Happy new year! I'm very happy to present the first edition of the
news digest for 2007, I've only a slight hangover from last night's
celebrations. Jools Holland was on form as ever, and the ever more
popular New Year's fireworks were in abundance. My feeling is that 2006
was the tipping-year for Linux, and during 2007, we'll see linux take-off
like one of the many New Year rocket-fireworks I was watching last night.
Unlike those rockets, though, I do not think linux will go down in a blaze
of colour, noise and glory, but will continue to soar on to higher things.
Before I kick-off with the digest, I'm going to join the pundit circuit
briefly, with my take on what we'll see this year in the linux, free
software and related worlds.
For 2007, the spaces to watch are going to be in media players and
centres, games consoles, whether the ubuntu and debian developers can
kiss and make-up, just how far into the desktop space ubuntu can push,
whether Novell can recover from the appalling error it made last year,
and open-source telephony such as asterisk and kphone, and the emergence
of a new generation of commercial applications.
Last year saw numerous articles regarding the increasing adoption of
floss in governments around the world, and the growing importance of
the OLPC project. LiveCDs have achieved an incredible popularity,
and with more and more PCs having DVD drives from which they can boot,
liveDVDs offer the possibility for an amazingly rich computing experience
without ever touching a hard-drive. 2007 should see a growth in unionFS
like projects to allow the use of liveCDs with USB pens or even online
storage for personalising the PC. I think the GP2X will grow and grow,
and I note that everyone is looking at the Wii as worth-buying - this even
amongst middle-aged non-technical people who fancy the accelerometer-based
controller. For all those who think that textures on displays matter,
well, sorry, they don't... but having something innovative goes a
long way.
We're going to see the inroads of the next generation of games consoles
into the living room, and perhaps also onto the work desks and school
desks and a small, neat, quiet PC which runs linux and therefore, all
your favourite apps.
The software patent battles will continue to run, with the US still trying
to pressurise the EU into accepting software patents, but it will not be
resolved, nor will the EU accept them. 2007 is also likely to be the
crunch-year for DRM, as people try to upgrade their old media players
and perhaps replace old Windows PCs and find that the music they've
paid for no longer works. This will hit the consumer rights groups,
and a backlash seems most likely.
In the commercial world, the next generation of open-source solutions
will start to gain traction, with open CRM and similar being adopted by
the more forward-looking companies. In Mobility, linux-based phones
continue to gain in popularity, but there's still no simple and easy
solution for synchronising your mobile phone's contacts and diary
with linux-based calendaring solutions. A great target for the ubuntu
project would be to work with mobile phone vendors to fix this problem.
This is the kind of capability which could become a "killer app" if it
could be made to work universally, although this does mean loosening
the death-grip which Microsoft Outlook/Exchange has in this space.
So, to wrap up this unusually long opening, I'll conclude on the forward
look to end all forward looks. In order to ensure full acceptance of
floss in the future, we need to ensure that floss is in schools, colleges
and universities now. Today's schoolkids are tomorrow's influencers, of
course, so we need to arm them with OLPC, linux live distros, Edubuntu
and whatever else is suitable. The Guardian has noted that the net is
replacing the computer as the focus of current thinking in knowledge
distribution; this gives linux/floss a unique opportunity to gain the
ubiquity which will result in proper support from all manufacturers,
as linux will run on pretty much anything.
2007 will be the year in which Linux runs on Everthing, and Everything
runs on Linux.
And finally, in today's digest, we have:
* Knoppix 5.1.0 Live CD Released
* Interview with Jeremy Allison About Novell, Microsoft, Samba,
and More
* New Linux Installer Screenshots Site
* Why Windows Lookalikes Are a Bad Idea
* Binary Drivers Debate in Ubuntu and Sabayon Linux
* IDC Praises FLOSS for a Change
* UNIX, Linux and Windows (Perspective)
* Post-Vista Microsoft to Face Problems
* Why GNU/Linux Gets It Right
* Why the Microsoft Origami Failed - Viral Marketing
* Microsoft Seeks Free Labour for Linux Zune Support
* The Reason Web Designers Hate Internet Explorer (and Microsoft)
* The Guardian on Microsoft's Shot in Own Foot
* Korea Times: Only 14% Wait for Windows Vista
* Ubuntu Linux User Fights for FSF Acceptance
* Moving Toward Freedom, from Mac OS X to GNU/Linux
* New Year's Resolutions - Free Software Magazine
* Playing DVD's with Free Software Illegal in France
* Microsoft Support Talks Ubuntu Linux
* AmaroK Newsletter Reveals Innovative New Features
* PC-BSD 1.3 Released with KDE 3.5.5
* New Version of Compiz (for Better Linux Eye Candy) Released
* Associated Press Praises the $100 Linux Laptop
* Inquirer Reporter Gets Linuxed
* XBox 360 Claimed to Have Been Hacked; Linux Kernel Coming?
