Do any of you see something new - as in, some action actually threatened, or signs of a "stepping up" - in Steve Ballmer's most recent statements?
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2200717/microsoft-sharpens-aims-patent http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20071008205138925
To me it seems that by pointing a finger directly a Red Hat the effect of scaring business away from FOSS becomes more specific - and, in a way, more pointed that previously. Now it's not so much "there are some patents but we're not telling which" but rather "there are some patents and we're not telling which, but people using those products are going to have to pay up."
But is there any real harm done by it - except for the FUD? Or is the main harm done by such statements perhaps to Microsoft itself?
best regards, Carsten
On Wed, 2007-10-10 at 12:50 +0200, Carsten Agger wrote:
Do any of you see something new - as in, some action actually threatened, or signs of a "stepping up" - in Steve Ballmer's most recent statements?
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2200717/microsoft-sharpens-aims-patent http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20071008205138925
To me it seems that by pointing a finger directly a Red Hat the effect of scaring business away from FOSS becomes more specific - and, in a way, more pointed that previously. Now it's not so much "there are some patents but we're not telling which" but rather "there are some patents and we're not telling which, but people using those products are going to have to pay up."
But is there any real harm done by it - except for the FUD? Or is the main harm done by such statements perhaps to Microsoft itself?
Given that Red Hat has a real indemnification program (that covers also patent claims) it seem pure FUD to me.
Simo.
Am Wednesday, dem 10. Oct 2007 schrieb simo:
But is there any real harm done by it - except for the FUD? Or is the main harm done by such statements perhaps to Microsoft itself?
Given that Red Hat has a real indemnification program (that covers also patent claims) it seem pure FUD to me.
The problem with FUD is, it works. :-(
On Wed, 2007-10-10 at 17:47 +0200, list@akfoerster.de wrote:
Am Wednesday, dem 10. Oct 2007 schrieb simo:
But is there any real harm done by it - except for the FUD? Or is the main harm done by such statements perhaps to Microsoft itself?
Given that Red Hat has a real indemnification program (that covers also patent claims) it seem pure FUD to me.
The problem with FUD is, it works. :-(
Do you have proof of it working? So far I haven't seen MS FUD working so much against the FS community, it seem we always react very well.
Simo.
Am Wednesday, dem 10. Oct 2007 schrieb simo:
The problem with FUD is, it works. :-(
Do you have proof of it working? So far I haven't seen MS FUD working so much against the FS community, it seem we always react very well.
I didn't mean the FS community. But it works for those non-technical people.
You wouldn't believe what I always get to hear about my "toy-system".
On 10/10/07, simo simo.sorce@xsec.it wrote:
But is there any real harm done by it - except for the FUD? Or is the main harm done by such statements perhaps to Microsoft itself?
Given that Red Hat has a real indemnification program (that covers also patent claims) it seem pure FUD to me.
The problem with FUD is, it works. :-(
Do you have proof of it working? So far I haven't seen MS FUD working so much against the FS community, it seem we always react very well.
In 2003 (i.e., after SCO had started suing IBM), I worked at CCI Europe, a compaany supplying solutions (editorial and advertising) for large newspapers.
At one briefing, we were told that they were considering taking up Linux as a server platform, but cited some Oracle support problems (the alternatives being Solaris and AIX), and ended up adding: "Also, there may be legal problems using Linux."
That was an example of SCO's litigation, which we now know (if anyone ever doubted it) was pure FUD, working at the business level. And it is *intended* to work on a business level, i.e. not on the FOSS community but at businesses considering using FOSS or maybe even joining the community.
People were maybe not turned altogether off Linux, but they were wary of running what might seem a million-dollar risk. I can only imagine what kind of things SCO's and Microsoft's salesmen have been saying off the record while out there selling ...
On the other hand, I still think this FUD is a two-edged sword; Ballmer may be damaging free software with his FUD, but he's also damaging Microsoft. It still might work in the sense of scaring some large companies into sticking with Microsoft and the Windows platform, though.