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EDS' Secret Love For Linux Laid Bare

Ashcrow writes "'Only a day after flaming open source as insecure, unscalable and unfit for Australian consumption in its Agility Alliance, services vendor EDS has revealed it really does have a soft spot for the penguin deep in its heart.' Apparently the 'Linux environment provides a level of security and stability unavailable elsewhere' which differs from that they had said earlier."

106 of 171 comments (clear)

  1. Awwww (tear drips from eye) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now let's all hug.

    1. Re:Awwww (tear drips from eye) by LifesizeKenDoll · · Score: 3, Funny

      *hug*

      *starts humping*

  2. Rasmussen - Wilson by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Funny
    Only a day after flaming open source as insecure, unscalable and unfit for Australian consumption in its Agility Alliance, services vendor EDS has revealed it really does have a soft spot for the penguin deep in its heart.

    Left hand, meet right hand. We'll introduce you to brain later.

    In other news: EDS global vice president for Agility Alliance Rob Rasmussen was found not to be scalable.

    An anonymous insider said, "We still give him rubber pencils and an Etch-A-Sketch for a laptop, he's getting better about drooling, too."

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    1. Re:Rasmussen - Wilson by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Etch-a-Sketch technology eh, sounds like most of the UK Government contracts they've developed. :-)

    2. Re:Rasmussen - Wilson by Apathetic1 · · Score: 5, Funny

      We'll introduce you to brain later.

      You haven't worked there, have you?

      --

      My username does not make me Apathetic. It's irony, get it?

    3. Re:Rasmussen - Wilson by OrangeSpyderMan · · Score: 2, Insightful

      (the OS, not RedHat)

      Sigh...
      RedHat is the OS, linux is the kernel - Linux "the OS" just doesn't exist. I'm no Stallman fanboy, but what you just said was drivel. Perhaps, "given the constantly-changing nature of the kernel, slagging off linux OS'es is never sensible" would have been better. But even so....

      --
      Try NetBSD... safe,straightforward,useful.
    4. Re:Rasmussen - Wilson by eomnimedia · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Be careful what you wish for...give someone enough time and an Etch-A-Sketch and you'll end-up with this.

    5. Re:Rasmussen - Wilson by demachina · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Agility Alliance is mostly an attempt by EDS in particular to form a consortium to counter IBM and its love affair with Linux. They offer Solaris Server's(SUN), Windows Desktops(Microsoft), and Cisco just wants to sell their Chinese made routers to anyone and will probably kiss up to IBM five minutes after walking out of the Agility Alliance press conference.

      EDS is just trying to be anti IBM, and since IBM is pro Linux that means their competitive analysis team unwisely told them to be rabidly anti Linux whether it made any sense or not. Obviously it didn't make much sense. Big consulting companies might form preferences, and offer recommendations, but they are supposed to pick the best solution for job and be willing to be open minded enough to offer the technology the customer wants.

      To put it another way by bashing Linux to this extent EDS has:

      A. Shown to their potential customers they have a religious bias, which will preclude them from being a good consultant.

      B. Shot themselves in the foot for any contract competition where Linux is prefered by the customer.

      --
      @de_machina
    6. Re:Rasmussen - Wilson by SnowZero · · Score: 1

      Linux "the OS" just doesn't exist.

      Well if that's the case neither does BSD, nor Windows for that matter. In reality the difference between a lot of distros (or Windows versions) is not that great. For Linux this is is especially true due to efforts like the LSB, and the fraction of distros which started as Debian or Red Hat clones.

    7. Re:Rasmussen - Wilson by Andrewkov · · Score: 1

      "In case of crash, hold unit upside down and shake" -- from the Etch-a-Sketch user manual.

    8. Re:Rasmussen - Wilson by Ravnen · · Score: 2, Funny
      The anti-Linux comments from EDS didn't sound rabid to me, just like a sales pitch for Solaris.

      The conflicting claims make EDS look a bit stupid, but I don't think most objective people think criticism of Linux 'shows religious bias', even if it's vague and perhaps invalid.

    9. Re:Rasmussen - Wilson by Artifakt · · Score: 1

      I was going to say you overstated the case re. Windows. Then I thought about all the web pages explaining how advanced users can swap some program, e.g. Defrag, or Scandisk, into an older windows distribution, swap pieces between NT and 9X lines, unbundle IE, get around FAT 32 size limits in XP, and so on. I think you may have something there. Just because fewer Windows users by total percentages would make any such changes doesn't mean the difference in Windows distros is especially large or the boundaries extra-firm. Windows might be pretty flexable for assembling new distros, but a large clueless user base and Microsoft's closed mouth attitude could still easily obscure it.

      --
      Who is John Cabal?
    10. Re:Rasmussen - Wilson by mysidia · · Score: 1

      Hm.. just sounds like EDS was just frivolous and changed their mind frequently: the real question is which were they more serious about, or do they really have what we might call an inconsistent view?

      Another possibility is that their executives were assimilated into the collective and replaced with duplicates, robots built to look like the humans, or clones to do the Linux community's bidding. (e.g.)

    11. Re:Rasmussen - Wilson by anagama · · Score: 1

      Wow. That's crazy! Pure insanity.

      --
      What changed under Obama? Nothing Good
    12. Re:Rasmussen - Wilson by shaitand · · Score: 1

      More realistically Linux is the kernel which is in the more technical sense the OS (OS is the software layer which manages the software, this line is not easy to draw in every OS, but with linux it is pretty clear).

      Redhat makes a distribution, grouping applications with the Linux OS to produce a general use system that Windows and Macites would call an OS.