* Legal Battles Could Not Defeat FLOSS and Linux
* Update on Trolltech's Hacker-friendly Greenphone
* 2007 Prediction: The Year When Windows Zombies Hit Large
Infrastructures
* New Version of Geeklog Released Just Before Year's End
* New Year's Resolutions for Linux and Open Source Software
* Report/Research: Next-Generation Mission-Critical Applications Will
Go GNU/Linux
* Phoronix Posts Screenshot Gallery of the Brand-new Knoppix
* User Dissatifaction with Microsoft and FLOSS Defections
* Philosophy Suggests the Future is Open
* On the Open Source Business of Ex-Softies
This is a digest of the previous 24 hours (GMT day) of [News] postings
in comp.os.linux.advocacy. If you have any comments, suggestions or
remarks, please reply to this message and I will take account of all
that I can. The digest is created from my leafnode news spool, which is
pre-filtered, so some poster's articles might not appear.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message-ID: <5058642.mGXqlxgdu4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Knoppix 5.1.0 Live CD Released
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 07:16:07 +0000
KNOPPIX 5.1.0 Released
,----[ Quote ]
| Finally, it's done. Just in the past couple of months, there has been
| quite a lot of new and exciting development in the GNU/Linux world,
| which of course should also be present in the current Knoppix version.
`----
http://knopper.net/knoppix/knoppix51-en.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1476497.2JrqVl4fAq@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Interview with Jeremy Allison About Novell, Microsoft, Samba, and More
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 06:33:37 +0000
Our Interview with Jeremy Allison
,----[ Quote ]
| My guess is that the negotiations for the useful parts of the
| agreement (the virtualization part and the federated directory
| interoperability part) had, as Ron says, been going on for months
| and just before Novell wanted to seal the deal Microsoft turned up
| with "there's just this one more thing we want you to sign..." and
| in desperation to get the other parts of the deal done they rushed
| it through.
`----
http://boycottnovell.com/2006/12/31/jeremy-allison-interview/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1478301.Ma7TuuTfiW@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] New Linux Installer Screenshots Site
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 06:41:05 +0000
Just launched:
http://shots.linuxquestions.org/index.php
Related:
http://osvids.com/
http://shots.osdir.com/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1197189.KmV6qaHS6f@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Why Windows Lookalikes Are a Bad Idea
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 07:03:24 +0000
Linux That Looks Like Windows: Bad!
,----[ Quote ]
| Conclusion: Linux already has excellent mainstream desktop environments
| which have a unique look and feel which differs from that of Windows.
| That's not a bad thing: Linux doesn't need to look like Windows. If a
| user wants to make their Linux distro look like the OS they left
| behind, that's perfectly fine - all they need to do is install
| xpde or LXP. However, what we cannot do is mimic Windows'
| interface, as that would destroy one of the Linux desktop's
| greatest advantages - its beauty, difference, innovation and
| ease of use.
`----
http://wolphination.com/linux/2006/12/31/linux-that-looks-like-windows-bad/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1383741.44mzXDSTCD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Binary Drivers Debate in Ubuntu and Sabayon Linux
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 07:19:47 +0000
To binary or not to binary, that is the question
,----[ Quote ]
| The Ubuntu developers are in the process of deciding whether
| to enable binary-only drivers by default in their installation
| process, under certain limited circumstances. This decision
| process has prompted the latest wave in a conversation that's
| nearly as old as Linux itself.
`----
http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2006/12/binary_drivers.html
Sabayon are also pretty much in violation of the GPL...
Yes, we include proprietary drivers, so ?
,----[ Quote ]
| Since the first RR4 releases, called "Gentoo Rescue Reiser4 LiveCD",
| I included NVIDIA and ATI proprietary drivers. Two years are past
| since then, and no one never complained about that. But now, I
| read that many people say that's a GPL violation. I do not agree
| with them. They argue that linking a non-GPL kernel module against
| the Linux Kernel before distributing it, is illegal.
`----
http://www.sabayonlinux.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=205&Itemid=2
Also see:
http://www.sabayonlinux.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=258&Itemid=2
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1554331.nkVUU8oHWb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] IDC Praises FLOSS for a Change
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 07:59:17 +0000
Open Source, BI and ERP: The Perfect Match?
,----[ Quote ]
| "There have been so many flawed implementations in the past and
| people were overspending and missing deadlines with ERP systems,"
| IDC analyst Albert Pang told LinuxInsider. "Open source projects
| are coming in to reduce the headache associated with building this
| large infrastructure for an ERP system."
`----
http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/LjdZlB0x0j04cM/Open-Source-BI-and-ERP-The-Perfect-Match.xhtml
On IDC:
NY Times bans Microsoft analysts from Microsoft stories
,----[ Quote ]
| Part of the problem stems from the reticence of companies such as
| IDC and Gartner to reveal their clients. That should make everyone
| nervous, but it doesn't. So called objective technology publications
| keep publishing material bought by vendors without telling you this.
| They're also too lazy or scared to ignore the likes of Gartner and
| IDC until the firms change their disclosure rules.
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/15/nytimes_ms_ban/
Linux Isn't Just For Grownups Anymore
,----[ Quote ]
| In about a year, through a public school grant program, State of
| Indiana education officials have moved at least 22,000 students
| from Windows-based desktops to Linux-based desktops. That led
| Microsoft to hold up a study by IDC's Government Insights unit...
`----
http://www.crn.com/sections/custom/custom.jhtml?articleId=196601151
IDC report on Open Document Standards
,----[ Quote ]
| This study is a fact-based analysis of the emerging open document
| standards, Open XML and ODF.
`----
http://openxmldeveloper.org/archive/2006/11/27/IDC_Open_Document_Standards.aspx
Vista launch to add 100,000 Europe IT jobs: study
,----[ Quote ]
| The study, conducted by research firm IDC and commissioned by Microsoft,
| said Windows Vista will be installed on over 30 million personal computers
| in Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, Spain and United Kingdom within the
| first year of shipment.
