It can be much worse than just an attempt
to destroy the Linux mills. In the MoTU minds,
Linux is more than a mill, but a more powerful
tool that can cause havoc for them in other ways
than just the loss of income from sales of
proprietary software. (Use your imagination).
No, what is scary is how the PTB are reacting
to the perceived threat, and to what lengths
they will go to. In fact, Microsoft has
probably already over-reacted and has made the
situation worse for themselves than it would
have been had they just STFU and worked on
improving their own software.
As we have already seen with the DOJ/MS settlement
(argh), the courts could fuck this up entirely,
until it gets to the Supreme Court where it
could still get fucked up. Getting to the Supreme
Court takes time, which is just what the anti-GPL
folks desire, as that is more time for FUD.
Now think about this. How are Supreme Court members
appointed? And how is that President elected?
And how many votes will the President really get?
And how many places now use un-auditable
electronic voting?
SCO's legal team is doing everything possible
to drag this out as long as possible.
The pump & dump can just be a side-action which
has the effect of distracting people from
the actual goal. Any costs and/or fines from
this point on will still be quite minuscule
compared to MS's bank.
It's partly the three items you mention,
but the number one reason for in-secure code
is that management really doesn't care
enough to take the time to do it right.
Management and Marketing are so intertwined
these days, and time-to-market is so important
to the bottom line, that actually writing
quality code hurts the bottom line.
That's the advantage of Linux (or any OSS)
in that the developers can take the time
to prevent the problems, they don't have
to listen to the Management and Marketing
droids that don't understand software in
the first place.
In other words, Windows is short-term thinking,
Linux is long-term thinking.
I am asuming that you are from America so this might come as a shock to you, but apart from South Korea and small pockets of teenagers in eastern Canada, almost everyone outside the US hates the US. This is why you have heard so much bitching over the interent, because 5.9 Billion people are pissed off.
FYI, there are many USians that are pissed off too.
I totally agree that your scenario is possible.
For way too long now (30+ years I'd say), the
courts have been 'making law', with judges
using prior decisions by other judges
to make their own decisions.
It is a mess of twisty little passages, all different.
That's why this mess will cost major dollars,
and I cannot envision any outcome that does not
get decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
I for one, do NOT want
any U.S. Company taking over SuSE (or any non-U.S. controlled distro). Why?
Because *that* company (Novell for example),
could easily be taken over by Microsoft.
Microsoft would love to buy out and crush
the Linux distros.
Slashdot Mirror
It can be much worse than just an attempt to destroy the Linux mills. In the MoTU minds, Linux is more than a mill, but a more powerful tool that can cause havoc for them in other ways than just the loss of income from sales of proprietary software. (Use your imagination).
No, what is scary is how the PTB are reacting to the perceived threat, and to what lengths they will go to. In fact, Microsoft has probably already over-reacted and has made the situation worse for themselves than it would have been had they just STFU and worked on improving their own software.
As we have already seen with the DOJ/MS settlement (argh), the courts could fuck this up entirely, until it gets to the Supreme Court where it could still get fucked up. Getting to the Supreme Court takes time, which is just what the anti-GPL folks desire, as that is more time for FUD.
Now think about this. How are Supreme Court members appointed? And how is that President elected? And how many votes will the President really get? And how many places now use un-auditable electronic voting?
Yeah, the new Twenties are kinda harsh.
SCO's legal team is doing everything possible to drag this out as long as possible. The pump & dump can just be a side-action which has the effect of distracting people from the actual goal. Any costs and/or fines from this point on will still be quite minuscule compared to MS's bank.
Under doctor-patient confidentiality I'm not supposed to inform you that they are nuts, but I can tell you they are greedy.
If you are really paranoid, you can always go back to a low-tech solution: Walk.
That's the advantage of Linux (or any OSS) in that the developers can take the time to prevent the problems, they don't have to listen to the Management and Marketing droids that don't understand software in the first place.
In other words, Windows is short-term thinking, Linux is long-term thinking.
Seems like the smell is similar to Iraq today.
The STENCH the last few days has become unbearable! With Novell wanting to buy SuSE (I hope that deal dies), and now this crap, it sure smells of MS.
'remote location' == floppy.
Seems like that is prior art.
FYI, there are many USians that are pissed off too.
It may be possible, but killing off SCOX may be more difficult.
I totally agree that your scenario is possible.
For way too long now (30+ years I'd say), the courts have been 'making law', with judges using prior decisions by other judges to make their own decisions. It is a mess of twisty little passages, all different. That's why this mess will cost major dollars, and I cannot envision any outcome that does not get decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The almighty buck has spoken.
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About one year from now would be 'sooner' than 'later'.
This is House Resolution 2239 which requires a paper trail and bans the use of non-open software.
Here's a story about it: link
This has already been done numerous times.
Correct. Once more, if GPL is invalid, then copyright is invalid. If copyright is invalid, then Microsoft is invalid. QED.
The link
Exactly. Just check back in 30 days.
I for one, do NOT want any U.S. Company taking over SuSE (or any non-U.S. controlled distro).
Why?
Because *that* company (Novell for example), could easily be taken over by Microsoft.
Microsoft would love to buy out and crush the Linux distros.
Apparently they also forgot their guns.
A company can be controlled without owning 51% of the shares. See board of directors.
Google would end up being controlled by Microsoft.
Apparently it has already arrived and has taken down their server.