QUITE a few additional articles -- mostly puff pieces (below is a complete/exhaustive list) -- have been published since yesterday's blog post, which was followed by a short article from Techrights. There is a lot of Microsoft PR inside the news/media right now (more and more by the hour) and it's coordinated (sometimes in advance, based on what we learned yesterday) by Microsoft. Here is a quick rebuttal to the 4 strands of news:

1. The Linux Foundation joins Microsoft (not a slip): Microsoft paid half a million dollars for over a hundred puff pieces (in English alone) and lots of leverage over Linux, including a distraction from the patent wars it wages.
2. The GNU/Linux crowd gets a proprietary software database it neither wants nor needs: This might be useful when Microsoft tries to infiltrate GNU/Linux deployments like the one in Munich, later boasting better integration with Windows than with GNU/Linux (same for running Bash/Ubuntu under Windows 10).
3. Google and .NET: Microsoft accepts that it lost the mobile wars and also lost developers, so it tries ever more desperately to spread .NET and/or Mono.
4. Tizen/Samsung and .NET: As above.

That's about all it means. Below is the raw PR, which is intended to sometimes (it doesn't always work) mislead the reader, having misled the writers/journalists. █

Related/contextual items from the news:

1. Microsoft demonstrates its commitment to open source by joining Linux Foundation [Ed: Microsoft advocacy sites (often paid-for nonsense) like to pretend to themselves that Microsoft is now a good citizen, not racketeer. iophk: “You’ve probably seen links about LF joining Microsoft so I won’t add them. It would have been news if Microsoft joined OIN.”]

2. Microsoft joins The Linux Foundation as a Platinum member [Ed: How MS advocacy sites put it; the larger payment (like political 'donation') was inevitable. To quote Benjamin Henrion, "Microsoft depends so much on taxing Linux via its dubious software patents that they have decided to join the Linux Foundation #corruption"]

3. Microsoft now a Platinum Member at Linux Foundation and .NET foundation has Google onboard

4. Microsoft joins the Linux foundation and blows everyone’s mind

5. Microsoft And Linux Working On Advance Open Source Project Development, SQL Server And Azure App Service

6. Microsoft and Linux Collaborates For Open-Source Game; As Rivals Unite, How Could Linux Benefit From This?

7. Microsoft joins Linux Foundation as it continues to embrace open source

8. Microsoft join hands with Linux Foundation as platinum member

9. Microsoft joins the Linux Foundation as a Platinum member

10. Microsoft Becomes a Member of The Linux Foundation

11. Is Google crashing the Microsoft open source party?

12. Microsoft: SQL Server for Linux is the real deal

13. Microsoft doubles down on Linux love, joins foundation

14. Microsoft joins the Linux Foundation, launches test build of Visual Studio for Mac

15. Microsoft makes open source commitment with new partnerships involving Google, Linux, Samsung

16. Microsoft joins Linux Foundation as a Platinum Member

17. Microsoft joins Linux Foundation, Open-Source development to get major boost

18. Microsoft joins Linux Foundation at Platinum Partner

19. After OpenAI Partnership, Microsoft Joins The Linux Foundation To Dive Deeper Into Open-Source Code

20. Microsoft is joining the Linux Foundation

21. Microsoft Joins Linux Foundation, Bets on Open Cloud Computing

22. Microsoft Shows Linux Love by Joining the Linux Foundation

23. Loves spreads, new Microsoft SQL Server now previewed on Ubuntu

24. Microsoft joins the Linux Foundation, no really

25. Linux Academy Partners with Microsoft Visual Studio Dev Essentials Program

26. Microsoft Becomes Linux Foundation Platinum Member, The Last Leaf has Fallen

27. Microsoft joins the Linux Foundation, confirms commitment to open source development

28. Microsoft has joined the Linux foundation

29. Microsoft Joins Linux Foundation, After Calling Linux a 'Cancer'

30. Microsoft Drops Tech Bombshell As It Joins Linux Foundation

31. Microsoft partners with the Linux Foundation

32. Microsoft and Google bury the hatchet in one small way

33. Microsoft Joins the Linux Foundation As Everyone Now Loves Open Source

34. Microsoft is the Platinum member of Linux Foundation

35. Linux Foundation Gets a Surprising New Member: Microsoft

36. SQL Server joins the Linux party, new preview comes to Linux and Docker

37. Microsoft joins the Linux Foundation as a Platinum member, Google joins .Net community

38. Microsoft joins Linux Foundation that promotes open-source technology

39. Microsoft SQL Server Supports Linux

40. Cricket Australia to adopt Microsoft’s team and player performance platform

41. Microsoft announces association with Linux Foundation with Platinum membership

42. Microsoft joins The Linux Foundation at highest membership tier

43. Microsoft Joins Linux Foundation As Platinum Member And Releases Ports

44. Microsoft Embraces Open Source, Joins Linux Foundation

45. As Microsoft joins Linux, Google shakes hands with the .NET Foundation

46. Microsoft joined the Linux foundation as a platinum member because of Cloud Services

47. Microsoft, Google, and Samsung Bury the Hatchet with New Partnerships

48. Microsoft, Google, Samsung Team Up In Open Source Development

49. Microsoft surprises by joining Linux, 15 years after calling it a ‘cancer’

50. Microsoft joins Linux Foundation in another nod to open-source code

51. Microsoft officially joins the Linux league of open source contributors

52. After Microsoft joins Linux, Google Cloud joins .NET Foundation

53. Google signs on to the .NET Foundation

54. Microsoft Joins Linux Foundation

55. Microsoft’s .NET Foundation Now Includes Google

56. Microsoft Joins The Linux Foundation In Latest Open Source Commitment

57. Microsoft joins The Linux Foundation; takes on Oracle

58. Microsoft Joins The Linux Foundation to Boost Open Source Software Ecosystem

59. Microsoft has officially joined the Linux Foundation