Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

SCO Prides Itself on Inspiring FUD

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the almost-too-funny-to-laugh-at dept.

ronaldb64 writes "According to a recent press release they are "...honored to be named among the many influential companies that comprise the SD Times 100. We pride ourselves in the work we do to create world renowned Unix-based solutions designed by some of the most experienced and outstanding engineers in the industry," said Jeff Hunsaker, senior vice president and general manager, SCO's UNIX Division. What is the reason for the SD Times nomination? "The company's legal assaults on IBM and Linux users dominated 2003's tech headlines and shook up the open-source community. No other IT topic inspires such fervent debate, fear, uncertainty and doubt.". I guess any press is good press these days for SCO. Congratulations..."

18 of 241 comments (clear)

  1. Picture this... by erick99 · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Take a look at the picture of Darl McBride in the article or even do a Google search. The guy looks the part that he plays in life: thug. I mean, really - he looks like some thug that shows up at your doorstep wearing a nice suit to collect a gambling debt. He is not terribly articulate which makes him appear even more to be the "thug" or "bully" of the I.T. world. Just an observation....

    Happy Trails!

    Erick

    --
    http://www.busyweather.com/
    1. Re:Picture this... by dnoyeb · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Well I have been saying it ever since I lost a couple of Gs on SCOX. They are a temporarily effective marketing firm, nothing more, nothing less.

    2. Re:Picture this... by ShadowRage · · Score: 1, Interesting

      I've mentioned that before, he looks like the school yard blly who lies and uses deciet to get his way, and prolly was, he sued his way up in life, (bullying others to succeed where he would prolly fail without the courts) and now he has a great position for himself, pushing around the nerds and geeks he picked on in the industry, except now, it's more of an even match. where the geeks can push back harder, because unlike school, they can now use their intelligence to kick his ass. even if he uses lying decietful ways to fight them back.

  2. SCO creating something? by AtariAmarok · · Score: 5, Interesting
    "...create world renowned Unix-based solutions designed...."

    Seriously, is SCO actually creating new products right now? (other than the product of lawsuits, $699 profits, FUD, scare, etc). Actual user/consumer/business products?

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  3. marketing *IS* important by Ubergrendle · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Although FUD needs to be constantly and consistently fought in corporations by knowledgable IT employees, FUD is a legitimate marketing technique. It ~works~. Few, if any, businessmen knew who SCO was 2 years ago, but now they have almost universal brand-name recognition.

    So, full marks for their marketing and communications strategy. Its distasteful and full of lies, but so far they've been effective at getting their message out, and have avoided any consequences (e.g. perjury; public backlash) to this date.

    The real question, though, is whether they will be able to translate this notoreity into $. Can they execute a business plan that will translate into consistent streams of revenue? Given their poor execution so far (e.g. they have not strategy outside of lawyers) I think not. If they get out of this intact, or maybe with a blip of one time profit on their books, they should count themselves lucky!

    --
    John Maynard Keynes: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?"
    1. Re:marketing *IS* important by antiMStroll · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Kneecapping also ~works~, but few consider it a valid business practice and they're not held in high regard. FUD, as wielded by SCO, is comprised of lies, threats and intimidation. If that's a currently valid business practice then new laws are required.

  4. SCO, blah, blah, blah by Otter · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Moving beyond this morning's Two Minutes Of Hate -- of more interest is Apple's making the list for both Tools and Deployment Platforms. They've been improving on both fronts and it's interesting to see a corporate-ish IT publication noticing.

    And what is up with that shirt Marc Fleury is wearing? OK, he's French, but still!

    --
    What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
  5. SCO "Open Sore" by Emperor+Shaddam+IV · · Score: 2, Interesting

    When I worked with SCO Open Server Unix, it was absolutely the WORST version of Unix I've ever worked with. Half the X-windows TCL/TK admin tools had major bugs. Most the utilities didn't work and I had to edit straight Unix files. I had to install it several times to get it working. UNIXWARE they bought from Novell, so they deserve no credit for that. An associate used to call SCO Open Server, SCO Open Sore. :)

  6. Re:It's time for an annual FUD award by Dracolytch · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Let's do it. Seriously. Why not? I got some webspace. You can find my contact info at: http://www.dracosoftware.com/

    ~D

    --
    This sig has been enciphered with a one-time pad. It could say almost anything.
  7. unix owners = influential in software development? by kwoff · · Score: 1, Interesting
    "SCO was recognized for its influence in software development as owners of the UNIX Operating System."
    How does the fact that they bought the Unix source code have anything to do with their (presumably positive) influence in software development?
  8. Analyst's view by rduke15 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    See this comment from yesterday under a different story, for financial analyst's view on SCO, and another press release.

