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Leaked Memo Says Microsoft Raised $86 million for SCO

badzilla and numerous others wrote in with this: "Eric S. Raymond's Open Source site has a new Halloween memo. The Halloween X memo, which ESR says he received by email from an anonymous whistleblower inside SCO, appears to confirm Microsoft's alleged funding of SCO's anti-Linux initiative. And the actual dollar amounts are much larger than previously rumored!" The consultant is discussing his fee for bringing in this business, in the first few lines of the email.

75 of 1,279 comments (clear)

  1. Time to short sell ! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Short sell SCO and Microsoft !

  2. The best part of waking up.... by existential+goo · · Score: 1, Funny

    Now THIS is a great way to start off my morning; I hop on slashdot, and this is what I see? And a clean slate to boot! Life is good today, the two companies I hate implicated and I see no postings yet...

  3. I am a gud speller by Liselle · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's funny how the typos and bad grammar in the email lends credence to it. Looks like something I'd get from an exec at work! Well, minus the shady dealing with Microsoft, anyway. :P

    --
    Auto-reply to ACs: "Truly, you have a dizzying intellect."
    1. Re:I am a gud speller by cybermace5 · · Score: 1, Funny

      Yeah, and remember, this guy has already succeeded in making around $5,000,000 for himself in about a year...in spite of poor spelling, poor judgement, etc. I'm so in the wrong business.

      --
      ...
  4. Can't... type... reply... by The+I+Shing · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can't... type... reply... too... much... outrage... head... exploding...

    --
    You are in error. No-one is screaming. Thank you for your cooperation.
    1. Re:Can't... type... reply... by HeridFel · · Score: 2, Funny

      TETSUOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

  5. Antitrust . . . Reloaded? by $calar · · Score: 2, Funny

    Do I smell another visit to the DoJ?

    1. Re:Antitrust . . . Reloaded? by csnydermvpsoft · · Score: 1, Funny

      Do I smell another visit to the DoJ?

      That depends on the [s]election in November.

  6. Accounting error by Realistic_Dragon · · Score: 4, Funny

    They have so much money that no one noticed the cheque for $8.6m was actually for $86m due to a missing decimal place.

    The person responsible has been promoted to strategy and vision director.

    --
    Beep beep.
  7. Newsflash! by Stiletto · · Score: 2, Funny


    BREAKING NEWS!

    Republicans raise money for George W. Bush!

    EXCLUSIVE!!

    Christians give lots of money to their church!

    UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

    People who have an interest in helping you give you money!!!! OMG I CANT BELIEVE IT WTF!11!!11!!1

  8. Typos by savagedome · · Score: 3, Funny

    Looks like the MSWord spell checker was turned on when composing the mail ;)

  9. Stop Using SCO as a weapon.... by AtariAmarok · · Score: 1, Funny

    (big bad Microsoft, trying to kill off its competitors using SCO as a weapon)

    Now I have that Pat Benetar song in my head all day. Thanks a lot. "Stop using SCO as a weapon. Stop using...."

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  10. But hey... by OwlWhacker · · Score: 2, Funny

    We all know that Microsoft really welcomes competition from Linux... Unless Microsoft is lying...

  11. Jeeez! by Ratface · · Score: 2, Funny

    I thought *I* was having a terrible day! The SCO shill who wrote this must be crapping his pants!

    Damn - I just remembered - I *AM* having a bad day. Back to being corporate whipping boy again :-(

    --

    A little planning goes a long way...
  12. The Wizard of SCOz by Maverick+Hunter+Zero · · Score: 4, Funny

    Darl McBride: What do you want, peon?
    Linus Torvalds: Show me the disputed code!
    McBride: You must pay me $699 if you want to see the code!
    Torvalds: Yeah, right. Wait a second....

    *He spots Bill Gates off to the side behind a curtain, controlling the giant flaming head of McBride*

    Torvalds: Isn't that... I knew it!
    McBride: Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!!!
    Torvalds: The game's up, Billy Boy!