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060914/tc_nm/microsoft_study_dc
IDC pronounces Linux unimportant to European economy
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=34542
------------------------------
Message-ID: <4382634.yJIJqAPGld@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] UNIX, Linux and Windows (Perspective)
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 08:07:31 +0000
Unix: Pretty Spry for "Dead."
,----[ Quote ]
| But while Solaris isn't in any danger, Linux definitely could someday
| replace Windows. We'll leave that for another day.
`----
http://www.enterprisenetworkingplanet.com/netos/article.php/3651351
------------------------------
Message-ID: <4994397.CkFcakzolP@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Post-Vista Microsoft to Face Problems
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 08:26:21 +0000
Microsoft's future OS plans to be ambitious
,----[ Quote ]
| Now that Vista has finally moved off of Wired News' Vaporware Awards
| list, albeit only in business versions, flighty analysts are already
| looking to the future of Microsoft?s OS strategy.
`----
http://www.slashgear.com/microsofts-future-os-plans-to-be-ambitious-303216.php
Related:
As Microsoft looks ahead, will Vista be the end of an era?
,----[ Quote ]
| Once installed in the post, Mr Ozzie wrote an internal company
| memo that mapped out the challenges that face Microsoft. The
| message was clear: get Google, get with the internet and wean
| Microsoft off Windows as we know it.
|
| "Through Google's focus they?ve gained a tremendously strong
| position," he said. "[Microsoft] must respond quickly and decisively
| . . . It's clear that if we fail to do so, our business as we know
| it is at risk."
`----
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13129-2494732,00.html
Why Vista might be the last of its kind
,----[ Quote ]
| Imagine this. One of the world's most powerful monopolies puts 10,000
| people to work for five years to create one new product. And nobody
| is really sure if anyone wants it. How's that for a gamble?
|
| That's what we have with Windows Vista, the new computer-operating
| system from Microsoft that debuted last week for businesses and,
| next month, for consumers.
`----
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003460386_btview04.html
Vista: Microsoft's Last 'Big Bang' Operating System?
,----[ Quote ]
| Yet for all the design missteps, overly ambitious plans, and
| personnel changes that led to a five-year lag between versions
| of Windows, questions about the future of Microsoft's software
| are top of mind for customers and partners. Ballmer swears to
| never let as much time elapse between Windows versions; the
| question now is how the company can keep churning out
| innovative products on a compressed timetable.
`----
http://newz.byethost31.com/Microsoft_vista_last_big_bang_operating_system.htm
Is Vista the End of Windows as We Know It?
,----[ Quote ]
| The five-year long march to developing Windows Vista exposed just how
| broken Microsoft's Windows-development process is. It took far too
| long, major features were dropped along the way, and it was wrapped up
| in more red tape than the IRS. That's why I think that Vista will be the
| last of the "big-bang" Windows releases.
`----
http://www.oreillynet.com/windows/blog/2006/11/is_vista_the_end_of_windows_as.html
Life After Vista: Can Microsoft Retool for Web?
,----[ Quote ]
| In a similar tug of war in the late 1990s, one internal faction
| lobbied to use Microsoft's Internet browser software to radically
| retool Windows for the Internet. But that faction lost out to a
| more PC-centric view of the Windows mission -- an outcome that some
| Microsoft insiders say is one reason the company fell behind in the
| Internet services Google and others now lead.
`----
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB116459728069433263-K0zAOblcMz_...
http://tinyurl.com/yjngqj
Windows Vista the last of its kind
,----[ Quote ]
| Vista will be the last version of Windows that exists in its current,
| monolithic form, according to Gartner.
|
| Instead, the research firm predicts, Microsoft will be forced to
| migrate Windows to a modular architecture tied together through
| hardware-supported virtualisation. "The current, integrated architecture
| of Microsoft Windows is unsustainable - for enterprises and for
| Microsoft," wrote Gartner analysts Brian Gammage, Michael Silver and
| David Mitchell Smith.
`----
http://www.techworld.com/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=6718
The alternative route seems to have gone nowhere.
Will Berkowitz keep Windows Live?
,----[ Quote ]
| At the risk of moving this article over to the opinion blog, many
| of the problems Berkowitz faces were caused not by too much focus
| on technical wizardry, but by a lack of clear direction, both fo
| MSN and for Windows Live.
`----
http://www.liveside.net/blogs/main/archive/2006/12/10/ny-times-will-berkowitz-keep-windows-live.aspx
Sources: Several Windows Live Projects Halted
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft's Windows Live desktop search project has been
| shelved "indefinitely," although not much reasoning has been
| given as to the reason for its demise.
`----
http://www.betanews.com/article/Sources_Several_Windows_Live_Projects_Halted/1163715423
Will Web 2.0 ultimately kill Windows?
,----[ Quote ]
| Allchin shared his thoughts on Windows Live (which, along with Windows and
| developer tools also falls under his organization); competition with Google
| and Apple; and why a client-based version of Windows won?t ever completely
| disappear, regardless of how successful Web services become.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=66
Mozilla Ships Alpha Release of Firefox 3.0
,----[ Quote ]
| "...Developers hope that it will be a major step toward making Web
| applications indistinguishable from programs that are installed on
| the desktop, Schroepfer said."
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20061209/tc_pcworld/128128
Once more (with feeling): What is Windows Live?
