Red Hat fails to take WeMakeFedora.org [LWN.net]

Red Hat fails to take WeMakeFedora.org

Posted Mar 20, 2022 22:57 UTC (Sun) by julian67 (guest, #99845)
In reply to: Red Hat fails to take WeMakeFedora.org by corbet
Parent article: Red Hat fails to take WeMakeFedora.org

You certainly did the right thing to publish this story. Just because Daniel Pocock's behaviour has been unsavoury and disruptive doesn't give Red Hat a pass to also cross a line, or for their actions to go unreported. If this was the kind of site which ignored bad news about its friends it wouldn't be worth a subscription. We can get PR for free. I don't have a beef with Red Hat. I understand why they did what they did; this guy must be extraordinarily irritating when he's the mosquito and you're the person getting needled. Although the story appears embarrassing for Red Hat it probably hasn't done them any reputational harm, and it does shine a light on the behaviour of Mr. Pocock. If he has a reputation it didn't just get a boost.

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Red Hat fails to take WeMakeFedora.org

Posted Mar 21, 2022 8:45 UTC (Mon) by anselm (subscriber, #2796) [Link] (3 responses)

If he has a reputation it didn't just get a boost.

It does give him ammunition to use elsewhere as in, “Red Hat tried to sue me and they lost, so I'm right!!”

Red Hat fails to take WeMakeFedora.org

Posted Mar 21, 2022 9:54 UTC (Mon) by farnz (subscriber, #17727) [Link] (1 responses)

He gets that ammunition regardless of whether or not LWN reports on it, though. And by reporting on it, LWN increases the chance that people are aware of the details of what happened (a fairly routine trademark licensing decision), not just Mr Pocock's claims whatever they may be.

Red Hat fails to take WeMakeFedora.org

Posted Mar 21, 2022 17:41 UTC (Mon) by pebolle (guest, #35204) [Link]

> And by reporting on it, LWN increases the chance that people are aware of the details of what happened (a fairly routine trademark licensing decision), not just Mr Pocock's claims whatever they may be.

LWN should report on whatever happens around free software no matter what the consequences. Otherwise it ends up in the limbo where reporting on sports or popular culture wanders (providing entertainment). Or, perhaps more accurate, the limbo where reporting on the arts wanders (with their palpable fear of admitting that much of the current arts is below par).

Because whenever LWN reports on events that make free software and the people involved in it look bad - and there's no shortage of those - it will at the end of the day benefit free software. And if free software can't withstand proper scrutiny than it doesn't deserve our support.

Red Hat fails to take WeMakeFedora.org

Posted Mar 25, 2022 23:59 UTC (Fri) by flussence (guest, #85566) [Link]

Jack Thompson took a psychiatric evaluation just to say he was certified sane too; neither of them can win over an audience of informed people though. That's the most effective thing one can do when dealing with conmen (and the law isn't helping) - make sure truthful and verifiable information is easy to come by.