WebKit rising - Perhaps I tend to worry to much ...

I am not certain, however, it is my impression it is hard to get a copy of a submitted patent
application where no office action has been taken.  [Where do you think the term submarine
patent arises?]

Next to show how hard the program you suggest is to implement, consider this threat:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/14/microsoft-linux-and-ot...

I remember it as 258 patents. Have any of these been even identified?  I think they hide in
the mist just about as completely as when this attempt at intimidation was made.  It should
have been easy to document with just a bit of cooperation.

OK, let's get back to Mono.  The real issue is we have no certainty, so why take unnecessary
risks, particularly when the major use is implementing the preferred MS model for web
development.  If they are prone to make threats and snarl without provocation, why do them the
favor that supports their strategic goals?  In addition, what reason is there to opening a
project to what might be, under current statutes, valid claims of infringement?

There is another flaw in some Gnome project actions, why support OOXML as an official standard
when, by market clout alone, it could have existed as a de facto implementation?  

Having done research on technological topics, I can attest that facts are very difficult to
ascertain without either close set of knowledgeable contacts or the desire of an involved
participant to disseminate information.  If it is the latter, what you might be fed could be
pure fantasy either due to their self delusion or it could be a simple marketing ploy.
Disinformation can arise under other situations* too.  When you are lucky and/or well connected
you get facts.  Much of the information I gathered was patently false.  [You decide if I am
punning, that way you get a taste of market research.]

* In one case, I was speaking to someone high up in an organization of some repute, that
simply rejected my inquiries and further berated my efforts.  Several years later that
organization came under attack for their lax treatment afforded the hazard.  As a result,
reputations lost luster, positions were lost and the problem even then was not remedied in a
timely fashion.  That is, self interest can be delusional and contagious.

Re: your ECMA quote.  

You are aware that "Reasonable and non-discriminatory" (RAND) licensing, 
as traditionally formulated, is not anything of the sort when it comes to 
Free Software, right?  The problem is that RAND allows per-copy royalties, 
as long as they are offered at a standard "reasonable" rate to everyone.  
Of course, per-copy royalties do a number on Free Software, since that 
means it's not freely redistributable without by definition making the 
distributor liable for infinite royalties!

So while the term /sounds/ good, those concerned about their Free Software 
rights have learned that RAND, by itself, ensures nothing.  In fact, it's 
a negative, since it's likely to effectively ban Free Software 
use /at/ /all/, unless there are additional clauses that specifically nail 
down those royalties to zero or at minimum, a one-time fee that covers all 
use downstream and is specifically /not/ purpose restricted, for some form 
of Free Software license.  (If the licencer wishes to maintain some 
restriction, they may limit it to copy-left licenses or to say the GPL 
specifically, if not, they may include MIT/BSD as well.)  Or, a legally 
binding pledge to the same effect can also be acceptable.

Other than that, I've nothing specific to point to; I'm simply pointing 
out that your quote of the RAND licensing conditions doesn't mean what it 
might intuitively look like it does, because in fact, RAND *IS* 
discriminatory, as the term was developed in a commercial context without 
reference to Free Software and due to terms, discriminates against it.  As 
such, it's a favorite of MS, since they can claim to be non-discriminatory 
while in fact being nothing of the sort.

Duncan

Hi all, I'm on Ubuntu Hardy and these following packages use mono on my system namely
autopano-sift,f-spot,gbrainy,tomboy,hugin