,----[ Quote ]
| Live consists of three distinct, yet interrelated, parts, Berkowitz
| said. There?s the Live platform (about which I?ll be blogging more
| later today); the individual Live services (Windows Live Messenger,
| Windows Live Spaces, Windows Live Expo, etc.); and the Live experiences,
| or user interfaces.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=118
Sniffing out Microsoft's 'OS in the Cloud' skunk-works project
,----[ Quote ]
| What do you think, readers? Is such a vision feasible? Do you see
| anything that will stop Ozzie and his cloud cohorts from realizing
| this goal? And do you think Google ? in spite of its claims that it
| has no intentions of creating a GoogleOS ? could beat Microsoft at
| its own game?
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=119
Can Google trump Microsoft?
,----[ Quote ]
| Google's "frontal assault" to Microsoft Office is Google Apps
| Enterprise Edition and Google is indeed waging warfare against Microsoft.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/micro-markets/index.php?p=697
November 25 - Microsoft Dies
,----[ Quote ]
| This is the day. The demise of Microsoft. The day of reckoning has
| come at last. Friday 23rd November 2006. Google had seen it's profits
| soar massively. Microsoft on the other hand have had an awful year.
| Low profits, internal scandals, a lowered reputation and a lowered
| customer satisfaction rate have left the company in tatters.
`----
http://globa-tech.blogspot.com/2006/11/november-25-microsoft-dies.html
Ozzie: Vista, Office must adapt to Web era
,----[ Quote ]
| Ozzie said that the transition to integrate online services into Microsoft
| products has been a challenge but that changes within the company are
| happening.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6133895.html
Desperate Acts (of Microsoft)
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is expected to spend $650 million next year to let the world
| know it has a shiny new search service and Web advertising network.
| That money is more than double the amount Microsoft will spend rolling
| out Vista, the new operating system that will contribute vastly more to
| its revenues.
|
| Microsoft's two-year catch-up effort in search has yielded only
| middling results. This year it dropped from 11% to 9% of all searches.
| Google handled 61% of the 204 billion searches worldwide in the past1
| 2 months.
|
| "We're late to the game. We admit it," confesses a full-page Microsoft
| ad in national papers, begging the world to try out its new Live
| search service. You almost want to hand Chief Executive Steven Ballmer
| a cup of cocoa.
|
| [...]
|
| Think of this fight as determining a few decabillion dollars of market
| value circa 2010. The current figures are $147 billion for Google and $284
| billion for Microsoft.
`----
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2006/1127/044a_print.html
MSN Still Going Nowhere Fast
,----[ Quote ]
| It is worth noting that Microsoft still hasn't made any headway
| in the search-and-portal game and, in fact, is falling farther and
| farther behind. As a result, it is not surprising that Steve Ballmer
| is now warning media companies that Google is the Evil Empire --
| because no other competitive tactic has worked.
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/061116/20767_id.html?.v=1
Google, Ask Gain Search Share; Yahoo, Microsoft Lose Ground
http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/061020/18896_id.html?.v=1
Google vs. Microsoft Market Cap Game
,----[ Quote ]
| Interesting seeing how Google's market capitalization has chased
| Microsoft's since Google's IPO. We have seemingly plateaued at a
| little under 60% for a year now, but any takers on bets with
| respect to how long that holds?
`----
http://paul.kedrosky.com/archives/2006/11/21/google_vs_micro.html
ComScore: Google Leads Again In Search
,----[ Quote ]
| Yahoo reversed a slide that lowered them to 28.1 percent in September.
| They gained slightly to 28.2 in October. Microsoft gave up 0.2 percent
| to decline to 11.7 percent, after falling 0.6 percent in September to
| 11.9.
`----
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/topnews/wpn-60-20061120ComScoreGoogleLeadsAgainInSearch.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1431119.SXNLIvibKP@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Why GNU/Linux Gets It Right
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 08:34:25 +0000
Ten things Linux distros get right (that MS doesn't)
,----[ Gist ]
| So what are the differences?
|
| 1. A useful terminal.
| 2. All-in-one application sources.
| 3. Cut-and-paste, and focus handling.
| 4. Frequent, painless patches and new stuff, all the time.
| 5. Multi-desktops.
| 6. Good, free tools. Like vim (or emacs).
| 7. No reboots.
| 8. Open formats and protocols.
| 9. No need for paranoia.
| 10. Respect.
`----
http://warpedvisions.org/2006/12/30/ten-things-linux-distros-get-right-that-ms-doesnt/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <11592021.VNRIARCy49@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Why the Microsoft Origami Failed - Viral Marketing
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 12:46:22 +0000
Whatever Happened To The Origami?
,----[ Quote ]
| Ultimately Origami is a classic example of how a viral buzz can
| work against a product release. Expectations were too high and the
| final product was puzzling and didn't fulfill any specific consumer
| demand. By the time the systems were actually released the hype had
| died down and there was practically zero consumer awareness. I've
| actually considered the possibility that the viral Origami campaign
| was a warm-up for the Zune campaign that followed later in the summer.
`----
http://www.medialoper.com/hot-topics/hardware/whatever-happened-to-the-origami/
Some Microsoft shills from this newsgroup disagreed when I argued that the
Origami had a filthy advertisement campaign/tactic behind it. There's your
proof.
Related:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_marketing
Notable examples of viral marketing
,----[ Quote ]
| # ilovebees.com - viral marketing for Halo 2
| # Hotmail, promoted largely by links at the bottoms of emails sent by
| its users, is the classic viral marketing example
| # Microsoft's Origami Project campaign
| # Microsoft's Xbox 360 campaign, called OurColony
`----
Has Demetri Martin Jumped the Shark by Getting Into Bed with Microsoft?
