think it has to do with our need as human beings to tear down the winners in our society. Some sort of instinctual urge to keep everyone on the same pecking level leads us to abhor companies that make it big (like 98% of the desktop market big). In modern day terms, it just means it's fashionable to bash Microsoft without any regards to how far the company has come in regards to openness and standardization. People that bash Microsoft usually have the thought of 1990s MS in their heads I think, not the company of today who bundles fucking jQuery with ASP.
I also find it ironic that while these individuals poke their fingers at imaginary dragons, Uncle Steve is trying to end open competition and make you do as he says. Of course the hipsters love Apple despite the fact that they are a large American company doing the same work of anti-competition Microsoft back in the 90s. But hey, at least they're fashionable right?
The point is, I love using Microsoft products. Visual Studio is perhaps the BEST IDE on the market and the .NET framework is fantastic. Apple may give away their IDE, but Cocoa works generally in the same way that .NET does but is not an open platform. I also love Python and Ruby and some of the stuff that has come out of the open source camp, and I don't find that ironic at all like some folks. I believe people should use what makes them happy and productive and stop worrying about what the hipsters think. Developers tend to be some of the most obnoxious, self righteous people on the planet, and a lot of times they are just WRONG.
Hey, here's an idea: think different. Use the tools that are best regardless of what camp they come from.
