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Googling now.. found one that said use jumped by 1,000,000 in November alone See this link will update..

My mail client (mutt) does not run under an account that has full access to the entire system. Instead, it runs as me, and cannot replace parts of the OS even if it wants to. So it can't do things like replace part of the TCP/IP stack

I hear all about connections between SPAM and organized crime. However, I don't see how SPAM is much different from other forms of information pollution, e.g., ads. For cleaning up email, there's Bayesian filtering. For the web, there's pop-up blockers. For TV, there's Tivo. And in each case the info-polluters have their counter measures.

:w

I think I gave up on Hotmail in early 1999. At that time it was sluggish and unreliable despite the ample internet connection at the university through which I was connecting. At least I didn't regularly experience slow performance on other Internet sites.

I'm not sure where the Spammers were getting my address; I've never received any appreciable volume of spam (more than one or two per week) in any other email account I've held. Apparently however, this sort of experience is all too common. Of course other spam problems have existed with Hotmail, such as this, and this, and this.

But what really finally pushed me over the edge to dump Hotmail was when the company (as far as I could tell) randomly disabled my account for a violation of the terms of service. Which struck me as odd, since I hadn't done anything with the account besides delete spam from it, read one or two messages a day, and even less frequently send someone a message. It took five futile days of emailing and aggravating telephone calls before I was finally able to talk to a human being (now it might be harder; I really don't know, but I'm also fortunately never going to have to find out). Hotmail never did tell me what I had done to violate the ToS, but nonetheless reinstated my account. Still, given the other debilitating problems with the service, and given that I had no idea what I had done or allegedly done to violate my user agreement (and thus had no way of knowing how not to violate it again) I decided it was time to dump Hotmail.

Broadly speaking, the Hotmail service left me with the impression that it was not being carefully managed and maintained, that Microsoft hadn't effectively managed the transition to a MS owned subsidiary, or that the service was growing faster than the systems serving it. There were also rumors that the transition from Sun to Windows servers wasn't too smooth and might have resulted in poor performance during the transition period, but I'm not sure how true those rumors were. Plus, by 1999 there were a lot of other free web-based email services opening up. I eventually settled on an australia.edu account. That service wasn't always really fast, but it was reliable, didn't fill my inbox with spam, I was never accused of violating the terms of service, and it gave me a more unique and memorable email address.

Today I suspect Hotmail works better -- otherwise its downtime wouldn't have made front page news on Slashdot -- but its improvements were too late for me. I was driven away from Hotmail long ago.

I particularly liked this part: "Generally, if an IP holder is able to demonstrate that others in the industry have taken a license, thereby respecting the IP holder's claims, that can be used as evidence that is persuasive to a jury,"

So the score is SCO 4 GPL 4,000,000.

SCO has filed another lawsuit against daimlerchrysler! source

It appears that they have already released who they are going to be sueing... and the lucky winner is.... Everyones Internet (EV1.Net)

article here

I thought the point was that you will soon be able to get a G5 in a *small* laptop. I know AMD is releasing their 64 bit chip for laptops, but for desktop replacement laptops. When the G5 hits the PowerBooks, there is every indication that the laptops will stay just as slim, trim, and light as they are now.

You might have forgotton how recent last great leak of source code occured.

October 2003:Valve Software,Half Life 2 source,Microsoft Outlook

Valve Software, maker of the popular first-person shooter, confirmed that code posted online late last week was in fact Half Life 2 source code stolen from the Kirkland, Washington-based software company through a simple breach of security, namely Microsoft Outlook e-mail.

Paul Rogers, network security analyst at MIS Corporate Defence Solutions, said the QAZ Trojan theory is "certainly one of the three most likely scenarios in this case and seems perfectly plausible".

Another involves scanning the network for weaknesses, while a third cause could be a disgruntled employee disabling security protection methods such as firewalls.

Rogers expressed surprise that the hack could possibly have gone undetected for so long. "Large organisations such as Microsoft should be more proactive in their security. The QAZ Trojan hasn't had much publicity but is well known within the security industry," he said.

Not only does Samba 3 support Active Directory (see "Major New Features" on that page), but it's also 2.5 times faster than Win2k3 Server in the same role, and scales up considerably better as well.

