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Practitioners vs Propagandists
The articles on this subject seem to consist of three types.

In Type 1, a survey is described in which a vast majority of IT professionals express little or no concern over the IP issues supposedly raised by the SCO lawsuit, and say that they are going ahead as planned with linux deployments.

In Type 2, the well-informed Industry Guru expresses grave concern over the IP issues raised by the SCO lawsuit, and says that everyone should be wary of linux deployments.

In Type 3, equally well-informed Industry Observers suggest that the Type 2 authors are actually shills who are influenced by Microsoft advertising or consulting revenues to raise "grave concerns" about linux as a way of potentially slowing its acceptance by IT professionals.

There is starting to be a Type 4 article, which consists of comments by those following the developing legal proceedings. It is becoming apparent to those doing so that the SCO lawsuit against IBM is in fact worse than frivolous; it is a meritless compendium of baseless charges apparently motivated by malice. It is at minimum barratry, and may qualify as attempted extortion.

It is also apparent that IBM has a slightly different idea of how to "indemnify" its customers than Microsoft does. The appearance of patent infringement charges against SCO in IBM's quite powerful countersuit makes it apparent that, rather than indemnify its customers monetarily against a never-ending parade of lawsuits of this kind, IBM would prefer to signal the industry that further attempts at this sort of extortion, or continued interference in IBM's strategic direction, will be met with the IBM patent portfolio, which most people in the industry know better than to mess with.
Posted by: Robert Hahn   Posted on: 10/28/03 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Alternative open source with protection  richardgreavus | 10/27/03
Ms. Giera is mistaken.  Tim Patterson | 10/27/03
Well Said  issthatso | 10/27/03
So why not do it then?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/27/03
Maybe...  zip_z | 10/27/03
Because indemnity destroys the spirit of OSS  Robert Crocker | 10/27/03
Two points.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/27/03
Is this leading somewhere?  IT_User | 10/27/03
about voiding warranties  voska | 10/27/03
re: So why not do it then? Because Don....  bgoss@... | 10/27/03
She also speaks of "Open Source", when cearly she means "Linux Kernel"  dw@... | 10/27/03
Didn't IBM Assume the Risks?  jasonvp | 10/27/03
Wrong assumptions  Kyfho | 10/27/03
Maybe web developers can be indemnified for Eolas's successful case?  dw@... | 10/27/03
Ms Giera is Misleading the Public  ssharkey | 10/27/03
These new talkbacks suck (and blow)  Patrick Jones | 10/27/03
You'd be surprised how much a veteran will wilfully hold back an industry..  dw@... | 10/27/03
Websphere? All open source projects not just Linux?  EricMarts@... | 10/27/03
IDE for WAS is open source  ejhonda | 10/28/03
How do You Spell Wrong!  chohman | 10/27/03
Julie Giera, do you have a clue what you're talking about?  zd-spam | 10/27/03
Hogwash  Robert Crocker | 10/27/03
Nothing to lose? Then just do it.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/27/03
Nothing for IBM to lose, everything for OSS  Robert Crocker | 10/27/03
Straw man arguments?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/27/03
Message has been deleted.  dicktaurus@... | 10/27/03
No straw, pure meat  Robert Crocker | 10/27/03
Robert, your not listening.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/27/03
You may need a new "Bit" to sharpen your ax.  Robert Crocker | 10/28/03
I know, and you know, but does...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/28/03
he he he  none none | 10/27/03
You picked him too? Good 'ol BB, aka TRB. (NT)  Fred Fredrickson | 10/28/03
Ms. Giera is merely a FUD-tool for Paul Allen.  dicktaurus@... | 10/27/03
What's with all the HTML tags?  voska | 10/27/03
They switched to an Open Souce application  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/27/03
ZDNet: autofill this field!  none none | 10/27/03
Software Risks?  Jose Jimenez | 10/27/03
And who else does?  rkhalloran | 10/28/03
Practitioners vs Propagandists  Robert Hahn | 10/28/03
For those not in the know: Barratry  Fred Fredrickson | 10/28/03
27 Year Veteran of the IT Industry??  BanjoPaterson | 10/28/03
Total cost would be greater than sum of the parts  Richard Flude | 10/28/03
Will we see a similar SCO article?  Robert Crocker | 10/28/03

What do you think?

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