    --
    --Z
    1. Re:The Wizard of SCOz by EvilTwinSkippy · · Score: 5, Funny
      And at the end, Linus wakes up and is surrounded by Dennis Ritchie, Ken Thompson, Richard Stallman.

      Linus: Uncle Ken, Uncle Ken, there's no place like /home!

      --
      "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
      --Dr.W.Edwards Deming
  13. Who does this? by Doesn't_Comment_Code · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Well I've thoroughly enjoyed this clandestined discussion. I feel so devious and evil. But for my own records, could you write down everything we've just said (especially all the bad stuff we're doing) and distribute it to all the company employees? Make sure all the new guys get it too, especially the one in cubicle 4-B that doesn't like his job. Oh, and if this gets out it could ruin our public image, so try to keep it a secret, thank you." Microsoft VIP

    --

    Slashdot Syndrome: the sudden, extreme urge to correct someone in order to validate one's self.
  14. Re:This could have been big! by millahtime · · Score: 2, Funny

    " If the discovery process yields the original email, Microsoft is fucked."

    Talk about an alibi for loosing an email. They use M$ for the mail server.

  15. So Bill Gates is the Mole? by Perl-Pusher · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is getting about as stupid as nightly television.

  16. Re:Paging the DoJ... by IWorkForMorons · · Score: 3, Funny

    Let's draw attention to this smoking gun, shall we?

    Great idea! I can't wait until the The Smoking Gun gets a hold of Darl's mugshots. They did such a great job with the Enron guy...

  17. Re:Not an open source by dylan_- · · Score: 2, Funny

    Only people who don't understand the concept of the same word having two completely different meanings...

    --
    Igor Presnyakov stole my hat
  18. Re:An order of magnitude? by BerntB · · Score: 4, Funny
    Round 7.8 to 8.

    It's an order of magnitude since humanity's natural number base is octal.

    No, it's not 10. Look at your hand -- the thumb is there for carry-bits when adding.

    (Old PDP10 joke from before my time.)

    --
    Karma: Excellent (My Karma? I wish...:-( )
  19. Re:This is a forgery. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yeah. and this is where you hold up a neuralizer and flash me and......

    *PHWOOOOMPFH* ....uhh where am I? soviet russia? first post. windows sucks. help!

  20. Re:Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Mary (mother of Jesus) told me in a vision that SCO will prevail, linux will be defeated, and slashdot will pay royalty and licensing fees on each of its linux installs.

    Go long on SCOX if you are not stupid.

  21. Gos, hao deciferable - more plaugerists? by Grummet · · Score: 2, Funny

    Phew! Thank god we had the people at OpenSource to add all of those pretty green comments because otherwise I would have no idea what the hell he was talking about.

    Lons? WTF, considering what a bitch they are to payback usually I fig-red just about everyone new how to spell the freakin' word.

    If you think I am being a Spealot (spelling+zealot) then RTFA. It was horrible.

    Right up there with the CEO ov EV1[L] hosting.

    Course, this time round we don't know if anyone just made this up or not... but it seems like par for the course.

    I think the general public might actually be tiring of SCO - my Grandfather (who does not even own a computer) said they remind him of his neighbors "yip" dog.

    Yip yip yip all day long, bites you hard if you get too close but its basically just f******g anoying and you avoid it most of the time.
    Gramps is usually talking about poisoning it...

    Anyway, the whole point of this article "86 million!!!" is not surprising.
    In fact... I think I might start a company with the sole intent of bashing on Windows opponents in the media....good revenue stream...

    Ahh, but maybe that would be plaugerism.

  22. Re:This is a forgery. by orthogonal · · Score: 5, Funny

    I work inside SCO. Mike Anderer hasn't had anything to do with the company since June 2003. This is a clear and simple forgery. I lend it no credence. I'd suggest ignoring it.

    Yeess, Darl. When you wave your hands like that I realize these are not the droids I'm looking for.