Kinda funny how Samba kicks the shit out of the thing it was designed to emulate, once again showing that Open Source is A Good Thing(tm).

show your email publicly, and I'll email you on monday. Or email me, and I'll get you some links (hmmm. will take me time), or a marketing/sales type person who'll have all the nice documentation to hand. Let me know more about what you're after.
Cheers.

some news links from google:
about the RAC

Police, Fire:
news
news
news in pdf format

Police Federation news

This is interesting for you.. the Fire Brigade Union's response to the government's desire to integrate control rooms (you don't need me to tell you any excuse will do to stop this)

http://www.fbu.org.uk/campaigns/control/controls tu ds.htm
http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odp m_fire/d ocuments/page/odpm_fire_026271-11.hcsp

• Samba 3 runs rings around Windows Server 2003 in file serving performance

The Compaq T-1000 tablet/laptop, Sharp and NEC at least had one at one time.

What does that mean? Is he going to spin a small Italian car around and see what it points to? I've never heard the term "by fiat".

BTW I guess since he lost his job at HP, he's had to clean himself up a bit. I guess he gave up on the Dr. Who lookalike style.

This is just like any other security system. If it causes too many problems, such as false alarms, customer complaints, or just waking an IT person at an inopportune time, it will just be turned off.

What, like Medion? I know they're a seperate company, but anyone want to bet they're under Aldi control? (BTW, their products ARE pretty cheap - $799 for a P4-2.6HT, 512MB RAM, DVDRW (forget whether it was +, -, or +-), 160GB HDD, wireless kb/mouse, then there's the USB tablet - $40 for an aiptek 12000u clone (linux drivers), and vnunet likes it) At least Medion makes stuff that's worth something (except for their first PC - only popular in Europe, but it made WAY too much noise - so much that aftermarket fan kits were made for it), unlike some of the Sam's Crap...

1) Router checks machine for known exploits.

Anyway, how would the AV company even know if the machine was running the "real" software in your scenario? It wouldn't anymore then the router. The entire concept of checking for AV software is rediculous. They only mentioned "security mesures", they probably consider running Linux or MacOS a security mesure in and of itself like most people do. Only the most deranged person in the world would consider restricting a network to windows machines would be a good way to make it more secure!

By the way, you can get AV software for the mac, and, linux and even OpenBSD . There are exploits and even viruses for Linux.

What SCO is essentially doing is filibustering of the business world--they are holding out on numerous lawsuits with many companies that they can't really win against, all for their own sick gain.

Darl McBride is ridiculous.

This is an old, but very good, article that helps point out SCO's stupidity very well.

SCO will just end up being another failed company.

If you are a manager of a fund heavily invested in MS, or an individual investor, when does this news begin to worry you.

You aren't worried yet?

At least one analyst that has carefully taken apart the earnings statements and filings of ms sees the end of the earnings boost to licensing 6.0, and sees lower earnings and declining market share ahead. There are too many stories to link or quote them all, but here are a few you should look at (you'll need to google for them, I save the stories but I rarely go back and edit the source to include the original link, and the stories themselves don't usually do it):

Linux to Overtake Unix, Leapfrog Windows, Analyst Says, look at bzmedia's site, Claybrook wrote it, July 15, 03, bzmedia.com, or SD Times, the title is SD Times.

Small Businesses Like Linux Prices, Stacy Cowley, IDG News Service (PCWorld) Thursday, July 17, 2003

Nothing can stop Linux now, says IDC By Peter Williams [13-06-2003] VNUNet Not a direct link, need to find the article.

Microsoft Feels the Linux Heat:

June 9, 2003 By Peter Galli

Microsoft Corp. is starting to react more aggressively to the Linux and open-source threat, last week slashing the price of its SQL Server 2000 Developer Edition by $450, to $49.

The second major price cut in as many weeks followed the Redmond, Wash., company's decision to reduce the retail price of Office XP by 15 percent.

For the first time, Microsoft officials are admitting that Linux is affecting the way the company prices products. Paul Flessner, senior vice president of the Server Platform Division, told eWEEK at the Tech Ed conference here last week that Linux factored into Microsoft's decision to cut the price of its SQL Server 2000 Developer Edition, effective Aug. 1.

The Penguin heats up the enterprise applications space:

Apparently, Linux is the fastest growing of all operating systems, with a cumulative annual growth rate of 34%. In so doing, it is taking away market share from both Windows and Unix. According to IBM, Microsoft will never again achieve the annual growth rate of 40% for Windows that it previously enjoyed. But what about software and applications? Here, Linux is playing catch-up, with Linux software growing at an annual rate of 65%.

