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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I posted this message in response to a Linux Journal
article. If one of our journalists sees fit to make use of it, I don’t
require attribution or any such thing, but I would like to see the message sent
out more broadly to at least insight discussion in a more positive direction. I
welcome your feedback.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>JSR/<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>-- <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Our <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mission</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Technology and Hospitality for God's Workmen<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><a href="http://missions.ritchietribe.net/">http://missions.ritchietribe.net</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>-------<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>It's about the freedom of information; there is nothing more
at risk in this deal.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Will the fact that Novell has new information in its hands
previously locked up mean that information is more free? Novell certainly seems
to be arguing that information will be more free because they will share what
they can with the community as a whole.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Meanwhile, the FUD force of MS marketing will flood the
market with Pro Novell advertising that will muddy the view of true freedom.
Their support for Novell may derail the conversation about free software
(information) that currently surrounds the Open Source movement. Will this mean
that open source software will be used by more people who don't appreciate its
freedom than ever before? Certainly.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>What, in my opinion, remains to be seen is if the open
source movement will damage this relationship or use it as an opportunity to
educate new members about freedom.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Perhaps this is an opportunity to extend the open source
ideals to a new demographic on the tails of MS marketing rather than a viral
infection of the GPL. If we withdraw ourselves from Novell, we loose the chance
of sharing the great ideals that hold the open source movement together with a
whole new group of people, and one that is bound to be significant and
represent a potentially significant force in open source support.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Also, if we withdraw from Novell, we loose a lot of great
friends of the community such as Aaron Bockover and Nat Friedman who are doing
great work on the Banshee and Beagle respectively.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Finally, we all know that the threat and process of a
lawsuit can be damage enough, whether there is grounds for the suit or not.
Simply consider the protection money the SCO folks drummed up in the far
fetched case they tried on us. It isn't an admission, it is a protection to its
customers from baseless threats much like Novell provided from SCO in the past.
Too bad they couldn't do it for the whole FOSS community or Linux in general,
but that would have been a bit much to ask.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>We have a unique opportunity to educate MS users who will be
encouraged to switch by MS themselves to Novell and will then have the skill
set to go to any distro they like. There is a better way to make the deal
backfire while advancing FOSS ideals.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Let FOSS do the embracing this time and beat MS at its own
game.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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