  23. MAKE MONEY FAST by illuminatedwax · · Score: 3, Funny

    Want $86 million dollars fast? Well, we now know not one, but TWO ways to make it!

    1) Make an unjustified attack on Linux
    2) Make an unjustified attack on Iraq

    --Stephen

    --
    Did you ever notice that *nix doesn't even cover Linux?
  24. Microsoft will drop them by Wolfier · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why? Because SCO did not use Word to type that email, if they did, they would have the nipped the spelling errors...

  25. They know no shame by krygny · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'd be ashamed to send an email that was that poorly written to a business associate at any level. And I'd have less regard for anyone who wood. :-)

    --
    Research shows that 67% of those who use the term "research shows", are just making shit up.
  26. Re:They can afford training on it, then. by jlechem · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yes but you're assuming the exec knows how to turn it on. Most of them probably just know enough to send and read email. I've known a few that barely even managed to do that on a regular basis.

    --
    Hold up, wait a minute, let me put some pimpin in it
  27. I want that on a teeshirt... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    SCOsource Business Model:
    - Sue Your Customers
    - Shill for Microsoft
    - Kite Your Stock
    - Pray You Stay Out of Jail

  28. Re:Microsoft is clearly feeling the Linux heat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    but what happens when in 2 years...

    Didn't someone post this before? Like 2 years ago?

  29. Re:This is a forgery. by Otter · · Score: 3, Funny

    Never! I'm placing my full trust in the first anonymous source, unless this anonymous source can convince me otherwise.

  30. Scooped Groklaw! by nameer · · Score: 2, Funny

    Slashdot beat Groklaw to a SCO headline? The end is nigh!

    --
    "Uh... yeah, Brain, but where are we going to find rubber pants our size?" --Pinky
  31. Coming this summer !!! by AftanGustur · · Score: 4, Funny


    ... to a cinema near you:

    Bruce Willis as 'Eric S. Raymond' in ...

    "Legal Weapon IV"

    rated NC17 for strong language and gore.

    --
    echo '[q]sa[ln0=aln80~Psnlbx]16isb572CCB9AE9DB03273snlbxq' |dc
    1. Re:Coming this summer !!! by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Funny

      As long as it's not for nudity and sexual situations...

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  32. Re:Paging the DoJ... by Otter · · Score: 5, Funny
    What does John Kerry thinks of anti-trust investigations against american corporations on times of economic downturns?

    He's for them. And against them. Oh, and he served in Vietnam.

  33. If life were fair by October_30th · · Score: 5, Funny
    If you're an asshole now, as a person or a corporation, it will come back to get you one way or another.

    "I used to think that life was unfair. Then I thought, wouldn't it be much worse, if life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them? So, now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe." (Marcus on B5)

    So, go Microsoft! Your unethical practises are making me feel warm inside.

    --
    The owls are not what they seem
  34. Re:The document is a troll? by leerpm · · Score: 1, Funny

    I think you have to spend more time in the business world. I often find the quality of a person's intra-office email is inversely related to their salary/rank.

  35. Re:Too good to be true by grub · · Score: 4, Funny

    I smell a setup.

    I was thinking the same thing. They admit way too much in that mail
    Imagine the FBI finding this in 1963:
    From: Lee Harvey Oswald
    To:Marina Oswald
    Subject: Shooting Kennedy

    Hi Honey,
    I'll be shooting President Kennedy tommorrow morning then I'll take in a movie. Don't bother with dinner.

    Love,
    Lee.
    --
    Trolling is a art,
  36. Re:This is a forgery. by eggoeater · · Score: 3, Funny


    WHA?!? You think you're some kind of Jedi???

  37. Search Results on MSN by H8X55 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I wonder what search criteria XFree86million would return from msn.com? A message indicating i have entered a search term that is likely to return unethical content?