...
SAP has been supporting Linux for four years now and has more than 1,000 customers, both large and small, using Linux. PeopleSoft announced recently that it is porting all of its 170 enterprise applications over to Linux in its next upgrade. Oracle currently has a large marketing campaign underway in support of Linux products and is certifying and supporting its 9i database product on the China-based Red Flag Linux operating system. It has announced that it will soon make its 9i application server and both collaboration and e-business suites available on Linux. And a host of other vendors have also started to support Linux, including mid-tier vendors such as Sage.

Figures given by IBM show that Linux is resonating with customers as well. Handy states that Wall Street firms have taken to Linux in droves, with such companies as Morgan Stanley, Citibank, eTrade, Merrill Lynch and the New York Stock Exchange using it. In Europe, financial services firms such as HSBC and Deutsche Bank are deploying Linux, and it is also making inroads into government and retail verticals.

In terms of geographies, Europe is still ahead of the US in terms of take-up, although there has been a noticeable increase in implementations in the US in the past couple of years, from the Wall Street companies mentioned above on the East Coast to Hollywood on the West. In Europe, Linux has the largest penetration in Germany in terms of overall IT spending - but Handy points ou

These 'Microsoft evil' stories do get somewhat tiresome. I think that it says more about the despreation of Va-linux than either Microsoft or the open-source community.

If the open source bullshit means anything then slashdot should try to be something better than the Fox News of the open source community. I am sure the editorial line pleases the Va-Linux directors, but how long the readers tolerate it is a different matter.

Five years ago what young people were interested was technology. Raise a political point on slashdot and you would get slapped down with offtopic.

Today what people are interested in is politics, there is a war going on out there which matters a damn sight more than what Hilary Rosen or Bill Gates might have said.

link[07-11-2003]

Here's an article from a UK source today, called Microsoft millions back SCO case. It also highlights Boies' et. al. backing of SCO. Just so there's no confusion about who it is that's scared of Linux.

IBM wants Novell back in the Linux business and that's why IBM is providing the backing for the deal. This is also tied in with the fact that Novell retained the right to require SCO to "amend, supplement, modify or waive any right" under the license agreements sold to SCO for UNIX (and if SCO did not comply, Novell could exercise those rights itself on SCO's behalf). IBM is interested in crushing SCO and Novell needs a distro to further it's investment in the Ximian desktop. It's a symbiotic relationship that will cause the fall of Darl McBride :-) This would be a really good time to get rid of any SCO paper before Scott Tissue takes it over...

I find it funny to find a this virus listed in the compatibility database. It's a testament to the success of wine!

Security hole hits patched Internet Explorer
Microsoft Recalls Botched Browser Security Patch
MS security patch slows XP systems to a crawl
Microsoft withdraws faulty server patch
Microsoft replaces, broadens faulty Exchange patch
Microsoft fixes another faulty patch
Faulty Patch Leaves IE Open to Attack
More patching problems for Microsoft
Minor glitch in Win2K patch

Sun announced something similar recently. Likewise, Intel has had Hyper-Threading. This kind of step is not all that surprising.

It seems like the processor guys have to one-up each other. Intel announces hyper-threading to be almost like having two processors on one chip. Sun announces UltraSparc IV which does have two processors on one chip (release in 2006). AMD announces K9 which is to have two processors on one chip(release before 2006).

I expect Intel to announce either multi-processor chips or enhanced hyper-threading for release in early 2005.

Why not read this article instead. Though obviously Microsoft could do a 180 and change their mind, so far they've supported the Mono project.

Here is what appears to be a different version of the article with a little more info. No actual performance numbers, but a description of the test at least.

Samba beats Windows

By Roger Howorth [13-10-2003]

Samba 3 runs rings around Windows Server 2003 in file serving performance

Tests by IT Week Labs show the latest version of the open-source Samba file and print server software is 2.5 times faster than Windows Server 2003 in the same role.

The news comes as many firms are grappling with the consequences of Microsoft ending support for NT4, coupled with uncertainty about when Microsoft will next update Windows. The performance difference between Windows Server 2003 and Samba 3 has increased dramatically compared with Samba 2 and Windows 2000 Server.

Samba provides file and print services to Windows PCs. It enables a Linux or Unix server to work as a file server for client PCs running Windows software. The new version also introduces support for Microsoft's Active Directory for allocating and controlling user access rights.

Samba 3's scalability is as impressive as its performance. While Windows performance scales up well initially, it then drops off quickly as more clients access the server. In contrast, Samba 3 offered excellent throughput up to the limit of our test, conducted on a low-spec Intel server.