      GNU makes some nifty software that happens to be in the list of applications that Redhat distributes along with the Linux OS.

    13. Re:Rasmussen - Wilson by Znork · · Score: 1

      "just like a sales pitch for Solaris."

      Yes, well, the difference between a sales pitch for Solaris and a rabid flame is sometimes hard to tell.

      But of course, it's been that way for as long as I can recall, so if you're used to it it wont sound that out of place.

    14. Re:Rasmussen - Wilson by Mr.+Slippery · · Score: 1
      More realistically Linux is the kernel which is in the more technical sense the OS (OS is the software layer which manages the software, this line is not easy to draw in every OS, but with linux it is pretty clear).

      An operating system is more than a kernel. Take a look at the Single Unix Specification and see what sort of things an operating system specification deals with.

      If we consider terms like "Unix" and "POSIX" to be terms relating to operating systems (and we do), then the GNU system must also be considered an operating system.

      GNU makes some nifty software that happens to be in the list of applications that Redhat distributes along with the Linux OS.

      Incorrect. In 1984 - long before Linux was a gleam in Linus's eye - the GNU project set out to write a complete Unix-like free software system.

      By the early 90s, every piece of this operating system was in place except the kernel. People started droping Linux into the center of the system and bam!, GNU/Linux

      --
      Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
      You cannot wash away blood with blood
    15. Re:Rasmussen - Wilson by shaitand · · Score: 1

      "Incorrect. In 1984 - long before Linux was a gleam in Linus's eye - the GNU project set out to write a complete Unix-like free software system."

      Yes, but an OS is NOT a complete software system. An OS is the lowest level abstraction to the system hardware. The strongest argument I've heard for the GNU naming nonsense is that they write the lowest level abrastraction generally used by an application coder. But the truth is that c libs generally do not interface with hardware, they interface with the kernel.

      While you can certainly make a sound argument that GNU software comprises a significant portion of the smallest functional Linux system, a sysadmin or application programmers perspective of what constitutes an OS still is not what an OS is.

    16. Re:Rasmussen - Wilson by Mr.+Slippery · · Score: 1
      An OS is the lowest level abstraction to the system hardware.

      No, that's a kernel. An operating system includes a kernel but other things too; again, see the POSIX (Portable Operating System) or Single Unix specs.

      --
      Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
      You cannot wash away blood with blood
  3. Ob: Nelson by pegr · · Score: 1

    Ha ha!

    Or more to the point, I believe EDS has demonstrated themselves to be unreliable and unscalable...

  4. This Just In! by Valiss · · Score: 1, Funny

    Apparently Linux, in addition to providing a level of security and stability unavailable elsewhere, seems to be free!

    In related news, [insert MS joke regarding costing too much and not being nearly as secure].

    --

    -Valiss
  5. So EDS is a whore by Dark+Paladin · · Score: 5, Funny

    They'll pretty much say or do whatever people pay them to say or do.

    Wear the nun outfit and spank them with a floppy? Sure, they'll do that.

    Call you "Mommy" while wearing a swimsuit? For the right price, they're yours!

    And to say that Linux is good one day, and insecure the next, well, that's just another whore transaction. All in a day's work for EDS, I guess.

    1. Re:So EDS is a whore by gstoddart · · Score: 1
      They'll pretty much say or do whatever people pay them to say or do.

      Well, in this case they deployed it in house and were sounding rather pleased with the outcome. But it's definitely a rapid turn-around.


      Wear the nun outfit and spank them with a floppy? Sure, they'll do that.

      Yeah, every salesman I've ever met would be all over that if they could book the revenue (and get their comission) this quarter.
      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    2. Re:So EDS is a whore by beta21 · · Score: 1
      They'll pretty much say or do whatever people pay them to say or do.
      Wear the nun outfit and spank them with a floppy? Sure, they'll do that.
      Call you "Mommy" while wearing a swimsuit? For the right price, they're yours!
      And to say that Linux is good one day, and insecure the next, well, that's just another whore transaction. All in a day's work for EDS, I guess.


      Wow, I don't know what to write. Somehow a story about EDS and their opinions on Linux has brought up:

      nun's in outfits spanking floppies (disk drives right?)

      Something about someone's mother wearing a swimming costume


      only on slashdot....

    3. Re:So EDS is a whore by RoboProg · · Score: 1

      + 5 Funny? I would have said Insightful. Well, OK, maybe it's more Master-of-the-Obvious than Insightful. But you get the point, AOL!

      (mumbles to self, walks off to sit in corner next to shopping cart and bags of cans...)

      --
      Yow! I'm supposed to have a plan?
  6. Maybe the level is *lower*? by Andyvan · · Score: 4, Funny

    In their case study, they state "Linux environment provides a level of security and stability unavailable elsewhere". Maybe that level is lower, not higher? ;-)

    1. Re:Maybe the level is *lower*? by Alien+Being · · Score: 1

      Hey moderators, the parent post may be funny, but it's not insightful. Who cares if there's no karma for humor?

  7. To paraphrase another loser: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    "I was against Linux before I voted for it"

  8. Consultant, prostitute? by winkydink · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Both will tell you just what you want to hear and do just about anything to make a buck.

    --

    "I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey

    1. Re:Consultant, prostitute? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      No...

      When a prostitute "finishes" with you, at least you got what you paid for.

      With EDS, you have to hire six more prostitutes just to maybe be able to get an erection again.

      In six months, after spending $20 million.

      Oh, and if they can find your original penis.

  9. Evil Data Systems by Stanistani · · Score: 1, Funny

    EDS - IT Provider of The Beast

    I'm just another happy EDS/NMCI end user.
    I'm sooo sooo happy I might start laughing and never stop.

