[OT] Protest the Novell-Microsoft Agreement - Sign Bruce Perens petition

[Ric Moore]

On Sun, 2006-11-26 at 20:55 -0700, Craig White wrote:

> As for how signing the petition could accomplish anything - by itself,
> it clearly won't.

Right, I went there, read the opinion of Mr. Perens, it seemed to be
more of a rabble call, although I wouldn't consider those who did sign
"rabble". But, there was a lot of diatribe in his call that in reality
doesn't mean spit, IMHO. Let's face it, if Del Monte Brands bought Food
Lion Brands, who would even care? Green Beans will not cease to exist. 

Novell cashed out, made a deal that was presumably voted on by their
Board, and got a fat check. If the GPL works, no problem. If the GPL
doesn't work, then we're in deep doo-doo whether Novell sold out or not.
They grabbed the cash because they most likely had to. All the
Executives are guaranteed their parachutes as there is the money in the
bank, they knew beforehand everyone would jump ship, and by just giving
SuSe the bullet insures it will fold up that much sooner and it's
payday. Business as usual. It's their dog and they shot it. They have
the right to do so.    

> If it causes some to contemplate, investigate, consider why Linux is
> distributed as GPL license, what the Free Software Foundation and GNU
> represents, where technology, capitalism and culture collide, then it's
> a worthwhile exercise even if the petition itself is a futile process
> that takes perhaps a minute to perform...at least some might feel the
> reward for taking a position as it were. To that end, I attached a link
> to a speech by Lawrence Lessig earlier in the thread which I consider
> far more important than signing or not signing the petition.

That's if the assumption can be made that the average Linux user doesn't
understand the implications of the GPL. I think most do. I used Firefox
to peruse that petition and I think it's telling by who didn't sign it.
"Find" didn't bring up Linus or Torvald, for instance. GNU has been
panting in the wings looking for an excuse to drag HURD back into the
press. I'm sorry, I pay much more attention to the likes of Linus, Bob
Young, Matthew Szulik for adding more to the development of a Operating
System by the weight of their investment decisions towards paying people
to get the job done, or in Linus's case, the amount of personal
investment in time and energy. And, they have been quite free of the
politics, as well as very clear-minded and articulate, which I
appreciate no end. They just make the "Right Thing" happen.  

> Craig
> 
> PS: I hardly expect that killing you would be worth going to jail for.
> There are four kinds of homicide: felonious, excusable, justifiable, and
> praiseworthy, but it makes no great difference to the person slain
> whether he fell by one kind or another -- the classification is for
> advantage of the lawyers.

Depends on the level of the offenders priors, too! <grins> I have heard
much on the subject, Justice isn't as blind as it used to be, no sirree.
One guy who had been a Colonel in the Air Force, found people on his
property ransacking the garage, whipped out his handy service revolver
and told them to halt. They shouted "Screw You!", and attempted to flee,
one pulling out a knife. He thought he then had the right to shoot them.
Oh Heyal Naww! He only got 12 years, as a result of a plea bargain down
to Man-slaughter. He said "I shoulda let them just HAVE the GD
lawnmower!" I agreed! Would've been ALOT cheaper! His attorney fees ran
to over $20k. Cheap. He could have gotten life as all they had was a
knife between the three of them. He had an internal "Should" notion that
entitled him to do it. 

I've got enough material for several books! I will say this, in almost
every case, someone thinks someone else should do as they say or think
and when they don't... hammer time, of some sort, happens. Everyone goes
nuts, people get hurt, the law intrudes to sort it out, then click-click
as the cuffs go on and the crying towel is tossed in. Every time, in one
fashion or another, no matter the crime. That's my beef with Perens.
Novell has the right to do whatever the hell they want to do, within the
law. Period. ...until it becomes found unlawful in a court of law.  As
soon as someone lays on the "shoulds"... look out. Some idiot will go
bananas, seize the opportunity to be a Hero and do something stupid,
because another idiot rabble-roused him into action. That's how I see
it, as I have witnessed too much of the consequences of "shoulding". I
personally think he was out of line. Read the responses... plenty and
plenty of "shoulds". The more reasonable responses would say that they
wouldn't buy their products again. I don't think that the Board of
Novell even cares, as I wrote before. 

They got the money, shot the dog and are ready to exit stage left.
That's how I see it, and I believe they have the right to do so, whether
I like it personally or not... which I don't. I agree with you 100%, the
classification is for advantage of the lawyers. The GPL stands or it
doesn't. Nope, you will not see my name on that list. Not that it would
matter one bit either way. In a sideways fashion we agree on quite a
bit. I'll bet my money on Szulik though, not Perens. :) Ric