  38. Re:He's as good as fired. by Unique2 · · Score: 2, Funny

    A misplaced period or a switched adjective would be more effective... of course I read too much Tom Clany! :)

    All this time I thought it was "Clancy" - they've been tracking me - wheres my hat!

    --
    No trees were harmed in the posting of this message. However, a great number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
  39. $86mill by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Any coincidence between the $86-million and Microsoft's anti XFree86 search practices? that 86 seems like an interesting number.

  40. Re:Wow by cosmo7 · · Score: 5, Funny

    From a business standpoint it makes sense.

    From a business standpoint the Mafia makes sense.

  41. Making the World Safe for Democracy by The+Angry+Mick · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ashcroft hasn't exactly pursued a full court press on the MSFT antitrust stuff, either.

    Remember, we are talking about a man who is sexually intimidated by cement. He's probably been busy with the thousands of other statues that need clothing.

    --

    I'm not tense. I'm just terribly, terribly, alert.

  42. Re:Why not buy SCO then? by antiMStroll · · Score: 2, Funny

    86 million buys lunch at Microsoft. it's a very, very wealthy company.

  43. Re:Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Without your $200 a year, they're sure to go under.

    Good job.

  44. Re:I wouldn't fire him... by phosphorous · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yeah, he's probably got some SCO code in his DNA or something :)

  45. Re:Fake! by EmagGeek · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Now if it was a leaked powerpoint slideshow I might believe it."

    Especially if it were all in Greek font...

  46. Motley Fool's take on this is brilliant... by d00ber · · Score: 3, Funny

    Motley Fool - an cool investment column - has this to say about the wisdom of SCOs antics. I especially like the part about the return on investment of $20,000 being what an enterprising kid mowing lawns could make in a summer. This for an investment of $3.4 million in the first quarter.

    SCOX has been shedding a lot lately too - $6 since January.

  47. Re:Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I'm working on getting my MBA

    There ! There ! I spotted one ! Quick, quick, bring up the tar and the feathers !

  48. Shocking by smchris · · Score: 3, Funny

    Shocking. Positively shocking! To imagine that Microsoft would hire a front company to attack a competitor with FUD and legal tricks.

    When did they get so lazy they had to hire out?

  49. All their bases?? by danielsfca2 · · Score: 2, Funny

    > big well funded companies like that tend to cover all their bases.

    SCO, Microsoft to Linux users: "All your base are belong to us!"

    Come on, somebody had to say it.

    1. Re:All their bases?? by Hinesy · · Score: 3, Funny

      Someone set them up the bomb

  50. Re:Wow by Greyfox · · Score: 4, Funny

    Big business should be honourable. And that honour should be enforced by Samauari Code. Also, corporate takeovers should involve sword battles between the upper management of two companies. With decaptiations. And be televised. It might not be better business but it'd be a lot more interesting...

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  51. MBA's aren't evil.... by Dunark · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...they just show incredible ethical and moral flexibility WRT anything that increases the "bottom line".

  52. Re:Wow by BigBlockMopar · · Score: 1, Funny

    Great...what a wonderfull place to be huh? A bit ironic isn't it? Being here on slashdot, if you're not part of the geek culture exclusively you get ostracized, at least lately it seems that way to me.

    Dude... I know your pain. I *hate* anime (what's with the stupid monolithic teeth?), I haven't seen LOTR because it's all about hobbits and wizards and crap, and I've rebuilt the big-block V8 in my 27 year old pickup truck.

    This is just payback for all the beatings most computer geeks took on the playground.

    Be strong, my friend. :)

    --
    Fire and Meat. Yummy.
  53. Re:Wow by AstroDrabb · · Score: 2, Funny

    SFU actaully has GPLed code in it. You will see the GPL license when you install it. As for SFU having any SCO "IP", that has not been proven at all.

    --
    If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land,
    it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. -James Madison
  54. Heh. by Gannoc · · Score: 2, Funny


    If someone wanted to give me $86 million dollars, i'd sue my freaking grandmother if I had to.