    *Tries to strangle himself with ethernet cable*

    1. Re:Evil Data Systems by ArekRashan · · Score: 1
      I've heard that NMCI charges you a per-seat lease in addition to a flat fee site contract, and at least one site contract I know of involves giving ridiculous amounts of equipment to NMCI essentially for free.

      So they are paying NMCI money to have NMCI lease their own equipment to them. This includes quite a few high-end LCD monitors.

      And the rollout is something like nine months late, but NMCI still gets paid...

      I've also heard that EDS are whores, and that they'll say anything you want them to.

      But I don't really have any direct experience. I think this 'reversal' is pretty damn funny, however.

    2. Re:Evil Data Systems by SpookyJim · · Score: 1

      It's ridiculous! You're right about the lease, and them getting all of our "legacy" equipment. NMCI is the biggest burden I've ever had to deal with. Being the local IT, I'm prohibited from touching anything to do with it, and have next to zero rights. Typically when a customer has a problem, I have to submit a trouble ticket, which will eventually reach the local NMCI techs who will come and address the problem. Unfortunately this is usually a week+ later. Also if we need to add a printer, workstation, etc., we have to submit a request that can take up to a month to process. Adding a workstation costs the local entity almost $300 for them to bring it in, set it up, and activate the wall terminal. All in all no one other than the civilian contractors like NMCI. All of us end-users absolutely despise the lack of in house flexibility and overall service. I can only hope that this ends up being another over-budget under-performing government IT blunder that gets scrapped. Then maybe I'll get my REAL job back!

    3. Re:Evil Data Systems by madwurm · · Score: 1

      I can confirm that the civilian contractors don't like NMCI either. I worked on the contract on and off for over a year and I have never seen anything as unorganized as the mess EDS made. It drove the civilian contractors nuts too. Nothing but lies. Your work schedule would change on a day to day basis, then they would screw up your hours and your pay and there was no way to fix it and then you would get laid off for a month or two. The sad thing... EDS loses money on the contract... if you are leasing hundreds of thousands of crappy Dells at 250+ dollars a month and you can't make money... you have some real problems.

      I love bitching about NMCI, kinda feels like a therapy session!

      ---madwurm

    4. Re:Evil Data Systems by Camel+Pilot · · Score: 1

      Evil Data Systems indeed.

      I have a NMCI computer on my desk that I log into it once a day to read my email. Expensive email reader. The rest of my work is done on my "legacy" machine where I can actually install open source and propriety specialized tools I need.

      In addition NMCI moved our lan server to over 2000 miles away. Now our NMCI machines are "click and wait" for most operations - makes me long for my 286 days.

      Our activity is still maintaining the "legacy" network and will continue to do so. So can someone explain the cost savings?

      When is someone going to let the emperor of his new clothes.

    5. Re:Evil Data Systems by MrResistor · · Score: 1

      If you want your real job back, start documenting. If they're as bad as you say it shouldn't take too long for you to have enough data to prove it. Be sure to include a side-by-side comparison of how long it would take you to do the same thing, and if you're able to determine your burden rate, so you can give actual costs, that's even better.

      Now for my related annecdote: at my previous company some manager decided they wanted to outsource my department (or as much of it as they could, anyway). When writing up the proposal they chose not to use our actual burden rate of ~$82, but rather our overtime billing rate of $150 (yes, billing, as in what we charged our customers). Why? Because they company they'd decided to outsource to charged $125 an hour.

      Now, everyone knew what the guy did, and that his numbers were completely bogus. Management decided to bury their head in the sand, and even now, a few years later, they continue to outsource anything they can to this same company.

      So, good luck. Any efforts you make may be in vain. OTOH, my leaving that company had nothing to do with their outsourcing attempts. My wife had to relocate for her job, and I chose to go with her.

      --
      Under capitalism man exploits man. Under communism it's the other way around.
    6. Re:Evil Data Systems by SpookyJim · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately, it WOULD be in vain, because I'm in the military. It's all about what they see saves them money, and for some reason they believe it's civilians who get paid overtime and have unions that prevent them from working under some conditions. I think they forget that we don't get overtime, and pretty much work for sleep. Oh well.

    7. Re:Evil Data Systems by MrResistor · · Score: 1

      Well, at least you have someone. My wife works for the state of california, and IT in her office is done by a coworker who knows a few things and occasionally is able to find some spare time.

      --
      Under capitalism man exploits man. Under communism it's the other way around.
  10. Jeez by TupperTrenine · · Score: 3, Funny

    Is it even necessary to try and make a joke at the expense of the article title?

    1. Re:Jeez by jacksonj04 · · Score: 1

      Given that the punctuation is lacking somewhat, I want to know what Linux Laid Bare looks like.

      --
      How many people can read hex if only you and dead people can read hex?
  11. Obligatory quote by kko · · Score: 2, Insightful

    MARLA: You fuck me, then snub me. You love me, you hate me. You show me your sensitive side, then you turn into a total asshole! Is that a pretty accurate description of our relationship, Tyler?

    JACK (V.O.): We've just lost cabin pressure.

    --
    No, seriously, I just come here for the articles.
    1. Re:Obligatory quote by Saeed+al-Sahaf · · Score: 1

      Guess the jack-ass with mod points to flush never saw the movie... Oh well.

      --
      "Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
  12. Good, 'cause they run our Linux boxes by bunyip · · Score: 5, Interesting

    We have many hundreds of Linux boxes in our data center, run by EDS. We have a cluster of about 150 4-way Opteron machines, as well as several other clusters. This is in the US.

