Re: But will they listen?
The software for Linux tries to minimise changes to the software interfaces so that if software "A v2.0" is said to work with software "B v3.x" then both try to keep backward compatibility until they bring out "A v3.0" and "B v4.0".
1) You can change the internal functions but you can't change the existing interface (the command names or outputs seen by other programs/users).
2) You can add new features but don't break or remove old features (first do no harm).
3) If you want to make major changes then you fork the code tree into a new major version release.
Because the software interface doesn't change then other software that relies on it doesn't break unintentionally.
The problem with Microsoft is that they break all 3 rules listed above. Microsoft remove and half replace features with no care. Microsoft products often have more features broken than fixed each release. They rip out the old GUI dialog and then have this new "user-friendly" process that requires more clicks or has half the functions because it was left unfinished before release. There are too many dependencies where different MS products/components can break each other. Instead of making new 64bit versions of the OS components with new names, they: repurposed the old names; renamed 32bit components so 32bit compatibility was not certain; and made a headache for everyone (only new 64bit SW should have required recompile instead they made 32bit need new installers).
Biting the hand that feeds IT
