A couple of weeks ago, Microsoft Azure CTO Mark Russinovich wouldn’t rule out the notion that Windows might go open source. In fact, he said it was “definitely possible”. While the idea might seem laughable, now would be the perfect time for Microsoft to open-source Windows.

After all, whether Windows is open source or proprietary no longer matters. With so much of our lives moving to the cloud, who cares? Let’s be clear: Microsoft has been actively contributing to open source communities for years. Within Redmond, open source isn’t new. It’s routine.

Sure, that wasn’t always the case (cue the “open source is a cancer” walk down memory lane). But as Microsoft learned that the lifeblood of successful software — developers — demanded source code, it complied in a big way.

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