    I also need to say that our support for Linux & MySQL from the EDS team supporting us has been excellent.

    I was disappointed by the comments earlier this week, doubly so as I'm an Australian. I thought my countrymen would have smarter things to say about Linux...

    Alan.

    1. Re:Good, 'cause they run our Linux boxes by Art+Tatum · · Score: 4, Insightful
      I was disappointed by the comments earlier this week, doubly so as I'm an Australian. I thought my countrymen would have smarter things to say about Linux...

      Why? Just because you have nationality in common? I'm American and half of my countrymen are frothing idiots. I won't tell you which ones--just pick the ones you like least and let them be "it." I'm not that interested in letting you know where I stand. You'd probably hate me for it anyway.

    2. Re:Good, 'cause they run our Linux boxes by ErikZ · · Score: 1


      How are those Opterons working under Linux? I have a friend who turns his nose up at anything that isn't Intel. Says that if you want to get anything from AMD running with linux you always end up having to apply patches and special tweaks.

      --
      Democrats or Republicans. They are both taking us to the same place and they are not afraid of us anymore.
    3. Re:Good, 'cause they run our Linux boxes by daliman · · Score: 1

      They run fine with linux. Due to the joy of the debian release process, you can't run stable on them, but testing works fine and dandy.

    4. Re:Good, 'cause they run our Linux boxes by ErikZ · · Score: 1

      "You?"

      You mean you're not Australian?

      When people talk about the "Arrogant Americans", do you realize that telling other people that they're "wrong" for their choice in leaders is part of that?

      To all those from Australia, sorry about that. Our crazy policial types are few, but they're really loud.

      --
      Democrats or Republicans. They are both taking us to the same place and they are not afraid of us anymore.
    5. Re:Good, 'cause they run our Linux boxes by demachina · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "do you realize that telling other people that they're "wrong" for their choice in leaders is part of that?"

      Chill dude, I was just curious why the election turned out the way it did and being personally disappointed with how the U.S. election turned out I was hoping the rest of the world would at least get rid of all the poodle's backing the wacky people who've seized power in the U.S. Just wishin' not like I actually seek to influence the outcome.

      You want to see "Arrogant American" lecturing people on elections, someone who actually has the power to influence them, check the Donald Rumsfeld speech today when he bashed Spain for throwing out the right wing, pro Bush, government.

      Or check how the U.S. pumped $50 million dollars in to the Ukraine with the express intent of influencing the outcome of their election. If some country overtly pumped that much money in to the U.S. to influence an election the targeted party would go ballistic. U.S. does it, its just business as usual, especially for the National Endowment for "Democracy".

      In fact the U.S. government, especially the right wing U.S. governments like we have now have actually influenced or outright rigged countless elections over the last half century. Me wishing there had been a different outcome in Australia kind of pales by comparison.

      Hey I think America was totally crazy for their choice of leaders too. I was just wondering if some Aussie could explain what the issues were that lead to Howard winning. I'll go first and set an example, in the U.S. the Republican's won due to ruthless exploitation of a wedge issue, gay marriage, and terrorizing everyone over national security.

      --
      @de_machina
    6. Re:Good, 'cause they run our Linux boxes by Evil+Pete · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I was just wondering if some Aussie could explain what the issues were that lead to Howard winning

      Well. Back in 2001, before Sept.11, Howard was losing popularity fast. He looked doomed. Then he decided to pump an enormous amount of money into the housing sector by subsidising first home buyers (a policy which their opponents had once used). There was an instant boom as all the budget surplus was funnelled into this. Then came Sept-11 and the flight of capital from the US. It appears enough Asian or other interests thought the starting boom in Australia was worth investing in.The basic economic fundamentals were good, but he huge amount of spending wasn't. In the end now 4 years later Aussies are in debt up to their eyeballs... In such a climate when Howard said in the last election campaign that interest rates were higher under Labor than his own party then you can guess who they backed. Since then there has been an interest rate rise and coincidently the week afterfor the first time labor is leading the Libs in the opinion polls.

      My opinion. People aren't too bright. A basic rule I've learnt is : when an election is called decide then and there who you back because from that moment on all you will hear will be lies and distortion. People forgot the reasons they were about to throw Howard out, and thought him their best PM ever, don't be surprised if their opinions change again. The party is over, time for the hangover -- my opinion of course.

      --
      Bitter and proud of it.
    7. Re:Good, 'cause they run our Linux boxes by Art+Tatum · · Score: 1

      That works. Though I generally extrapolate from the group that does.

  13. The messenger isn't the message by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

    You're making the classic mistake of confusing the messenger with the sender. It's really popular these days, though old as the hills: the prophet must be the god he's talking about! When a journal reports hypocrisy, the journal isn't confused - they hypocrite is *confusing* - and maybe confused.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

  14. "Billable Hours" by gvc · · Score: 3, Informative

    EDS is a consulting firm. They sell "billable hours." If those billable hours result in an accurate study or a system that works it is strictly because the individuals whose hours were billed happen to do a good job.

    1. Re:"Billable Hours" by lewp · · Score: 1

      Tell me more about the nun spankings.

      --
      Game... blouses.
    2. Re:"Billable Hours" by Analogy+Man · · Score: 1
      Sadly it has come to that at EDS. There are pockets of competence (I rub shoulders with a few), but over the last 10 years Dick Brown and other stock option milking Texans have squeezed it out of the corporation.

      This sort of about face should be no surprise. In Brown's last year before they sent him on his way tens of millions richer he explained a 1st quarter shortfall was due to the desktop services area which was impossible to make profitable and expecting a very short analyst attention span touted desktop services as the turn around strategy for a soft 3rd and 4th quarter.