Clarification on "Clearification" Marketing Campaign
,----[ Quote ]
| When I first saw the Clearification website, I just thought it was
| Demetri's new project. But I did wonder why the videos were of such
| high production value. Turns out that Microsoft is footing the bill
| to not only this site, but are also underwritting his current tour.
`----
http://www.themodernage.org/2006/11/12/demetri-martin-bring-clearification-to-the-web/
Stop Digital Amnesia: 'Quattro' Home Server viral campaign?
,----[ Quote ]
| Another day, another Microsoft viral campaign. This time, The fake
| Center for Digital Amnesia Awareness has launched an online campaign called
| "Stop Digital Amnesia" (via Furrygoat) - a medical-like project
| discussing the problems and solution for a made-up disorder called
| "digital amnesia".
`----
http://www.istartedsomething.com.nyud.net:8080/20061225/stop-digital-amnesia/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1303848.TR1N8R6sX2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Microsoft Seeks Free Labour for Linux Zune Support
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 12:53:50 +0000
Microsoft sponsors libmtp with a Zune
,----[ Quote ]
| On 2006-12-09 OSTG reporter Robin "Roblimo" Miller was given a Zune by
| marketer Tyler Welch during a visit to Microsoft.
`----
http://libmtp.sourceforge.net/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1352766.5O1WVtUXKJ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] The Reason Web Designers Hate Internet Explorer (and Microsoft)
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 12:48:39 +0000
IE6 vs Firefox vs Firefox vs Safari
,----[ Quote ]
| This is the Acid 2 test done on a 13 inch black MacBook running
| Parallels Beta 3 with coherence running from a boot camp partition.
| The open browsers are IE6 (left), Firefox for Windows (Top middle),
| Bonecho for mac (optimized Firefox build for intel, bottom middle),
| and Safari (Right).
`----
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41384028@N00/339365515/
Related video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rt3dwZwvdI
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1631394.phEcO6UhQi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] The Guardian on Microsoft's Shot in Own Foot
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 12:56:02 +0000
It's the end of the line for Microsoft: sorry, Mr Gates, you've just been
Googled
,----[ Quote ]
| The other big trend in 2007 will be 'virtualisation' - software which
| enables a single computer to run many different operating systems
| simultaneously. This makes sense for all kinds of reasons, but the
| most important is that the current generation of 'server farms' which
| power Google, Amazon, eBay, and so on are financially and
| environmentally unsustainable. Enormous sheds filled with thousands
| of servers consume too much power, and the only solution is to reduce
| the number of physical machines. Virtualisation makes that possible,
| which is why it's an irresistible technology.
|
| And guess what? The Vista Eula (End User Licence Agreement) contains a
| clause which prohibits running the commonest versions of Vista under
| virtualisation software. Wonder if Gates ever heard of Canute?
`----
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,1980318,00.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1227042.dxF1ElgKHn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Korea Times: Only 14% Wait for Windows Vista
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 12:57:21 +0000
Consumers in No Hurry for Vista Upgrade
,----[ Quote ]
| In a survey of 4,144 members of Danawa.com, a price comparison site,
| only 14 percent of respondents said that they will immediately upgrade
| to the Vista platform when Microsoft releases it on January 30.
`----
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200612/kt2006122918214111890.htm
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1683426.Ap4YaBA1UK@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Ubuntu Linux User Fights for FSF Acceptance
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 12:59:09 +0000
Ubuntu User and Member Ryan Lortie Writes Open Letter to Free Software
Foundation
,----[ Quote ]
| The Free Software Foundation is recommending gNewSense and Ututo
| as beginners' Linux distributions. Ubuntu user and member Ryan
| Lortie has written an Open Letter to the FSF raising some big
| points dealing with the goals of the FSF and how to accomplish them.
`----
http://linux.sys-con.com/read/318310_p.htm
------------------------------
Message-ID: <4522619.PKQGmnLvBR@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Moving Toward Freedom, from Mac OS X to GNU/Linux
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 13:02:06 +0000
Linux Install Series Part 1: Why Install Linux on your Mac?
,----[ Quote ]
| That is the question my fellow Mac users. In today's world we take
| what we have for granted but we forget that we have freedom, we have
| choice. And we need to take advantage of this. It is important to
| realize that we are not limited to what is 'given' to us. Thus, Free
| Software gives us the freedom to chose.
`----
http://openengineering.blogspot.com/2006/12/linux-install-series-part-1-why-install.html
Related quote:
http://popagandhi.com/458/it-was-a-very-good-year/
,----[ Quote ]
| As a last minute end-of-year spectacular: I've switched to Ubuntu Linux.
| which only goes to illustrate I guess, how my motto this year has been
| "keep going even if you don?t know where you?re going".
`----
------------------------------
Message-ID: <4739908.MadVifZj84@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] New Year's Resolutions - Free Software Magazine
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 13:03:51 +0000
Free software New Year's resolutions
,----[ Gist ]
| Contribute to a free software project
| Help spread the word about a particular product or service that you enjoy
| Donate to a non-profit legal organizationTry to replace at least one
| commercial product you use with a free alternative once a month
| When talking to others about free software, remember not to be too pushy
`----
http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/blogs/free_software_new_years_resolutions
------------------------------
Message-ID: <6183882.GjJycbKVjZ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Playing DVD's with Free Software Illegal in France
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 20:43:00 +0000
Reading a DVD with VLC or mplayer is now illegal in France
,----[ Quote ]
| Starting tomorrow December 31st 2006, reading a DVD protected with
| CSS (as most DVD are) is illegal in France when it is done with a
| software allowing to circumvent the protection, such as VLC or
| mplayer which can both use the libdvdcss library.
