Changes at OLPC [LWN.net]

Ivan Krstić, the developer behind the One Laptop Per Child security model (among other things), has posted a message about his departure from that project. "I cannot subscribe to the organization's new aims or structure in good faith, nor can I reconcile them with my personal ethic. Having exhausted other options, three weeks ago I resigned my post at OLPC. It's been an outstanding experience, and I truly wish OLPC the best in its future endeavors. My belief in the mission is in no way compromised, and I will miss my coworkers dearly."

to post comments

Changes at OLPC

Posted Mar 19, 2008 16:28 UTC (Wed) by bronson (subscriber, #4806) [Link] (1 responses)

This is terrible news.  The OLPC is really starting to smell like a dead end.

On the bright side, I wonder if he's going to go work with Mary Lou...?

Changes at OLPC

Posted Mar 19, 2008 17:17 UTC (Wed) by smoogen (subscriber, #97) [Link]

I wouldn't say that it is a dead end. Dynamic organizations go through lots of changes and
people come and go as they agree with or disagree with those changes. OLPC will have to
constantly change to meet a world where part prices fluctuate, funding comes and goes, and
competitors will try to undercut your prices because they could lose revenue on higher priced
computers.

I say this because I remember the same thing being said of Red Hat in every year since 1997 as
various people came and/or left the company. Organizations that do not change are dead-ends..
although inertia from size can keep them going for a long time.. small companies do not have
that size and 'die' quickly. Change can also kill a company if it is not quick enough or not
the right change.. but most of the time it can only been seen in hindsight (because you will
always find lots of people who will say that the decision you are making is the wrong one
because of this or that reason.. and they will tell you that when they are proved right. They
don't do it as often when they are proved wrong.)

Changes at OLPC

Posted Mar 19, 2008 20:15 UTC (Wed) by dhess (guest, #7827) [Link] (4 responses)

Anyone have more details on OLPC's "new aims or structure"?  Ivan's resignation is the first
I've heard of it, other than the change in Negroponte's role, which seemed innocuous at the
time.

about MS

Posted Mar 20, 2008 0:40 UTC (Thu) by coriordan (guest, #7544) [Link] (2 responses)

Probably about their recent work to make it able to dual-boot MS Windows unmodified.

Linux as bring-up

Posted Mar 20, 2008 1:44 UTC (Thu) by quozl (guest, #18798) [Link]

I feel I'm too close to the project to be able to comment independently ... but the comment
about Microsoft Windows at least reminds me that Linux has been used for the XO as initial
bring-up and design validation.  Which seems to happen more and more these days.  On the other
hand, the initial bring-up of hardware was often Mitch Bradley and the FORTH based
OpenFirmware.  I wasn't there, but I was eagerly listening on IRC.

about MS

Posted Mar 20, 2008 19:11 UTC (Thu) by jchrist (guest, #14782) [Link]

Possible, but http://radian.org/notebook/paradox-of-choice would seem to argue against that.

I'm really curious, too, b/c my XO arrived yesterday.

Changes at OLPC

Posted Mar 22, 2008 20:03 UTC (Sat) by kingdon (guest, #4526) [Link]

The linked article doesn't go into a lot of details (nor is it usually easy to summarize such
things), but my first guess was that the key factors had to do with burnout (of someone who,
it seems, hasn't had much of a non-work life for the last 2 years), and personalities (he
specifically was upset about reporting to a non-technical manager).  I would think time will
tell whether any of this is bad for OLPC or not.  (Disclaimer: all this is just based on this
one article; I have seen little/nothing else about recent events at OLPC).