OMG Chrome Uses Black Magic Code from “Voldermort”…err Microsoft!
September 16, 2008 by admin · 3 Comments
Another shocker for the world of purists…Google’s Chrome browser uses a bit of open source code from Microsoft.
(btw – the reference to Microsoft as “Voldemort” is a lighthearted nod to the reporter from the Chrome announcement press conference who made the same reference).
Rather than the shock and sadness others may feel about Google using the tools of “You-Know-Who”, I see it as another sign of the right technical decision made by Google while developing software they give away free to the rest of us.
It’s a smart move by Google to use an open source library native from the OS provider to make their code run the best on that operating system. I expect Google to make use of Mac libraries when it finishes its port to OS X and Linux libraries for its port to that platform. Why would they do anything else?
Technical choices aside, there is a lingering touch of oddness about this in that like the Chrome announcement press conference, Google doesn’t like mentioning “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named”…clearly something is behind that.
Then again, maybe they are just being polite and following their mother’s rule of “If you can’t say something nice…don’t say anything at all”.
Whatever the case may be, Chrome users everywhere should say “Thank you Microsoft for releasing the your ‘Windows Template Library’ as open source. Even if Google had to be nudged to give you you credit, we’re still grateful. And more more thing…we like this open source thing, please do more.”
(PS – if anyone knows the name of the reporter who called Microsoft “Voldemort” during the Q&A section of the Google Chrome press conference, please post it as a comment so I can include it here. TY).
Google Reveals Reasons For Chrome Browser as Open Source
September 12, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
When Google announced the Chrome browser, part of that announcement included the fact that it would be released as open source.
That wasn’t much of a surprise, but they didn’t really specify the reasons for it.
Fortunately for us, Ben Goodger, former lead developer on Firefox and now one of the technical wizards behind Google’s Chrome browser shared his thinking with Wired magazine on the topic.
His 3 reasons:
- “We’ll be able to scale our testing efforts”
- “It’ll enable people to do things we haven’t thought of”
- “And it’ll generate trust that we’re not doing something evil.”
It’s great when smart developers doing great work have their hearts and minds focused on doing the right things in the right way. Go Ben!
Ben Goodger’s personal blog is here.
German Security Official Say “Stop Using Chrome”
September 11, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Apparently when the spokesman for Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security, Matthias Gaertner said that Google’s new browser “should not be utilized for general use”, he didn’t really mean it.
It seems he also never meant to say that his office had issued an official warning against Chrome.
Both comments came out in a British press article, only later to be followed up by further comments from Matthais Gaertner that his statements were taken out of context.
Regardless of what was reported, Mr. Gaertner clarified to the Associate Press that he meant to express his question on why Chrome was released as a beta product and also to express his interest in exploring the new features in Chrome.
Sounds like someone with a PR background helped him understand and express his opinion properly. Perhaps clarity came to them when Google Germany came forward to say that Chrome is safe and stable.
