[H]omer <spam@xxxxxxx> espoused:
> Verily I say unto thee, that Peter Köhlmann spake thusly:
>
>> Well, Roy, *you* (and others) claim that Novell is "damaging linux".
>> But so far I have seen nothing at all which would substantiate that
>> claim. Just some wild speculations. Frankly, that is not very
>> convincing
>
> When Hovsepian signed a pact with Ballmer, it was tantamount to an
> admission of guilt over IP infringements, and thus put every other
> GNU/Linux distributor in a compromising position, putting pressure
> on those distributors to also make that "confession" and join that
> protection racket. This further undermined the perceived integrity
> of GNU/Linux - forcing companies to re-evaluate their positions on
> Open Source - and decide between either abandoning their GNU/Linux
> adoption plans, or stick with the "safe" Novell distribution. Pity
> it didn't quite work out the way Microsoft hoped but nevertheless,
> the intention was malicious, and Novell was complicit. I hope they
> enjoy their 30 pieces of silver, and don't spend it all at once.
Blood money.
>
> Then there's the Novell exclusive support for a Windows XEN guest.
> I'm sure that's not harmful to other GNU/Linux distos, is it?
Quite...
>
> Or how about our dear friend Miguel de Icaza, slowly poisoning the
> Free Software tree with encumbered .NET toxic waste, presumably so
> GNU/Linux will eventually resemble the chaotic and encumbered mess
> of spaghetti code that is Windows. I'm sure Microsoft are pleased.
> They might eventually have genuine grounds to cry "infringement!".
He's the guy who said that OOXML was a good spec, wasn't he?
>
> Microvell now have a department called the "Joint Interoperability
> Lab" working to "partition the linux world" into those who support
> that "interoperability" (i.e. sign the pact), and those who don't.
> But I'm sure they will just give away the results of those efforts
> when they finished, just like they did with XEN Windows support. I
> mean that /is/ what Open Source Free Software is all about, right?
>
> Maybe someone should call Hovsepian and remind him.
>
> So now they've helped develop Open Source graphics drivers, thanks
> to AMD providing some specifications (reserving others under NDA).
>
> How kind of them.
>
> But before I shake Hovsepian's hand, and extent the warm sentiment
> of gratitude he expects, perhaps he could answer this question for
> me:
>
> Why did Novell risk the entire FOSS movement, and indeed continues
> to do so, for the sake of IP infringement allegations that have no
> substantive evidence to support them, and in fact where no attempt
> has ever been made to substantiate those unfounded claims?
>
> Was it fear of litigation from a company that's stated repeatedly,
> and in no uncertain terms, that it does not initiate litigation on
> patents?
>
> Or were they afraid that their already flagging business would die
> because of competition from Red Hat - so Hovsepian gleefully shook
> Ballmer's sweaty hand, and palmed a nice fat bribe?
>
When Novell admit their error with respect to their support of Microsoft
claims regarding IP infringement, and when they start to make amends by
apologising the grief, hassle and wasting of time they caused us all,
then I'll start to consider whether there's anything good left in
Novell. The really sad part is that I used to rather like their server
products, and their early signs of moving to a Linux-based world were
good.
I remain utterly disgusted with the actions of their senior people, and
have no sympathy for the paraih-position they have found themselves in.
If they don't want to be seen as pariahs, then the best approach is not
to act like one.
Working on the AMD driver is good, but lots of people are doing that. I
wonder how long it will be before Novell start claiming that everyone
who uses the ATI driver owes Novell a licence-fee because of the hidden
IPR in the driver which they put in sometime in mid 2007, but
accidentally forgot to mention.
--
| Mark Kent -- mark at ellandroad dot demon dot co dot uk |
| Cola faq: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/linux/advocacy/faq-and-primer/ |
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| My (new) blog: http://www.thereisnomagic.org |
|
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