🌐 C# vs C++ – Can Microsoft Threaten Open Source?

 

**Question (from Morning Glory):**  

> I don’t trust Microsoft. Why is the open source community using C#? Couldn’t Microsoft one day threaten open source projects since they created C#? How is that different compared to C++?  

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## 🤔 Why People Worry

- C# was **created by Microsoft** in 2000.  

- Microsoft used to be known for being **hostile to open source**.  

- So it’s natural to wonder: *Can they pull the plug?*  

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## ✅ Why It’s Safer Than You Think

1. **Open Source Now** → .NET Core (modern C#) is fully open source under the MIT license. Even if Microsoft walked away, the code stays free.  

2. **International Standards** → The C# language is standardized by ECMA/ISO. Anyone can make their own version.  

3. **Community Power** → Mono (open-source C# runtime) and Unity already exist outside Microsoft. They can keep going without them.  

4. **Microsoft Changed** → Today, Microsoft supports Linux, releases tools as open source, and even owns GitHub.  

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## ⚔️ C# vs C++

- **C++** → Controlled by ISO, no single company owns it. 100% neutral.  

- **C#** → Microsoft has influence, but the safeguards (open source + standards + forks) protect the community.  

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## 🌟 The Bottom Line

- With **C++**, you’re totally safe from corporate control.  

- With **C#**, Microsoft still has influence, but the community already has backups.  

- So no — Microsoft can’t just “take away” C# from open source developers.