Consequently, firms could save money on licence fees, and on hardware, by using Samba instead of Windows servers. IT consultant Alan Munday, who recommends Samba to his clients, said the resulting saving was a key consideration for firms.

Munday is already using version 3 at some smaller sites. However, he was dismissive of Active Directory. "I'm not [interested in the new Active Directory features] because the primary focus for my smaller clients is to migrate away from their ageing NT servers."

.

When copy-protected CDs first started coming out, Philips said that the official compact disc digital audio logo could not be put on the packaging, since the discs did not conform to the standard and, hence, were not really "compact discs". If you follow the link to the report, you will see mention that "The "Compact Disc Digital Audio" logo is absent from the printed jacket and the face of the disc".

My friend and I have a rivalry going on.. reguarding Linux vs Windows. I sent him the link, he sent me a retort.. My point-by-point response to this article.

Jack Clarke, European product manager at McAfee, said, So we will be seeing more Linux viruses as the OS becomes more common and popular.

Mr. Clarke is wrong.

.... let's compare the numbers. ...

There are about 60,000 viruses known for Windows, 40 or so for the Macintosh, about 5 for commercial Unix versions, and perhaps 40 for Linux. Most of the Windows viruses are not important, but many hundreds have caused widespread damage. Two or three of the Macintosh viruses were widespread enough to be of importance. None of the Unix or Linux viruses became widespread - most were confined to the laboratory. >>Editor's note: unfortunately we have been made aware that this quote by Dr. Peeling and Dr. Satchell is incorrect; the independent WildList organization produces a monthly in the wild list of viruses. While the vast majority of viruses in their report are Windows-based, there are still some Linux-based viruses (listed as Other) found in the wild as well.>>

So, the very basis for stating that Mr. Clark (a high ranking official with a well-known anti-virus company) is wrong is flagged by the editor as being invalid. Am I the only one who thinks this is not a small deal? It's also worth nothing that this is the first of two such statements that the editor had to mark as being factually unsound or misleading.

First, look at the two factors that cause email viruses and worms to propagate: social engineering, and poorly designed software. ... Virus writers use social engineering to convince people to do stupid things, .... Poorly designed software makes it easier for social engineering to take place, but such software can also subvert the efforts of a knowledgeable, security-minded individual or organization.

Can anybody explain the use of the word but in the previous sentence? (Look at the sentence again if you're wondering what I mean.)

... It's easy to run executables in the Windows world, and users who get an email with a subject line like Check out this wicked screensaver! and an attachment, too often click on it without thinking first, and bang! we're off to the races and a new worm has taken over their systems.

Even worse, Microsoft's email software is able to infect a user's computer when they do something as innocuous as read an email! Don't believe me? Take a look at Microsoft Security Bulletins MS99-032, MS00-043, MS01-015, MS01-020, MS02-068, or MS03-023, for instance. Notice that's at least one for the last five years.

There is an upcoming editor's note about this along with the following sentence.

And though Microsoft's latest versions of Outlook blocks most executable attachments by default, it's still possible to override those protections.

So, the complaint here is that it is possible for somebody to manually override the security settings put in place by Outlook? Does the autho

Kinda like Tripwire , Symantec Anti-Virus, RedHat Enterprise Linux's dymanic relocatable address to fight worms, OpenBSD StackGhost and ZoneAlarm Firewall all rolled in one.

Once implemented, we should see a dramatic change in the network security world; less IDS/IPS/IDPS business model.

The last frontier would then be the social hacking engineering prevention.

Mark Mah Words

An alternative look at this from VUNet; "But because MSN will continue to operate moderated chatrooms in the US, Canada and Japan as a subscription-based service, industry experts are suggesting that the real motive is financial. Ian Brown, director of the Foundation for Information Policy Research, which promotes public debate about the policy implications of new developments in technology, called the announcement an 'hysterical' overreaction if the motive is to protect children online."

SCO has no intention to sue Linux end-users

Originally, SCO had no intention of suing anyone at all:
According to McBride, "obviously Linux owes its heritage to UNIX, but not its code. We would not, nor will not, make such a claim."

But at the beginning of August:
"The legal liability for Linux clearly rests with the end user."

"We have the ability to go to users with lawsuits and we will if we have to."

McBride and company have never kept their story straight in the past - expecting them to do so now that they've made another statement we like would probably be overly optimistic.

