Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Novell Dumps the Hula Project

Posted by kdawson on from the wonder-why? dept.

asv108 writes, "On the Hula general mailing list today, it was announced that Novell is no longer providing full-time developers to Hula. While the project will continue, it appears that Novell is not committed to developing a viable open-source alternative to MS Exchange. The Hula project was announced in February 2005 with much fanfare."

9 of 440 comments (clear)

  1. Protest the Microsoft-Novell Patent Agreement by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Protest the Microsoft-Novell Patent Agreement.

    I don't think there's anything illegal about Novell dropping its support for the Hula project, but it's another sign that they've welshed out on their former friends for money. About the best we could do in response would be to continue the project and get it deployed in the enterprise.

    Bruce

    --
    Bruce Perens.
    1. Re:Protest the Microsoft-Novell Patent Agreement by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 4, Interesting
      people are free to do things you don't like with it

      Yes, when I wrote the Open Source Definition, I made sure that it would be OK for you to use Open Source even if the author didn't like your politics. This was because of a license I'd seen from UC Berkeley on the Spice circuit simulation program, which prohibited the police of South Africa from using it. And still did, 10 years after apartheid was over and said police were probably Black.

      But this case is different, becuase Novell and Microsoft have created a legal fiction of covenants rather than licenses in order to do what my license prohibits.

      Bruce

      --
      Bruce Perens.
    2. Re:Protest the Microsoft-Novell Patent Agreement by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 3, Interesting
      Sorry, the agreement that comes with your software requires them to pay Hula developers how, exactly?

      The agreement doesn't require them to do that. That's just walking out on your frends for money. And I suppose you're going to tell me there's nothing bad about that, because it's not breaking the law.

      The agreement does, however, require that they not create a tiered environment of patent rights on my software. Which is what they are trying to do.

      Is "welsh" an ethnic slur? On people from Wales? Sorry. I didn't know.

      Bruce

      --
      Bruce Perens.
    3. Re:Protest the Microsoft-Novell Patent Agreement by Nat+Friedman · · Score: 3, Interesting


      Have you yourself never started a project and decided not to finish it?

      Novell would be *ecstatic* if some of the great developers in the Hula community continued to carry Hula forward.

      Good lord, Bruce, your character smearing of Novell is reaching new lows. To imply that this decision has anything to do with Novell's commitment to the free software community is just offensive.

  2. Google beats Hula (and Exchange) by roca · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Exchange is an expensive disaster. Attempting to replace it with something equivalent that's open-source is a waste of time. The genuinely attractive alternative is Google Apps For Your Domain, i.e., GMail (and GCalendar) for your company. Instead of spending lots of energy and money on IT staff and infrastructure and getting crappy results, Google gives you a better product for free. Who's going to say no?

    "People want to control their data", I hear you say. Actually many companies already outsource this stuff, and more would if it was free and the service was great.

    "Disgruntled Google employee could steal my data", I hear you say. Hello, your OWN disgruntled employees can already do so, and are probably more likely to.

    "GMail doesn't guarantee uptime", I hear you say. Google's already more reliable than than 99% of IT departments. I'm sure they'd be willing to take a little of your money in exchange for a contract that says so.

    "Don't want ads", I hear you say. I'm sure Google would take a little more of your money to make them go away. Thanks to their economies of scale, they can charge far less than the cost of in-house email and still make ridiculous profits.

  3. Re:Coincidence? I think not by tenchiken · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Once again, go take a look at Zimbra. There was a article in the Wall Street Journal a few weeks ago that was front page even that covered the traction Zimbra is getting. It even mentioned that Microsoft and specifically Bill G knew about Zimbra, and were starting to have customers bring it up. That's the kind of product the open source world needs in this space.

  4. Re:salt/wound? by alienw · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You've never used Exchange, have you? Exchange is more like email, calendar, mailing lists, newsgroups, project planning, address book, and collaboration software integrated into one fairly solid package. It's an excellent product, and there is nothing out there that even comes close to being able to replace it.

  5. Re:salt/wound? by tenchiken · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is absolutely correct. I have seen more UNIX/Linux shops closed because of the need for integrated mail, documents and calenders then for any other reason. First the execs demand mail, then calender, then wonder why they are paying for both Windows and Linux support... then Linux support goes bye bye, and the microsoft lock in factor hits.

  6. Re:salt/wound? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    that doesn't make it not a conspiracy theory.

    I know for a fact A and B are unrelated - I work for Novell and wanted to get on the Hula project. It's been dead for months, even before the MS/Novell deal.