`----
http://www.rfc1149.net/blog/2006/12/30/reading-a-dvd-with-vlc-or-mplayer-is-now-illegal-in-france/
Gates has recently been lobbying there, IIRC. Can France make up its mind and
cease to support monopolies whose sales become a prerequisite to accessing
content?
Related:
French consumer protectionists are demanding PCs without preinstalled
software
,----[ Quote ]
| The consumer protectionists of the French organization UFC-Que Choisir
| are demanding of the IT group Hewlett-Packard and the vendors Auchan
| and Darty that they offer PCs without preinstalled software.
|
| [...]
|
| UFC-Que Choisir last year also took action against Sony and Apple,
| taking the two companies to court for allegedly putting their
| customers at a disadvantage through proprietary DRM technologies
| and curtailing their choice of devices.
`----
http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/82605/from/rss09
French consumer group attacks PC software bundling
,----[ Quote ]
| UFC-Que Choisir legal officer Sandra Wouhling said current
| practice effectively forced ordinary consumers to buy computers
| using Microsoft operating systems whereas companies anda
| dministrations were offered a real choice.
`----
http://yahoo.reuters.com/news/articlehybrid.aspx?storyID=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20061214:MTFH94365_2006-12-14_14-49-22_L14537403&type=comktNews&rpc=44
http://tinyurl.com/yf7kfu
Microsoft, HP expand business alliance
,----[ Quote ]
| A new deal announced Wednesday calls for, among other things, more HP
| workers to be trained to sell Microsoft products.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6143540.html
France pins hopes of growth on open-source software
,----[ Quote ]
| The French government plans to make the region around Paris a center of
| excellence for open-source software development, the French Minister of the
| Economy, Finance and Industry, Thierry Breton, said Monday.
`----
http://open.itworld.com/4915/061205franceopen/page_1.html
French National Assembly switches to Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| Linux, OpenOffice and Firefox favoured
|
| [...]
|
| One deputy in favour of the move is Bernard Carayon, commissioned by
| the Prime Minister earlier this year to report on how European
| businesses could play a greater role in developing global industrial
| standards, in order to reduce Europe's economic dependence on other
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| regions.
`----
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=7687
Bull to Supply the Most Powerful Civil Supercomputer in France to the
CCRT, the Center for Research and Technology Computing
,----[ Quote ]
| The system will be operated via an HPC platform specially optimized
| by Bull and featuring, notably: the Linux(R) operating system
`----
http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/76313/index.html
Jury Hears Microsoft Competition Suit
,----[ Quote ]
| A judge on Friday told jurors they must accept as fact that a
| federal court found in 1999 that Microsoft holds a monopoly over
| computer operating systems and that it restricted computer
| manufacturers' ability to use competing systems.
|
| [...]
|
| She said she'll show that the company used its monopoly power
| to exclude competition and control prices and that it conspired with
| other companies to restrain trade, maintaining what she called a
| chokehold on software competitors and computer manufacturers.
|
| "It isn't illegal to be successful," Conlin said in opening
| remarks. "We applaud that. ... But you can't freeze out competitors
| and punish and retaliate against people who cooperate with
| competitors. Microsoft did all that and more."
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/061201/microsoft_trial.html?.v=1
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2213308.RBRAI1KUI3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Microsoft Support Talks Ubuntu Linux
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 20:45:12 +0000
Transcript: Windows XP General, March 29, 2005
,----[ One fragment among several ]
| Dave Monk [MSFT] (Expert):
| Q: allow all options.....24 bit and Ubuntu.....
| A: it might be the drivers for the video card that the Xserver is using.
| try checking to see if 24 bbp modes are listed in your .xinitrc. are
| you seeing the same problem in non-unix OS emulation?
`----
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/chats/transcripts/050329_wxp.mspx
And poor support is what one gets from properietary software where support is
a monopoly.
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3007663.DA9cY0pD6r@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] AmaroK Newsletter Reveals Innovative New Features
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 20:48:57 +0000
Amarok Weekly Newsletter - Issue 4
,----[ Quote ]
| Show album covers in collection browser. Experimental patch by Trever
| Fischer I think this is pretty cool. Maybe we should limit size of the
| images though?
|
| Here is a screenshot describing the feature in its current form
`----
http://ljubomir.simin.googlepages.com/awnissue4
Many screenshots show what's coming...
------------------------------
Message-ID: <12979403.35eJkgBkNr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] PC-BSD 1.3 Released with KDE 3.5.5
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 20:46:57 +0000
PC-BSD version 1.3 now available!
,----[ Quote ]
| Just in time to ring in the New Year, the PC-BSD team is pleased to
| announce the immediate availability of PC-BSD version 1.3 for public
| download. This release incorporates many new features and options
| which make desktop computing easier than ever. Some of the new
| features include KDE 3.5.5, the "PF" firewall, HAL backend support,
| a new "Services" menu and much more!
`----
http://www.pcbsd.org/index.php?id=67
Sharing and promoting the same goal as Linux.
------------------------------
Message-ID: <11453136.2FhbFRvhWz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] New Version of Compiz (for Better Linux Eye Candy) Released
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 20:56:15 +0000
Compiz 0.3.6 released
,----[ Quote ]
| KDE users can now use kde-window-decorator instead of gtk-window-decorator
| to have KDE window decorations
`----
http://forum.go-compiz.org/viewtopic.php?t=331
Recent:
Compiz 0.3.4 Released!