      Frankly I bet any of EDS' other employees could have been half as incompetent for 1/100th the compensation.

      --
      When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.
    3. Re:"Billable Hours" by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 1

      You don't want to use EDS for nun spankings when you can use F/OSS nun spanking software*. Unless your particular fantasy is of Ross Perot dressed in a habit.

      *actually, it looks like no one has "scratched that particular itch". Score one for EDS.

      --
      It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
  15. If I could mod articles by The+Bungi · · Score: 1
    I'd rate this a +6: Potentially Misconstrued based solely on the title.

    Kudos to the submitter, propz unlimited and all that.

  16. EDS' Linux Strategy? by geomon · · Score: 4, Funny

    I wonder why anyone would listen to EDS about anything.

    After all, they don't even listen to themselves.

    --
    "Rocky Rococo, at your cervix!"
  17. it's like dejavu all over again ... by GNUALMAFUERTE · · Score: 1

    Same that happends with SCO and others.

    They never had a legitim bussiness (or they did in the past, but now it's gone), so they are paid to spread FUD; and would just do anything to take the last bucks out of their company.

    --
    WTF am I doing replying to an AC at 5 A.M on a Friday night?
  18. But but but... by smittyoneeach · · Score: 1

    1. Researchers have integriddy. Intuhgrity. Inta--that thing where they pursue truth. They develop a hypothesis, test it, and report the results, unvarnished.
    2. ????
    3. Profit!

    --
    Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
  19. EDS and stable software by l0perb0y · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Just after reading about EDS bashing Linux, I read this article. about the myriad of glitches in EDS's software for the Colorado welfare office that is going to cost millions to fix.

    Now, they do say that colorado pushed the go live faster than was recommended, but the point is that EDS might not be the one to talk about stability and flexibility.

  20. EDS has lots of problems by FerretFrottage · · Score: 1

    As I said here and as others have commented about. I guess now that SCO is mostly off the radar, we have a new 3 letter company to make fun of and hate.

    --
    "Look Lois, the two symbols of the Republican Party: an elephant, and a fat white guy who is threatened by change."
  21. Oracle by soloport · · Score: 1

    You know, I hear Oracle is part of that group, now.

    [ducks]

  22. I want to know by labratuk · · Score: 5, Funny

    I really want to know how these 'Alliances' and think-tanks get formed in the first place. Does Sun come to IBM and say something like:

    Sun: Hey, wan't to go in with us on this joint think tank and study group? It will do industry analysis for all of us and we can get them to voice our opinons through their reports. I have a few friends I can pay to sit around and write articles.

    IBM: Wait, whose opinions would these be? Yours or ours?

    Sun: Does it matter?

    IBM: Not really. Ok, I'm in.

    Microsoft: Hey, my nephew's a philosophy major and is having trouble finding a job. He's quite a good writer - do you think you could get him a job in it?

    Sun: Sure.

    IBM: Wait, aren't we all mortal enemies?

    --
    Malike Bamiyi wanted my assistance.
    1. Re:I want to know by labratuk · · Score: 1

      Wow, there are a bunch of typos in there which I apologise for profusely.

      --
      Malike Bamiyi wanted my assistance.
    2. Re:I want to know by manual_overide · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Agility Alliance is a group consisting of EDS, Sun, Microsoft, and others mostly to battle IBM's IGS. Yes, they are mortal enemies, but in this case, it's the whole "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" thing.

      between posting on /. and actually writing code at work, i like to make good use of company time by um.. "dropping the kids off at the pool". During these "meditation sessions", i read whatever year old magazine or trade journal someone else dragged in there. today i happened to read a story about EDS and agility alliance in a channel reseller network journal.

      looks like goofing off at work, paid off!!

      --
      If bad puns were like deli meat, this would be the wurst
  23. EDS is so trustworthy--not! by sribe · · Score: 5, Interesting
    1. Re:EDS is so trustworthy--not! by fimbulvetr · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Colorado doesn't have a proven track record of being efficient (or prudent) with anything. The city (Denver & Surrounding), county and state governments are so fucked up it makes me want to cry every time I think about it. Although EDS may deserve some of the blame, Colorado gets quite a bit just for being dumb.

      Yeah, I did something about it. I moved.

      Oh yeah, the big yellow pollution cloud didn't help
      either.

    2. Re:EDS is so trustworthy--not! by dtfinch · · Score: 3, Insightful

      That has to be the most depressing thing I've seen all afternoon. A broken system is worthless, no matter how much it cost. Governments need to make that clear.

    3. Re:EDS is so trustworthy--not! by sribe · · Score: 1

      That has to be the most depressing thing I've seen all afternoon. A broken system is worthless, no matter how much it cost. Governments need to make that clear.

      Pardon me if I'm wrong, but I imagine no one had the patience to read all the articles, so I thought I'd summarize the latest. First, the governor has hired an outside consultant to evaluate EDS' performance. Although he's soft-selling it right now as looking for ways to help the system forward, I suspect it's the prelude to legal action. Second, state legislators are starting to ask hard questions now that the system has been running so poorly for so long, and some of their comments sounded an awful lot like yours ;-)

    4. Re:EDS is so trustworthy--not! by dtfinch · · Score: 1

      I skimmed the titles and read the article "Loss of aid to poor feared".

    5. Re:EDS is so trustworthy--not! by abulafia · · Score: 1
      Although he's soft-selling it right now as looking for ways to help the system forward, I suspect it's the prelude to legal action.

