Curtis worked as a Microsoft developer from 1993 to 2004 and was involved in database production and the development of Windows, Office and MSN. In his recently published book, "After the Software Wars", he takes a programmer's view of the future of software development, from A.I. to space travel.

The online version of the New York Times has reviewed the book and comments on the ex Redmond employee's change in attitude. "For Mr. Curtis, the strength of open source software, and why it's the future, is all about leveraging our collective intelligence." The key to technological advance is free software, adds Curtis. "The difference between free, and non-free or proprietary software, is similar to the divide between science and alchemy. Before science, there was alchemy, where people guarded their ideas because they wanted to corner the market on the mechanisms used to convert lead into gold."

During his time at Microsoft, open source was hardly talked about, says Curtis, and he was of the opinion that proprietary software would always keep the upper-hand over the alternative free technology. Curtis left Microsoft out of sheer boredom, he tells the Times, and it was then he first began to develop an interest in Linux and free software.

True to his newly arrived at convictions, Curtis has self-published his book on the Lulu.com platform where it can be downloaded as PDF file for around five dollars. The paperback version costs $19,97. Founder of the Lulu platform is Bob Young, an open source veteran and co-founder of the Linux distributor Red Hat.