Word Up Magazine

More Novellgate, more Microsoft, more garbage. We all knew what the truth was, and now we have confirmation from the mouth of the ass, err, donkey. Wait, no, it is actually the ass. But I wouldn't dare paraphrase anything as good as this, you can read it yourself right here.

For those who will undoubtedly say your browser doesn't work with links, or that for some reason that link doesn't work, I'll paste the relevant lines below.

"We've had an issue, a problem that we've had to confront, which is because of the way the GPL (General Public License) works, and because open-source Linux does not come from a company -- Linux comes from the community -- the fact that that product uses our patented intellectual property is a problem for our shareholders. We spend $7 billion a year on R&D, our shareholders expect us to protect or license or get economic benefit from our patented innovations. So how do we somehow get the appropriate economic return for our patented innovation, and how do we do interoperability. The truth is, because of the complex licensing around the GPL, we actually didn't want to do one without the other."


"What we agreed, which is true, is we'll continue to try to grow Windows share at the expense of Linux. That's kind of our job. But to the degree that people are going to deploy Linux, we want Suse Linux to have the highest percent share of that, because only a customer who has Suse Linux actually has paid properly for the use of intellectual property from Microsoft. And we took a quota, you could say, to help them sell so much Suse Linux. That's part of the deal."

I don't know what else to say right now. We clearly knew all along that this is what they were getting at. Novell played right into their hands, easily. I would like to ask Ron Hovsepian what it's like to live without a soul. Did you gain the ability to fly? Can you teleport? It must be interesting.

I'm not going to take this sitting down, and surely, nobody else in the Open Source world should take this lightly. It's time to start churning the gears of war. I already have a plan. Are you with me?

Software Learnings for Make Benefit Glorious Open Source

What a glorious day for Open Source. I don't remember a day as good as this in a long while. My next post is going to include a ton of stuff from the Fedora Summit being held today, so I figured I should get to all the other great news of the day first.

First and Foremost, in what took a back seat in the news today, more than just reaction and raw emotion has started to pour out of the community regarding Novellgate. Today, the Samba Team sent Novell a big Fuck You (Sorry Kids). I'm glad to see projects becoming actively vocal about this and letting Novell know that the GPL and Open Source is not just another whore in their harem of short-term solutions to rectify their long standing history of malfeasance.

Secondly, Sun has finally acted upon their long standing promises of Open Sourcing Java. J2SE, J2ME and yes, even J2EE (read the press release) will now be offered under GPLv2. That's great news all around the table and truly a shot heard 'round the Open Source world. It's even better news for companies offering enterprise Java Application Stacks.

Jonathan Schwartz even got in on some of the Novell bashing fun. Awesome!!! So now, let's give credit where credit is due, Jonathan Schwartz, myself and freedom loving people around the world applaud you. Of course though, in traditional Sun-has-delusions-of-grandeur fashion, they decided to post this on their Open Source Java FAQ site.

"This singular act is the largest contribution ever made to the free software community, and places Sun squarely at the front of the open-source movement - as the single biggest commercial contributor."

Yeah, nice try. I think they make have gotten a little too excited. I really just posted that because I thought spot would get a kick out of reading it.

All in all, today should serve as a validation to all involved or watching the community that we are winning, we are affecting change and we will ultimately succeed in changing the world. It should also serve as a warning to all those skeptics who thought Open Source was and still is going nowhere fast (yes, I'm pointing at you guys at Gartner).

Fedora Summit - Day 1

I'm not going to go into too much detail since everyone sitting next to me is about to post in heavy detail about all that's going on. We nailed down an agenda concentrating on the key issues, started talking about defining what a Fedora "Platform" should be defined as, and got a good way through before everyone got brain dead. I blame it on the lack of caffeine here. I'll update stuff on this post as the day progresses and as time allows.

UPDATE: A one photo summary of the day's events thus far.

Don't Upset the Kernel Hacker!!

Listen All Of Y'all It's A Sabotage

Based on Jesse's request for a more eloquent scathing. Directed at all Novell Linux-centric Employees:

[For those who like song]
[To the tune of Beastie Boys' Sabotage]

I Can't Stand It, It Seems They Plan It,
But I'm Gonna Set It Straight, This Novell-Gate.
I Can't Stand Hacking When I'm In Here,
Because Your Commitment to Freedom Ain't So Crystal Clear.
So While You Sit Back And Wonder Why,
I Got This [censored for the kids] Thorn In My Side.
Make No Mistakes, This Is Not A Mirage,
I'm Tellin' All of Y'all It's Sabotage!

[For those who like prose]

I don't know how they do it in other places, but in New York, we throw down. That's right. We're not afraid to issue challenges, question mediocrity, expose improbity and when it comes down to it, just down right fight. The Free and Open Source and Free Culture movements are unabashedly and intensely committed to upholding the noble principles we hold so dear: Freedom, Liberty, Choice, Transparency, Candor, Responsibility and Value. What's more is that we always exhibit constancy of commitment towards those principles. In the battle we fight, perfidiousness is not an option.

So this is my challenge to all the Novell employees who are involved in Free and Open Source software in any way shape or form, from the lowliest hacker to directors, managers, VPs, former Ximian Employees, etc. Now that it is blatantly obvious that your corporation's commitment to these values is nothing more than a brief interlude on an infinitely unsuccessful and fruitless path, and if you yourselves are truly committed to the aforementioned values, pack up and leave. You heard me right--QUIT!

"Dems be big words from a small man," many of you might say. Yes, that might be true; I am a little on the short side. Last time I checked though, the minds and hearts of men are what truly define them. Those words are at least as big as my thoughts. That you're continued commitment to Novell, and this evil indenture, at this point and forever forward, constitutes nothing more than a concordat on your own parts to conspicuously taint the Open Source community, imperil the future of the movement and jeopardize your fellow hackers.

Those who feel threatened by Free and Open Source will always be lurking, waiting and eager to sink their loathsome claws into the next unassuming piece of prey, to attempt to hinder freedom and progress and delay their own inevitable fate. The only way to ensure that your life's work remain salubrious to the Open Source movement is to disassociate yourselves from these entities. You needn't fret about your livelihood either; there are many benevolent entities seeking hackers of your magnitude, which would warmly embrace your arrival.

All legal assurances and PR jabberwocky aside, you know in your hearts what is true and just and prudent and brave. Do it now so that come impending times you won't be unwillingly trapped, fighting for the enemy. You must escape with your conscience and souls while you can.