,----[ Quote ]
| Another development version of Compiz has been released.
| Compiz 0.3.4 adds the following new features:
|
| * Support for multiple desktops (workspaces).
| * Much better multi-head support.
| * Two new plugins - Annotate and Clone.
| * Improved metacity theme support.
| * What else is new?
`----
http://www.go-compiz.org/index.php?title=Main_Page
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1819170.fgP0b90zkC@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Associated Press Praises the $100 Linux Laptop
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 21:03:22 +0000
Low-Cost Laptop Could Transform Learning
,----[ Quote ]
| Forget windows, folders and boxes that pop up with text. When
| students in Thailand, Libya and other developing countries get
| their $150 computers from the One Laptop Per Child project in
| 2007, their experience will be unlike anything on standard PCs.
|
| [...]
|
| To keep costs and power demands low, XO uses a slim version of the Linux
| operating system, a 366-megahertz processor from Advanced Micro Devices
| Inc. and no hard disk drive.
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/061231/hundred_dollar_laptop.html?.v=3
As the photo suggests, these laptops should go into every school, even in the
developed world. There is evidence to show that Microsoft has tried FUD,
astroturfing (including analysts), braishwash and lobbying to sabotage
acceptance and harm/damage common perception of the laptop.
Related:
(Video) OLPC XO Runs Super Mario Bros.
,----[ Quote ]
| Not only can the OLPC run Doom flawlessly, it can also emulate (?)
| the Mario Bros. games. Previously known as the $100 laptop, the OLPC
| boasts a 500mhz Processor, Linux OS, 1GB Memory, and a Two-Mode
| Display (Color and B&W). Video after the jump.
`----
http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/video-olpc-xo-runs-super-mario-bros
Celebrate like it's 1990.
OLPC XO ($100 Laptop) running Doom
,----[ Quote ]
| Linuxlookup continues to receive requests for an evaluation of the
| $100 laptop. I've personally sent countless replies to individuals
| politely explaining the initiative behind OLPC, trust me, if we're
| ever going to do a review it will be announced on the front page.
`----
http://www.linuxlookup.com/2006/nov/29/olpc_xo_running_doom
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3950710.oEXf9fcJDo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Inquirer Reporter Gets Linuxed
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 21:43:38 +0000
2007: Time for the Wintel end game
,----[ Quote ]
| ...almost all Linux distros are now available in all-inclusive
| easy-install packages, both 64-bit and 32-bit that provide all the
| required functionality - stable GUI OS, office, multimedia, 3-D,
| games, and more - for free. For the first time, over half of PCs
| in my house - 5 of them - run Linux either in dual-boot or alone.
| Doing a credit-card transaction? No Windows, please.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36640
Also just spotted:
Top Windows Dev Dumps "Pile of Cr*p" (Windows)
Top Windows developer dumps Microsoft's 'pile of crap' for Apple's Mac OS X
http://www.macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/top_windows_developer_dumps_microsofts_pile_of_crap_for_apples_mac_os_x/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3103202.biIrT2flYU@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] XBox 360 Claimed to Have Been Hacked; Linux Kernel Coming?
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 21:48:19 +0000
23c3: XBOX 360 was hacked - Linux Kernel coming soon.
,----[ Quote ]
| An anonym at the german 23c3 Hacker-Congress hacked a XBOX 360 live
| in front of the audience without any word. There should be some pictures
| and a live video stream at
| http://debian.tu-bs.de/mirror/ccc/23C3-mitschnitte/ lightning4-t4s4.wmv .
| In my opinion just a few people has realized what they saw - me
| included.
`----
http://digg.com/linux_unix/23c3_XBOX_360_was_hacked_Linux_Kernel_coming_soon
Lightning Talks
http://events.ccc.de/congress/2006/Lightning_Talks
Related and recent:
AACS DRM cracked by BackupHDDVD tool?
,----[ Quote ]
| Note: We're working on testing this ourselves, we'll report back
| with our findings asap.
|
| [Thanks, Max and Adam]
|
| Update: Well, it definitely does something. Click on for some
| pics and our experiences using the app.
`----
http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/27/aacs-drm-cracked-by-backuphddvd-tool/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1952126.PbAPBcW2uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Legal Battles Could Not Defeat FLOSS and Linux
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 21:50:38 +0000
When Worlds Collide: Ten Notable Open-Source Legal Battles
,----[ Quote ]
| The open-source world is bigger than ever, growing by leaps and bounds
| daily, seemingly unfettered by obstacles to development that hamper
| just about every other creative field. In fact, the only force more
| powerful in the sphere of software development these days may be the
| one that we all live under: 21st-century capitalism.
`----
http://www.crmchump.org/2006/12/when_worlds_col.html
This site has excellent reviews and this one is no exception. Recommended
reading.
------------------------------
Message-ID: <40268000.kRVm6hl0FZ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Update on Trolltech's Hacker-friendly Greenphone
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 21:57:20 +0000
OpenSource Linux Phone is almost a Hit!
,----[ Quote ]
| With developer tools and smart phone applications built in, writing
| software for this phone gets to the point where almost everything is
| user controlled. Users can point their "apps" and download others'
| and put them on their phone. Equipped with a touch screen and a
| 1100mAh battery, this thing rocks all the competition.
`----
http://www.slashgear.com/opensource-linux-phone-is-almost-a-hit-313249.php
Linux Open Source Greenphone: Hey, it's worth a try
,----[ Quote ]
| Developers are gonna love this. The Linux Trolltech Greenphone,
| complete with SDK tools is really more of a tool or a kit then a
| "phone" per se. Linux has advertised this phone as a tool for developers
| to create new software for mobile phones, but on a totally open
| source spectrum.