Alas, such stories don't get referenced by Yahoo! Finance and most SCO investors don't search Google News, (but should).

Since at least August, SCO have been floating the idea of sending invoices to Linux users. It's even been reported, seemingly incorrectly, back in August, that SCO was beginning to send invoices. The invoice story has been taken up with a vengence in the last few days, for example, here, here and here.

SCO Australia says the invoicing plan doesn't "ring true" and contradicts very recent strategy discussions. Unfortunately, SCO USA's Blake Stowell, doesn't seem to have yet responded to SCO Australia's request for clarification. SCO Australia also says that they're unsure about the question of invoices being sent in the US even though there are reports on the web [examples: here, here and here] about just such a thing being planned.

Since at least August, SCO have been floating the idea of sending invoices to Linux users. It's even been reported, seemingly incorrectly, back in August, that SCO was beginning to send invoices. The invoice story has been taken up with a vengence in the last few days, for example, here, here and here.

SCO Australia says the invoicing plan doesn't "ring true" and contradicts very recent strategy discussions. Unfortunately, SCO USA's Blake Stowell, doesn't seem to have yet responded to SCO Australia's request for clarification. SCO Australia also says that they're unsure about the question of invoices being sent in the US even though there are reports on the web [examples: here, here and here] about just such a thing being planned.

Since at least August, SCO have been floating the idea of sending invoices to Linux users. It's even been reported, seemingly incorrectly, back in August, that SCO was beginning to send invoices. The invoice story has been taken up with a vengence in the last few days, for example, here, here and here.

SCO Australia says the invoicing plan doesn't "ring true" and contradicts very recent strategy discussions. Unfortunately, SCO USA's Blake Stowell, doesn't seem to have yet responded to SCO Australia's request for clarification. SCO Australia also says that they're unsure about the question of invoices being sent in the US even though there are reports on the web [examples: here, here and here] about just such a thing being planned.

Since at least August, SCO have been floating the idea of sending invoices to Linux users. It's even been reported, seemingly incorrectly, back in August, that SCO was beginning to send invoices. The invoice story has been taken up with a vengence in the last few days, for example, here, here and here.

SCO Australia says the invoicing plan doesn't "ring true" and contradicts very recent strategy discussions. Unfortunately, SCO USA's Blake Stowell, doesn't seem to have yet responded to SCO Australia's request for clarification. SCO Australia also says that they're unsure about the question of invoices being sent in the US even though there are reports on the web [examples: here, here and here] about just such a thing being planned.

This idea inspired by the "Universe Today" personalised newspaper in Babylon 5. Alternatively, the linked article suggests printing on a re-usable (as opposed to re-cyclable) paper substitute, such as Tyvek.

--

Good points...

One which isn't mentioned much is damages. The courts which handle these types of case are, for the most part, not comprised of stupid officials. If this judge has any real sense of social justice, he would throw out the suit.

Assuming SCO won the case, then the burden is on them to demonstrate their financial losses. We all know it's a load of crap, but when you listen to Darl or Chris (Sontag) in an interview, they are provocative in their claim, as if it were some grand social injustice.

It's sickening when you read some articles with Darl McBride, and how money is at the foremost of this thinking. Here's a gem I bet most haven't read (from http://www.vnunet.com/Analysis/1141929

Darl McBride of SCO states: "Those guys [IBM] know what is going to come out in discovery, and you hear a lot of rumours on the street that they are going to buy us out. Well, I bet that's exactly what they want to do. The last thing they want to hear is the testimony that is going to come out."

Could you be more cocky than that? This jerk is so blindside with his conviction that IBM will buy them out, that you can practically see those dollar $igns bouncing in Darl's eye.

Here's another gem:

Chris Sontag stated: "What's at issue is that there is copyrighted Unix System V code, Version 4.1 code, copied into Linux. Whether it is used broadly or not [isn't relevant], it is widely published and available [...]"

The last time I checked, it did matter how broadly used it was because that is what will determine damages! DUHH!!!!

There's only one explanation, and that is these guys are thinking about cashout time. They know their jig is up, so they are stretching.

Absent of the greed these guys display, what people find most despicable about these guys is that they represent the worst of US executives. They are the stereotypical greedy executive personified. The outrage we are hearing is a positive reaction to a bad thing... let's not be so quick to condemn Eric's gut-acher response.