      Not knowing anything about the situation (other than skimming a few of those articles, and comparing those to past EDS fuckups), I can't really comment. But, this is /. afterall. But this sounds like typical ass-covering - politician gave a contract, then takes heat, then has to generate a report for an investigatory committe with a bit "lessons learned" section.

      --
      I forget what 8 was for.
    6. Re:EDS is so trustworthy--not! by dfjghsk · · Score: 1

      may i ask where you moved to that was so much better? (serious question.. i live in Denver :)

      --
      Help me take back Slashdot. When did 'News for Nerds' become 'FUD and Conspiracy Theories for Extremist Nutjobs'?
  24. If that's how they want to play by Necrotica · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If they can't even properly manage their own public communications, I wonder how well they can manage their client's systems?

  25. Re:Kubuntu rules! by pjbgravely · · Score: 1

    So pretty: http://shots.osdir.com/slideshows/slideshow.php?re lease=286&slide=13&title=kubuntu+kde+3.4+screensho ts

    That is just plain wrong

    --
    Star Trek, there maybe hope.
  26. MS not secure - Re:This Just In! by alexandreracine · · Score: 1, Interesting
    In related news, [insert MS joke regarding costing too much and not being nearly as secure].
    Just let the numbers speak!

    Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition (Highly critical)
    Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server (Highly critical)
    Microsoft Windows 2000 Server (Highly critical)
    Microsoft Windows XP Professional (Less critical)
    Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition (Less critical)
    Linux Kernel 2.4.x (Less critical)
    Mandrake Linux 9.x (Not critical)
    Mandrake Linux 10.1 (less then Not critical)
    RedHat Linux 8.0 (Less critical)
    RedHat Linux 9.0 (Not critical)
    RedHat Enterprise Linux WS 3 (less then Not critical)
    --
    No sig for now.
    1. Re:MS not secure - Re:This Just In! by FIGJAM · · Score: 1


      Linux Kernel 2.6.x (Moderately critical)

      --
      Do your best, hope for the best, suspect the worst.
    2. Re:MS not secure - Re:This Just In! by geminidomino · · Score: 1

      FreeBSD 4.x (Not Critical)

      Booya! That's my OS!

  27. Aha! Mystery solved. by jd · · Score: 4, Funny
    Linux is "unscalable, insecure and unfit for consumption" but is the most scalable, secure and "fit for consumption" product out there.


    Translation into Real English: Linux is as far below "perfect" as most other Operating Systems out there are below Linux.


    Translation of Translation: Linux isn't perfect, but it's heavenly compared to any of the alternatives EDS has tried.


    Translation of Translation of Translation: EDS need to see about getting on Prozac.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  28. Oh no, not them by Eternally+optimistic · · Score: 3, Funny

    An endorsement by EDS ? This could be the end of Linux.

    --
    What keeps me going is my inertia.
    1. Re:Oh no, not them by rezza · · Score: 2, Funny

      Why? I don't remember them endorsing BSD...

      *ducks*

    2. Re:Oh no, not them by Dolda2000 · · Score: 2

      Why is there no "+1 Troll" moderation?

  29. They won't go hungry for a while by Stephen+Samuel · · Score: 1

    They've got lots of eggs now -- they just have to scrape it off of their face very carefully and pull their foot out of their mouth. For desert, they can start eating their words.

    --
    Free Software: Like love, it grows best when given away.
  30. An even bigger issue... by symbolic · · Score: 1


    Who cares what EDS thinks? Sure, they have their hands deep into the pockets of the Fortune 500, but they're no less vulnerable to the effects that Linux may have on the market.

  31. typically hypocritical by dlasley · · Score: 1

    EDS has been obsessed with being everything to everyone, and this is just another facet to the multiplicitous facade. Once they get someone to buy into either end of the argument, they get their consulting wing fully embedded in the customer and then suck them dry like a vampire on steroids (but not the kind of steroids that make you hit home runs ... no ... the kind that makes you into an egotistical shmuck who feels impervious to the ridicule from such factions of reality as customer satisfaction and cost controls). Please, just spare us any more stories about EDS and their views on Linux!

    --
    when it rains, it gets real soggy. when it pours, i'm under the tap just _waiting_ for the joy
  32. Talking outta both sides by Ridgelift · · Score: 2, Insightful

    First Article: From a corporate perspective, we are not confident where Linux is right now today. A large enterprise needs to be sure because it relates to securifying [sic] the environment.

    Second Article: Nearly a decade after it was first developed, Linux is gaining popularity with corporate IT departments that admire the operating system for its stability and security.

    If most corporations are considered psychopaths, then these guys are schizophrenic.

  33. Unigraphics on Linux? by un1xl0ser · · Score: 1
    Has anyone every tried to ask anyone at EDS why they don't have a copy of Unigraphics working on Linux yet?

    Lots and lots of engineering application vendors have their software running on Linux. EDS doesn't ... I wonder why that is?
    --
    v2sw4UPChw6ln64prOck6ma4u7Lw2m6l7GCi2e4t2AMRb8Oen5 g3Ca2Xs6r0p8 hackerkey.com

    --
    v4sw6PU$hw6ln6pr4F$ck 4/6$ma3+6u7LNS$w2m4l7U$i2e4+7en6a2X h
  34. Re:A smarter way: by demachina · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "Seems it be much smarter for EDS to adopt Linux, thereby being able to legally "steal" all the "IP" that their feared competitor IBM is producing."

    Kind of hard to build a consulting business on "stealing" Linux IP. EDS can use IBM's open source stuff no problem, but a potential customer is going to be faced with the choice of:

    - Hire IBM because they are developing Linux stuff so they obviously have the expertise

    - Hire EDS who is probably learning as they go because Linux isn't exactly their bag, and are now bad mouthing it to boot.