  9. Re:Comprise... ugh by vidarh · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Similarly, according to dictionary.com, American Heritage Dictionary found that opposition to sense 3 have been steadily abating, and that in 1996, only 35% of their usage panel objected to comprise being used that way.

  10. Man of the Year by McSnickered · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It's sort of like when Time magazine made Newt Gingrich their "Man of the Year". It certainly wasn't highlighting him as a great guy. It was more of a "here's a guy who's used his power and influence to screw things up for everyone!"

    --
    They call me the working man. I guess that's what I am.
  11. IBM tells it like it is ! by RichMan · · Score: 4, Interesting
    New filing from IBM in the lawsuit with SCO.

    READ THIS multi-page tiff: IBM's reply

    IBM roasts SCO for the lack of evidence and delay tactics. Practicaly asks the Judge for a contempt of court ruling.

  12. I dissagree. by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · · Score: 2, Interesting

    If anything, history has shown that the marketing of technology to be at lease as important as innovation. There is at least one company I know that has been around for over 25 years that has consistantly riped off others innovations and focused on marketing, only to become a monopolistic power. At the same time, other compaines that focused soly on technology for technologies sake and not enough on buisness aspects have floundered despite their technical superiority.

    I'm also not sure why you grouped open source with true innovation. Take a look at successful open source projects/ companies. How many of them are defining their market and how many are just trying to create open source versions of market leading closed source products?

    --
    Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
    1. Re:I dissagree. by Trolling4Dollars · · Score: 3, Interesting

      But your definition of success has to do with a company being around after 25 years. This has nothing to do with technology. That's simply business, which does little to further technology in any real sense. The money that the business MAY provide to R&D COULD push technology ahead a little further. But people who purely do research with no profit motive are more likely to get farther in terms of the concepts that will have a lasting impact. Most R&D in the private sector only moves forward once it's deemed profitable.

      My definition of success is that a technology is still in use after 25 , 50 or even hundreds of years after it's original debut. It doesn't matter if it's manufactured by a completely different company than it's originator, or just used by some hobbyists in a basement somewhere. This kind of success is proof that the technology is superior. Money and bottom lines don't figure into it at all. And they shouldn't. But people who think that it should matter are the ones who are behind software patents and so-called "intellectual property".

      Right now, the argument is coming from the neo-capitlist side. However, if this were thirty years ago and the communists wanted to establish that the state had all ownership of software and "intellectual property", you can bet most Americans would have been opposed to it. This points to the fact that software patents and "intellectual property" are wrong and will do nothing but hinder progress. However, acceptance of these concepts by the general public relies entirly on who is making the propositions. At the moment, the general public is blind to the fact that the people who want these kinds of mechanisms in place want to control their rights to access technology. This is because the neo-capitalists are hiding behind what American capitalism used to stand for. Just think very loosely about the movie Dark Crystal and you'll get the picture of what has happened to American business. The real bottom line is that WE have become the evil empire that the Soviet Union was previously considered. Like it or not, it's the truth.

      As far as success, it's obvious that we just have different viewpoints, so there is no need in either of us trying to convert the other. You are more a businessman (possibly with a technological focus), I am a technologist (who cares only about technology and nothing else).

      --
      Un-news
  13. IBM's Memorandum in opposition available! by eddy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Memorandum in opposition is now available. PDF here (my conversion).

    In a revealing interview, a SCO VP recently stated that SCO's strategy in this case is not to "put everything on the table at the start, but instead to bring out arguments and evidence piece by piece".

    "SCO should not be allowed, through its own misconduct, to prolong this case merely to serve its own interests in cultivating the fear, uncertainty and doubt SCO has created regarding Linux and IBM's products.

    Goodies.

    --
    Belief is the currency of delusion.
  14. SCO is fry. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    As stated, the most egregious example of SCO's discovery misconduct is SCO's persistent refusal to identify with specificity the UNIX System V source code that forms the basis of its claims against IBM IBM served interrogatories seeking this basic information from SCO in June 2003. Yet, SCO has resisted providing such information for ten months now - even in the face of motions to compel and two court orders to provide full and detailed responses to IBM's interrogatories. In addition, SCO has repeatedly failed to produce documents responsive to IBM's requests in a timely manner, even after being ordered to do so by the Court.

    It is these failures by SCO to respond properly to IBM's discovery requests that led to the discovery stay being imposed. Having resisted discovery since commencing this lawsuit, SCO cannot now properly ask that the scheduling order be extended to, in effect, accommodate its own delinquency.