Check this Story, SCO claims it owns so many lines on Linux Kernel that if they are removed, it will COLLAPSE!!!

http://www.vnunet.com/News/1143155

"As far as I'm concerned it's an issue between SCO and IBM, and I expect that IBM's resources will win the day,"

Don't expect to get your money back. They might have as well put "Ha HA, suckers!" in there.

From this article/interview:

McBride also poured cold water on the notion that Linux customers would receive refunds for licences bought should SCO lose its pending case to prove that its intellectual property (IP) is in Linux.

"We have not built in any refunds in our licensing model. The product is there and it's being used," he said.

It's been done before - remember "Code Red"?

A guy called Herbert HexXer wrote an anti-worm called Code Green.

He got into a LOT of trouble over that I believe.

True, but the situation isn't so bad for us as it is for MS. First of all, the developers have actual incentive to really fix problems, and fix them fast. At MS, the developers don't have any incentive to fix anything until sales tells them: ``This bug is costing us sales.'' The developers job then is to make sales go back up. Fixing the bug may not be the easiest option.

Second, if security DOES become a big problem, we can start doing things like using libraries which are buffer-overflow safe (like libsafe, maybe?). This is available right now. People can start auditing critical stuff like glibc and the linux kernel for buffer overflows. There's a lot that our community can do (and should be doing!) right now, that MS just is never going to have the incentive to do. I'll bet there isn't anything like the kernel janitors working on the NT kernel.

Finally, the easiest and the most important thing we can do is make sure that the newbie distributions have secure, sensible defaults. Things like using something other than sendmail, having services turned off by default, not accepting connections from anything but localhost, and so on. For the typical newbie, who hooks up one machine to the 'net via ppp or pppoe, this kind of security wouldn't be a problem. Someone who needs to make their machine part of a lan would have to learn enough to turn on some of these services, and open up the default firewall a bit, but that's not a bad thing.

... as Linux becomes more and more popular blackhats will put more and more attention into breaking our OS.

The day is coming when we will have to be more secure out-of-the-box. Security is a process, and begins with a knowledgeable user. Starting with the services turned off, and making the user learn to turn them on as he needs them, will help with the user education, and make the OS more usable in the long run. After all, the better you know it, the better you can use it.

...and now, let's move on to reason.

You're right about one thing: Darl McBride is provably an ambitious young twit. In fact, looking at his photo, I'd say he's likely a mega-twit. Why, then, do you insist that he needs help from Microsoft (or anyone else) to do his dirty deeds?

This is a case of a few men's greed, pure and simple.

From http://www.vnunet.com/News/1142697

Leave P2P users alone, says publisher
By Iain Thomson [30-07-2003]
Concentrate on the organised pirates and release better albums

A leading music publisher has claimed that internet file sharing could actually improve the quality of music in the long term.
Ellis Rich, chairman of the Independent Music Group, suggested that the music industry is making a mistake by equating piracy with downloading by peer-to-peer users.

"Ultimately this could be good for the music industry," he told an industry roundtable.

Genuine piracy, which involves organised syndicates making multiple copies of music for resale, is causing direct damage to the music industry, said Rich.

Downloaders, on the other hand, hurt the industry less but are more high profile.

"Songwriters will have to produce albums full of good songs rather than a few good tracks and filling the rest of the album with padding," stated Rich.

"As for piracy most small MP3s [on the internet] are too low quality to be used in pirated media. I'm more concerned with attacking pirates than students."

At the roundtable, security access company Clearswift warned that companies should protect themselves against litigation, in case content providers turn their attention from individuals to companies that allow staff to download copyright material from the internet.

"The biggest threat to companies these days is copyright infringement," warned Paul Rutherford, chief marketing officer at Clearswift.

"Spam and viruses are offensive tactics and are highly visible, but IP isn't seen this way. But wait until you see the first executives in handcuffs and that attitude will change."

As opposed to the Microsoft's way of "innovating" code from Stac Technologies, Timeline, and SoftImage. But the question has been asked: How does closed source code find it's way into open source code? In the case of SCO, it may have happened, but what about MS? They are so totalitarian they threaten to sue anybody who posts anything resembling their code.

There's no question that in cloning activities, IP from many, many companies, including Microsoft, is being used in open-source software," Gates said. "When people clone things, that often becomes unavoidable.

There is a difference in cloning functionality (window control, widgets, etc) and cloning code. If MS is crying about cloning functionality, then Xerox, Apple, IBM, FreeBSD, RMS, XFree86, and an alphabet like soup of companies can complain about MS. Apple even sued them for it and lost. But how would you know Bill, unless you personally know code from many companies?