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What a conflict!
What a conflict!
Posted Nov 7, 2006 21:06 UTC (Tue) by felixfix (subscriber, #242)Parent article: On Novell and Microsoft
When SCO first started their mad haps years ago, I knew right away it was not a problem, that free source software simply can't be beat by such nonsense.
When Novell came out of the blue with their demand that SCO escrow all the licensing money they had received from SUN and Microsoft, I was astounded at the master stroke and its Gordian knot simplicity. Novell suddenly went from who cares status to a darling savior.
Then this, seemingly SCO all over again. Microsoft suing over patents will fare no better than SCO suing over copyrights and contracts. They might have more money for the lawyers, but they also would have the anti-trust people all over them.
I just don't know what to think about Novell. It is no danger to Linux, but Novell, I weep for you, are you savior or scumbag? What made you so schizophrenic?
It just makes no sense to me that any company which has been at the receiving end of the SCO stick would turn around and beat themselves with that same stick. I just do not understand.
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What a conflict!
Posted Nov 8, 2006 10:30 UTC (Wed) by danielpf (subscriber, #4723) [Link]
You should not think in term of a company, but in term of whodecides. Novell changed its CEO last Spring.
The strategy of a company is at least as volatile as the
change of the top managers.
What a conflict!
Posted Nov 8, 2006 12:34 UTC (Wed) by N0NB (subscriber, #3407) [Link]
For a prime example of how important the philosophy of the CEO is to these tech companies, take a look at http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20061104213326242 which is Ransom Love's declaration with regard to the history of Caldera and the SCO Group. Pay particular attention to how the company's attitude turned, almost on a dime, once Mr. Love left the company. Note also, what happened when Ray Noorda left Novell in 1994.
There is a track record through these companies of a visionary CEO's replacement being, if not indifferent, openly hostile to Free Software. Let this be a lesson to those involved as the head of a company making money from Free Software, choose your successor wisely.