Microsoft Expands Source Code Sharing

Microsoft's MVPs are chosen, said the Redmond, Wash.-based developer, for their "great expertise in one or more Microsoft products and a willingness to share their expertise with peers."

The Shared Source Initiative has been sharing select code with customers, partners, and particularly government agencies worldwide since 2001 in an attempt to both bolster development of new applications and to fend off criticism from the open-source community.

Although MVPs already have access to source code of such components as Windows CE, .Net, Visual Studio, and Passport Manager, this is the first time they will be able to view the source code of Windows itself.

Microsoft will determine which MVPs among the 1,800 in the program will be eligible to receive the Windows source code.

"Giving them access to the source code will help MVPs do even more for technical communities around the world, and will strengthen support for everyone using the Windows platform," said Jim Allchin, group vice president for the Windows platform group, in a statement.

This story courtesy of TechWeb .