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Four tricks to feign Openness (Wired.com)

No way do I believe that our best interests aren't at the heart of these companies!

Dave Rosenberg Co-founder, MuleSource
Dave Rosenberg has more than 15 years of technology and marketing experience that spans from Bell Labs to startup IPOs to open-source and cloud software companies. He is CEO and founder of Nodeable, co-founder of MuleSoft, and managing director for Hardy Way. He is an adviser to DataStax, IT Database, and Puppet Labs.
Dave Rosenberg

For all of you who flamed me for calling Microsoft's "Open Value Subscription" hyperbole, maybe you'll listen to Wired Magazine.

"Openness" may be reaching hyperbolic proportions in Silicon Valley, but the idea is relatively good natured at heart. The practice is rooted in the notion that sharing various assets (i.e., underlying code, operating and communication standards) benefits both consumers and businesses. However, one could argue that the current fad of openness is little more than a Trojan horse.

1. Joining an 'Openness' Consortium
2. Creating an Arbitrarily Open Standard
3. Rebranding Existing Features
4. Buying Into (and Locking Up) an Existing Open Standard