`----
http://www.gearfuse.com/linux-open-source-greenphone-hey-its-worth-a-try/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1853594.XLRaMv0AkI@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] 2007 Prediction: The Year When Windows Zombies Hit Large Infrastructures
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 22:09:53 +0000
The year 2007: A review through the crystal ball
,----[ Quote ]
| 2007 was the year of the super bots: Never before has malicious software
| been equipped with so many functions that help it to hide from antivirus
| software and to resist removal...
|
| While in 2006, DDoS attacks with botnets were mainly targeted at
| unwanted competitors, online betting offices and consumer protection
| sites, 2007 also saw large attacks launched on critical
| infrastructures. In April, the stock exchange nearly crashed,
| when a DDoS attack on the electronic trading system disconnected
| it from the Internet for several days, resulting in automated
| control programs loosing control and attempting to divest shares
| in a panic reaction.
`----
http://www.heise-security.co.uk/articles/83058
------------------------------
Message-ID: <21235119.v29OoasnLi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] New Version of Geeklog Released Just Before Year's End
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 22:15:19 +0000
Geeklog 1.4.1
,----[ Quote ]
| The official release version of Geeklog 1.4.1 is now available
| for download.
`----
http://www.geeklog.net/article.php/geeklog-1.4.1
As originally scheduled (no updates of Groklaw's CMS yet).
------------------------------
Message-ID: <6456931.CvJs9Ge1R0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] New Year's Resolutions for Linux and Open Source Software
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 22:11:27 +0000
Open source New Year's Resolutions
,----[ 5 points ]
| Fewer Lawyers
| Stop Fighting the Market
| Time for Innovation
| Embrace and Extend
| Accept Progress
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/open-source/?p=894
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2069023.l89z4c4oTx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Report/Research: Next-Generation Mission-Critical Applications Will Go GNU/Linux
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 22:13:38 +0000
Next Gen, Mission-Critical Apps To Be Deployed on Linux Says Report
,----[ Quote ]
| By now it should be obvious to even the most casual industry observers
| that Linux operating systems - and open source-based software in general -
| have reached critical marketplace mass. Recent Linux deals and
| announcements by Oracle and Microsoft have only reinforced the "open
| source is enterprise-grade" message that IBM, Unisys and other "Master
| Brand" hardware, software and services vendors have been preaching for
| years. In short, open source, especially Linux, is becoming "legitimized"
| by the major vendors for enterprise environments, and user executives
| are more than happy to believe them.
`----
http://www.linuxelectrons.com/News/RoundUp/Next_Gen_MissionCritical_Apps_To_Be_Deployed_on_Linux_Says_Report
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1710652.sAQINzlbBG@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Phoronix Posts Screenshot Gallery of the Brand-new Knoppix
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 22:31:25 +0000
Knoppix v5.1.0 LiveCD
Beatiful screenshots... just like 7 said, the wallpaper helps too.
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=617&num=1
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1294871.nXulQMog6B@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] User Dissatifaction with Microsoft and FLOSS Defections
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 22:40:20 +0000
You still have choice
,----[ Quote ]
| Now time to sum up, if you feel you are not comfortable about
| Microsoft business practices today and in the future then you
| should know that you are lucky because right now you have choices,
| you can either use FLOSS for your home computer or small business
| and help yourself reduce costs and achieve more reliability, or
| consider using Apple computers and their reliable Mac OS X, or
| simply give Linux a try and see what all the hype is about.
`----
http://libreinfo.wordpress.com/2006/12/30/you-still-have-choice
Very well-balanced.
[ Interesting use of hyperbole, there. I'd always associated it with
deliberately placed marketing by rich organisations, whereas linux could
hardly be said to be marketed hard in that respect. Ed. ]
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1186716.JfMiBYTg2p@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Philosophy Suggests the Future is Open
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 22:43:45 +0000
The Old World of Software vs the New (Hegel lives)
,----[ Quote ]
| The future is open. Not because some Geist wills it, but because
| customers will it, and because we can make it happen. Open source
| does not require a vow of poverty. Nor, however, does it, like
| proprietary software, require customers to enter into indentured
| servitude contracts with vendors to get their IT (and why? Simply
| because the Old World could think of no better way to get people
| to pay for things than by locking them up, both customer and software).
|
| To be an effective part of that future, one must burn the boats
| to the past. We have to do open source, not just think happy
| thoughts about it. That's William James.
`----
http://weblog.infoworld.com/openresource/archives/2006/12/the_old_world_o.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2374481.PXbW5bCAjr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] On the Open Source Business of Ex-Softies
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 22:53:26 +0000
The high value of Free Software
,----[ Quote ]
| I was recently pointed to Ohloh which "collects software metrics
| from a variety of sources including the project's source code and
| the software development infrastructure used by the project's
| development team". This allows them to put an estimated value to
| an Open Source project in terms of the financial resources it
| would take someone else to replicate the effort.
|
| While FLOSS may not have a marginal licensing fee, I find this
| type of site extremely useful in reminding people of just how
| valuable the software is.
`----
http://www.digital-copyright.ca/node/2873
Even former (and prominent) Microsoft employees turn to GNU/Linux and FLOSS.
------------------------------
End of Cola Digest
--
| Mark Kent -- mark at ellandroad dot demon dot co dot uk |
| News Digester |
|
|