    IBM isn't stupid. They know ownership of the IP in the Linux world doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is if your potential clients view you as savvy and expert and IBM obviously conveys that on Linux, especially with the never ending barrage of great Linux stuff they post on their developer site and the non stop advertising.

    If you are trying to land a consulting gig it also helps if the potential customer sees you as getting Linux and are not trying to "own" things or do proprietary lockins.

    "They way it is now, they just look incompetent."

    Totally right. IBM's marketing strategy is to be pro Linux, and not overtly anti Microsoft or anti anything else. Everyone knows they have no love for Microsoft but if a customer wants Windows IBM consulting will do it in a heartbeat. They'd probably even do Solaris if the customer required it, though probably more reluctantly (the old proprietary UNIX religious wars run deeper than the Linux versus Windows religious war).

    EDS on the other hand, at least in this case, is being anti something and that is a really stupid marketing approach for someone selling services. You need to be pro something versus anti something. But its hard for EDS to create much excitement being pro Windows desktop and Solaris servers. Its an ancient strategy and long in the tooth, especially since many people think SUN is half dead. IBM looks leading edge and trendy being pro Linux. If EDS tries to be pro Linux they just look like a "me too" compared to IBM. IBM really has them foxed.

    Not sure where CSC falls in this. I imagine they will just whore their services based on the customer's desires and aren't religious about it.

    --
    @de_machina
  35. Okay, a little perspective from an EDSer... by Shoten · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I work for EDS, and I have to point a few things out. For one, it's a HUGE corporation...it's a world unto itself. We've got over 120,000 employees all over the planet, on nearly every continent and in every time zone. You always have to take what one guy says with a grain of salt; there are very few universal truths that cover all of EDS, and none of them have to do with a preference for a kind of technology, one way or the other. For gods sake, I'm sure there's a linux beowulf cluster somewhere, and a whole lot of Windows ME somewhere else.
    I'd also like to point out that the previous article about the EDS "stance" was very likely taken somewhat out of context by the reporter. You've got a guy high up in EDS saying that in enterprise environments, linux doesn't match up to Solaris 10, and in a lot of ways he's right. If you doubt that, check out Solaris 10 and its new features. It rocks like mad, and I do prefer linux to Solaris.
    No large enterprise on the planet is all of anything; even Microsoft got caught running linux and a BSD variant at times. So let's get over the notion that one guy out of 120,000 may not like linux so much yet still have it in his corporate environment?
    Oh, and I use linux daily in my work at EDS, just to be clear on the subject, and rarely touch Solaris.

    --

    For your security, this post has been encrypted with ROT-13, twice.
    1. Re:Okay, a little perspective from an EDSer... by Dolda2000 · · Score: 1
      You always have to take what one guy says with a grain of salt; there are very few universal truths that cover all of EDS
      Then maybe he should have been careful not to make it sound like he was speaking for EDS as a whole? And maybe EDS (, mgmt. of) should be careful about lettings spokesmen speak for EDS as a whole about things that do not cover all of EDS?

      If an official company spokesman makes a contextless statement like that, it's usually meant to convey a truth about the company as a whole, and thus taken with the credence it is usually given.

      So the bottom line is: If a company says (that is, conveys through official channels) one thing, and then another thing that completely contradicts the first thing, then all the previous poster's comments on schizophrenia are quite justified. If it truly is this guy's personal opinions, or the opinions of the part of EDS he works for, then he ought to make that clear, and it is the responsibility of the company to make sure that he does not speak as if on behalf on the company as a whole.

    2. Re:Okay, a little perspective from an EDSer... by bk_veggie · · Score: 1

      i work for EDS too. as an RHCE, GSEC and CISSP, i sure hope to hell they're not abandoning linux. let's go get a beer if you're in DC, maybe you can explain their employee review process to me.

    3. Re:Okay, a little perspective from an EDSer... by CCW · · Score: 3, Insightful

      > You always have to take what one guy says with a grain of salt;

      When that guy is a VP, like "Robb Rasmussen, vice president of EDS Global Alliances" he is presumed to speak for the company. That fact that what he said demonstrated a complete lack of knowledge in his supposed area of expertise does reflect poorly on EDS and all of its employees. Like any other large company, there are some good people working there, but if I were you I'd be looking for another position with a company whose management I didn't have to apologize for.

    4. Re:Okay, a little perspective from an EDSer... by Shoten · · Score: 1
      If it truly is this guy's personal opinions, or the opinions of the part of EDS he works for, then he ought to make that clear, and it is the responsibility of the company to make sure that he does not speak as if on behalf on the company as a whole.

      Ah, this is where I point to the realities of the media. How do we know what he said that didn't get quoted? And let me point out that in a multi-billion dollar corporation, the PR department has extremely limited power to tell a Vice President to shut up. :)

      Let's do a theoretical scenario here. You're a reporter. Ratings, whether on television, readership, or page loads, are what drives the profitability of your employer. Someone from a major corporation says some things about linux that are less than complimentary. Do you...

      1.) Edit the whole length of what has been said with great difficulty to make sure to show the nuanced conversation as a whole, and keep it boring, or...

      2.) Focus on a few specific points and write at the top, "EDS Says That Linux Sucks" with the full knowledge that the whole computing world will go gaga over it, and watch it get slashdotted.

      Which one of these two has a stronger force driving it?
      --

      For your security, this post has been encrypted with ROT-13, twice.
    5. Re:Okay, a little perspective from an EDSer... by Alpha_Traveller · · Score: 1

      This makes me wonder if what this side of EDS said about the good of Linux Security will quickly be squashed by another side, the side that deals strictly with Microsoft.

