"Future Tech" vs KDE Developer

Once in awhile a story comes along that warrants mention just so that people know to be careful. Mosfet is a KDE coder (who has had tension with KDE in the past and left some ill will over there). He was hired by Future Technology to continue work on his Liquid KDE style and theme (my personal favorite). But they never paid him, so he removed their name and mentioned it in the Changelog. Now FT is threatening legal action to get the Changelog off the net. But it's more bizarre because MandrakeSoft is the host, and the site remains up. Keep reading if you're interested in a few more bits.

I've been a huge fan of Liquid for some time. I've been compiling releases and using on my laptop. The project isn't nearly as ambitious as Enlightenment, but it has some interesting UI ideas and it looks good. I was really pleased when I found out that Mosfet was going to have a shot at continuing the development of the program for FT under the KDE License. At this point, FT ("The Total Linux Company," according to their website) mentioned a few of the features in Liquid as being part of the benefits of FT's distribution. This was to set them apart from "Other" distributions, although even at the time I found it funny, as The final decision in selecting one RPM based distribution over another would rarely be tipped in favor of the one with translucent menus ;)

Anyway the Changelog contains the following line:

* Future Technologies' name has been removed. They hired me to do KDE development, but failed to pay me after promising to do so three times over the span of several months :( I still haven't seen any of the paychecks they said they would send me, and they even went as far as sending me a fake FedEx number. Now they are saying they can't afford to pay their employees.

And soon after Mosfet's website announced that he was leaving Linux and Liquid was dead. Unable to afford to develop Liquid for free, he was seeking work in the windows world.

According to the site, on 10/28, Dr. Giovanni asked Mandrakesoft, the host of Mosfet.org to take down the site, under threat of legal action. But since I see the site still there, it looks like they are standing their ground which is a good thing.

Anyway, I don't know what the moral of the story is, beyond a warning to keep both eyes open. There is a lot of questionable stuff that goes on in this world. Be careful.

(I've emailed Giovanni from FT but have yet to hear back from him.)

Comments

*sigh*

[Anonymous Coward]

Now we know what the geek equivalent of a soap opera is... What next? Will RMS jump in and change the changelog to read GNU/something? Stay tuned!

This also reminds me why I would have to be hogtied to watch a soap opera... Ugh, boring social interaction--thank God for the internet!

Questionable stuff.

[supabeast!]

"Anyway, I don't know what the moral of the story is, beyond a warning to keep both eyes open. There is a lot of questionable stuff that goes on in this world."

In other words, if someone offers to pay you to develop free software, chances are that you will get totally screwed along the way.

Re:Enlightenment link is wrong

[grammar nazi]

Rather than posting inane drivel, why don't you do something useful. If you can't handle that, then just shut up.

I like BB too, but I don't go around spouting off about it. May your comment be moderated "off-topic" into oblivion.

You have our gratitude

[kindbud]

Once in awhile a story comes along that warrants mention just so that people know to be careful.

I will be careful. Please keep posting more stories about chronic problem programmers, so we can avoid hiring them. I used to only be able to get this kind of info at MyCIO.com, but now Slashdot is doing it for free. Even us PHB types sneak into Slashdot every now and then, it's just like checking the weather. Everyone wants to know when the snow is coming.

The FT Opinion ...

[gorlando]

Hi Everyone,

This morning here in Venice (Italy) there are great Sun and seems to be a great day.

I want to resume quickly the story about Mosfet and my company.

In June, I visit the Mosfet website (http://homepage.interaccess.com/~mosfet/) and I see some strange photos, similar to the actual photo is on Mosfet.org.

Inmmediately I offer money to him, because I suppose that their job was not on computer, however he start to work for us.

I send to him different jobs missions TODO, on this and on another matter.

... But he continues to work on its ideas, and the software he made was generally offered for free. He moves from GPL to QPL.

Only one time, in one month and half he send and complete one task I send to him, all the rest and missions was not completed.

Never, we write an agreement. I don't know was he expect to be paid, and ask him.

He ask US$ 25 for hour and send an invoice for 6,300 US$, for 219 hours in one month and half.

I promise him to be paid. After this, he start to apply a politic like: "Or you pay me ... or I will publish on my website that you don't pay me".

Its Website (Mosfet.org) was empty for a while and the last Saturday, again he publish this notice.

Yes. I contact MandrakeSoft, because the Website is hosted by us (check Network Solutions) to shutdown the system. He work for them in the past. I don't know if they Mandrake and Mosfet, may some play on my company.

However, I don't pay him, simply because this guy works, only the matter he haves in its brain. If you ask some job, he said wait.

... Then, he send a 6,300 US$ invoice and all the software he wrote was available for free to everyone!

...Sorry. I don't pay in these conditions.

Several times I speak with him about its future, always by e-mail, trying to move him to an educational frame, inside my company.

I suppose that he is a great genius but also an "bomb-employee", in the sense now happens this (first month, first invoice). In the future may happens anything ... You call him ... and he do fire to the office.

Now, I want to close this matter in an clear and efficient mode, open also to him.

All the OpenSource stuff belong to FutureTechnologies (not Technology) and we will be pay this invoice.

We, FT, will support any further development, and offer for free, on Websites under our control, not controlled by other Linux companies or by employees.

No attorneys will be contacted ... and this chapter finish here.

I want express my thanks to the time and efforts to visit our Websites and send emails.

Thanks,
Giovanni