  55. Re:Wow by 110010001000 · · Score: 3, Funny

    People who intend to profit are inherently evil. That is why we don't like MBA's. We prefer those who produce for love and ideals like cooperation and the good of the community, not purely profit.

  56. Re:Wow by outrage98 · · Score: 2, Funny

    They give your money to try and prevent you from using anything else than Windows.

    That should be "anything else then Windows." Remember where you're posting.

  57. Re:Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hey, that is cheap but I can't afford it, I have been outsourced.

    You could always sell

    some of those excess

    carriage returns

  58. Re:Wow by Delphiki · · Score: 2, Funny

    I would suggest this be moderated down but fuck it. Trying to make reasonable comments seems pointless sometimes. Instead I'll just say hey yall, how about all us good ol' engineerin boys hop in our trucks and get us some rope and we can lynch us some MBAs. Yeeha.

    --

    Feel free to mod me "-1 - Angry Jerk".

  59. Re:Wow by IdleTime · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think the FedEx commercial shows a true MBA best.
    "I don't do shipping, I have an MBA..."

    --
    If you mod me down, I *will* introduce you to my sister!
  60. Re:Any more blanket generalities? by dubl-u · · Score: 3, Funny

    The fact that this is tolerated and actually modded insightful is stunning. Substitute any other group of people and people would condemn statements like that.

    You mean like lawyers, politicians, salespeople, telemarketers, and spammers?

  61. Re:Also Remember by strike2867 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well the MS business plan seems to be doing pretty well. I say we should adopt it. We need to find some insane company to say they own the source code to Windows. Think of the headlines:

    After Windows source code compromised, Microsoft sued for copyright violation.

    Windows now illegal to use. Switch to Linux the free, more secure, faster... Huh!!! WTF!!! Why are we using Windows to begin with?

    --

    Vote for new mod!!! Score:-2,Imbecile
  62. Re:The bigger question is... by wintermute740 · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Everyone's discussing it as if it's automatically true."

    You mean someone may have posted something to the internet that wasn't true?! Say it isn't so! (it's been a day from hell in tech support. Sorry for the sarcasm.)

  63. Fah-nix? by 21chrisp · · Score: 2, Funny

    After reading this document, it is apparent that hooked-on-phonics most definitely does NOT work for SCO employees.

  64. Yosemite Eric by embill · · Score: 2, Funny

    Is it just me, or does anyone else picture ESR dressed up as Yosemite Sam, jumping up and down in his backyard firing his pistols into the air after receiving one of these leaked memos?

  65. Re:Wow by ozbird · · Score: 2, Funny

    Race To The Bottom

    Mmmm.... Curry....

  66. Email Mike - tell him what you think... by BigBadBri · · Score: 3, Funny
    Michael Anderer

    My mail to him:

    Well, Mike -

    I bet you feel like a total prat, having your sloppy spelling and indiscreet observations splashed all over the Web all of a sudden.

    I sure hope that the impression given by your email won't adversely impact on your obviously worthwhile IP harvesting activities - hell, if I had an idea and needed finance, I'd come beating down your door asking for the help of such a painstakingly accurate and diligent person as yourself.

    Don't let Blake Stowell's dismissal of your memo put you off - your obvious merits will shine through, despite the impression given by your memo.

    Keep a good head, and always carry a lightbulb,
    Brian.

    --
    oh brave new world, that has such people in it!
  67. 99% of the MBAs... by freeBill · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...make the rest look bad.

    --
    Eternal vigilance only works if you look in every direction.
  68. Misunderstanding by Phrite · · Score: 2, Funny

    No, you dont understand. When the Windows 2000 source code leaked, SCO allegedly found thier IP in it, and the $86 million is SCO licencing fees. Get the facts straight ;)

  69. Re:Wow by qbwiz · · Score: 2, Funny

    You just need to wait untill the pit starts to fill up.

    --
    Ewige Blumenkraft.