      How high does the dislike of Linux really go within EDS? Theoretically the highest-ranking voice wins, so what do the real high-up execs think?

      --
      "Love is like pi - natural, irrational, and very important." (Lisa Hoffman)
    6. Re:Okay, a little perspective from an EDSer... by 51mon · · Score: 1

      Hehe -- I seem to remember slaving a DNS zone managed by EDS once, and about once a month we'd tell them they got the serial number wrong with the latest update.

      It wouldn't be so bad if the zone wasn't the Intranet "apex" zone for a major International corporate, and the serial number was in YYYYMMDDNN format.

      I hope elsewhere they put the corporate network infrastructure in the hands of someone who at least knows what year it is.

    7. Re:Okay, a little perspective from an EDSer... by Shoten · · Score: 1

      The "supposed area of expertise" for someone in charge of alliances between massive technology companies isn't technology. It's legal and strategic planning, plus the diplomacy needed to get everyone to get together on the same page. For the love of god, man, you quoted his title yourself; did you not read it?

      EDS is the most complex organization I've ever seen; they have entire divisions that do billions of dollars of business just for single industries. Partners of ours have entire departments just to deal with single divisions within EDS as well; it took me weeks to find the guy who could quote us a T1 line from MCI. I'm getting tired of reading posts from slashdotters who suddenly think they know all about EDS because they read some article somewhere.

      And I wasn't apologizing for the manager, I was actually saying that his words were almost certainly taken out of context to enhance the scandal-causing potential of the article.

      --

      For your security, this post has been encrypted with ROT-13, twice.
  36. the facts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    i) EDS are a fucking joke. Check their track record on UK Government projects if you don't believe me.

    ii) anyone who thinks linux offers security and stability unavailable elsewhere has never seen Unix before.

  37. Lemme guess... by agraupe · · Score: 1

    They didn't receive the promised cheque from Microsoft, and, as such, has a spontaneous bout of truth-telling.

  38. I hate to break it to you Linux fans by putko · · Score: 1

    EDS's heart is in the right place, but their remark "The new Linux environment provides a level of security and stability unavailable elsewhere.", is incorrect.

    {Free,Open,Net}BSD provide no less security and reliability than Linux. You certainly cannot forkbomb them to death, for instance, whereas that's true of some Linux distros.

    --
    http://www.thebricktestament.com/the_law/when_to_s tone_your_children/dt21_18a.html
  39. Re:Old news! by Col.+Klink+(retired) · · Score: 1

    And I posted about it here.

    And it wasn't a day later, their case study was up when the article first hit slashdot.

    --

    -- Don't Tase me, bro!

  40. EDS... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Eventually Deliver Something.

  41. Uh, no. by ta+bu+shi+da+yu · · Score: 1

    The operating system is responsible for the direct control and management of hardware and basic system operations. If you look up any decent definition of what an operating system is, you'll find that it is a lower layer that includes the kernel (say for instance William Stallings book on Operating Systems). Application software uses the operating system.

    You're thinking of a distribution. I suggest you check your facts next time.

    --
    XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
  42. Dog Food by ShieldW0lf · · Score: 1

    There's absolutely nothing wrong with this. I know a guy that works in a pet store, and he doesn't eat the dog food he sells either.

    --
    -1 Uncomfortable Truth
  43. Chnage of heart by jsimon12 · · Score: 1

    Give me a break, I was a Systems Engineer at EDS in the late 90's till 00's in the "Internet and New Media" division (also known as C20, Chaos to Order) and I had written a proposal to upper managment about how Linux would be the next breaking wave and we should start some initiative into it. I got shot down and told "Linux was a fad and would never amount to anything". Of course this was the same company that said "IP would never amount to anything, mainframes are where all the money and buisness is at, midrange is just a fad...". Go figure they endorse Linux years after it is mainstream.

  44. Scary website confirming US nutters by HogynCymraeg · · Score: 1

    If the US isn't run by feckless meglomaniac nutters, then pleases explain what this is all about. Read their "statement of principles".

  45. What web server is EDS linux case study hosted by? by lkcl · · Score: 1

    the .aspx extension should give you a clue :)

  46. Fork me ! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Well I work for EDS in the UK and keep suggesting we use GNU/Linux in our server estate (especially for hosting various bits of intranet stuff) and the message that comes down from on high is a straight forward "we're an MS only shop".

    In the past we've also been told we can't use Open Source software for Windows because "There's no one to send a bill to". Yet we're also supposed to save money wherever possible ? durrghh... it's a good job I'm not a robot or the logic conflict would cause a short circuit in my brian matrix :)

    However you can rest assured that the true techies amongst us absolutely LOVE GNU/Linux and would merrily remove all traces of MS in the server rooms.

    And at this point I shan't mention that the team I work for actually have got a couple of GNU/Linux boxes doing stuff (on a small private network) because we're not allowed to have them so they don't really exist and I'm hallucinating right now. Look pink elephants. No over there. See ? See ?

    I suspect the same is true of most big companies in that the techies want Linux/*BSD/OSX etc. but the PHBs simply don't get it and think this will mean the end of the world.

    Another great factor is that by using proprietary software there's a whole bunch of people needed to have meetings with suppliers, negotiate contracts, manage accounts, file receipts, write financial reports, do audits etc. etc. In other words provide jobs for the nice middle class kids who went to university and got a degree but are actually fuck all use for anything (yes I deal with plenty of these on a day to day basis)

    C'est la vie.