Warnings to Red Hat about AOL Buyout

andyo from O'Reilly submitted linkage to a report he wrote over there where he urges Red Hat to think twice about letting AOL eat them. Talks about GNN, as well as Netscape. I'm sure this isn't the last word we'll hear on this subject either.

Comments

You've got Linux!

[snellac]

I don't see the problems. You will still be able to modify things to suit you. AOL users will get what they want. Red Hat will be assured survival under the world's largest ISP. Microsoft will improve or die.

There is no way for AOL to destroy the modular design of Linux/GNU software. To do so, they would have to custom modify and maintain far too many packages. Why would they go to such effort and cost? The average AOL user never ever bothers to venture furthers that far, so "digital rights management" and advert cramming will be maintained by default, just like they are on M$ platforms today. AOL useres actually use AOL's client and browser there and they will under Linux. You will still be able to replace bogus packages and use the ones you want.

What this is going to be, is AOL being able to send out a shiny new CD when M$ breaks their customer's machines. The customer can sit happy knowing that they won't have to buy a new computer and that they can get the things they expect from AOL. My mom is a good example. She has used her computers for three application and only three applications. She has used AOL, Word Perfect, and Quicken. I'm not sure she uses Quicken any more. She uses AOL's instant messenger and email. The rest of her computer means nothing to her, and could be running anything. When ME meets it's two year obsolescence and her flaming nice PIII laptop starts spitting chunks, I hope AOL sends her a nice Red Hat CD. The other stuff, like Netscape, Electric Eyes, Gimp .... might have her actually use her machine some more and definatly enjoy it more. If AOL bought Correl, she would be very happy indeed.

This could kill Microsoft. It's one thing for my mom to have some friends and her son using Linux, it's another thing when she gets it, it works and does everything she wants it to. AOL has 100 million clients, think of the change in perception the world will have if just 1% revive their dead machines this way instead of buying a new $1,000 computer. AOL users, the scorn of M$ elitist derision having computers that work and cost less. Supposedly the most clueless computer population on earth suddenly having tools and stability M$ loosers pay big money for but never recieve. Surely word of mouth will sweep the world, and M$'s already weakened position with hardware makers will collapse.

Reasonable hardware standards may yet see light of day. Without M$ to hord up ever changing API's and that magic flag on the box, we may see hardware maintains stable open interfaces. I am trully filled with hope today. This is great news.

Aol a front for M$??

[Jesus IS the Devil]

I think Steve Case and Bill Gates are sharing the same bed and perhaps semen as well.

Think about it. Aol buys Netscape. Keeps on using IE, thus further killing Netscape.

Now they buy RedHat. Hide it under the bed and continue using Windowz?

Thank god for sane minds

[WickedJack]

I would hat to have see this being discussed openly like because I'm sure that the folks at Red Hat don't know what they are doing. It's so important for them to realize what AOL will do to them. Look at what they did to ICQ.

Once upon a time you could download the program for free. Now you have to actually pay for it and every other IM you write gets an advertisement attached to it.

Look at WinAmp. Another free product that AOL has corrupted and ruined. have you noticed the monthly charge they've placed on it?

Or AOLServer. I can't believe they actually open sourced their own web server. What a bunch of idiots, I'm sure they'll get around to making that propietary soon.

And lets not forget how they closed down the mozilla project.

Oh and I remmeber when their TOC protocol for their AIM program accidentally "leaked" out, they shut down all the projects out there that used the protocol.

I'm sure that if AOL takes over redhat, they will propietize linux, they might even charge for the distrobution. They WILL destryo red hat out of spite.

thank god thats not going to happen

Re:Even if AOL bought redhat..

[Maddog_Delphi97]

Until they want to play that exists ONLY on Windows and Wine doesn't support it too well.

Re:Moderators on crack. Lets examine:

[ImaLamer]

Lets correct these -

Linux + four years development and application support = Windows

Netscape + 80% market share lost = IE

WMP isn't Winamp because Winamp does not own its protocol, and like it or lump it, WMA is taking off.

MSN is still inferior to AOL, you're right there.

As for MSNBS and CNN, neither makes money, so who cares.


Development? Into what? A bloated, unstable, insecure piece of crap? What does Windows do that Linux can't? Nothing. No fair counting dirty shit M$ has done to make everything their own. Destroying small companies and restrictive signing contracts is what made Windows big, not development.

Netscape did loose 80% of their market share. I guess someone could argue that was because of a little problem with IE not going away, but I won't. As with other programs, high market share doesn't meant that it's the best thing under the sun.

WMA is taking off? Gee, I wonder why? Is it because it is now part of the OS? Next you are going to say MSN's AIM clone is taking off. It is also part of the OS as well. Winamp could have it's own FORMAT, but that would be silly since people don't want proprietary shit when it comes to media. When is the last time you encoded a CD in real audio? Why do we want to have 100 apps for all the types of media we have? Or will it be one app, WMP?

I never used MSN [ok, once in '96] or AOL [ok, once in '94]... I hear they both suck.

MSNBC and CNN are rolling in it. Plus, it's a media outlet... the first thing taken out in war is these two channels. [fox news can stay on because it's so fucking backwards, i mean 'centered']

I think you missed the point. These products are no where close to being equal. But my point was to show that these two can go head to head.

About the source code... [argh, and some bad words !!!!]

Sure, they have had it. You could to, but what stops you from working with it? Your fanboy ass can't capitalize on it. If AOL buys RHat, they either would need to bury it or work on it.

THAT IS WHAT WOULD MAKE THEM WORK ON THE SOURCE! IT WOULD BE IN THEIR BEST INTEREST! IS THAT SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND. I can't believe I've resorted in typing in all caps.