[SGVLUG] September Meeting

[David Lawyer]

> On Thu, 21 Jul 2005, Hershel Remer wrote:
> > ....When Matt presented last time, it was inside Sun's offices,
> > and so, he was able to beat you up

On Thu, Jul 21, 2005 at 03:26:12PM -0700, Dustin wrote:
> He never has, since we've met once that I remember.  We've only traded
> punches on the UUASC list.  I wasn't at his last presentation (my
> attendance has been zilch :-( for a couple of months or more), and the one
> time I met him face-to-face I think it was *you* turning the screws....
> 
> > ...about your anti-Sun sentiments.
> 
> Huh.  You've got it backwards--perhaps you meant to say Sun's anti-GPL and
> anti-Linux sentiments.  I merely point out what Sun's top execs say
> publically in the trade press and get labeled "anti-Sun" for it.  It's an 
> interesting world....

Sun's Solaris has been losing market share to Linux and Sun is trying
to stop this by appearing to embrace Linux at times, while being
critical of Linux at the same time.  Sort of like double-talk.

Well, I think it wrong for sgvlug to have any presentations that are
not pro free software (pro GPL plus).   I put "plus" because just
being GPL by itself doesn't really make it free.  Example: what
happened with the GPLed SourceForge software.  But if you could find
someone to take the free side of the case and give them equal time at
the meeting, that would be OK.  Provided of course that the free side
is taken by someone that can make a good case.  Otherwise it's known
as the "straw man" fallacy where one side of the debate is
intentionally ?? made weak so that the other side can win.

I guess that it's too late to change this for the Solaris presentation
but something to keep in mind for the future.

> > ...But, when he talks at sgvlug, it will serve as your rematch,
> > and this time, you will have the home field advantage.

> How about we just have Jonathan Schwartz talk about "how much Sun
> loves the GPL," or maybe how the third server OS after MS-Windows
> and Solaris (naturally, they're best of buddies now) is called "Red
> Hat"?  He does more damage to Sun's reputation than I possibly
> could.

Jonathan Schwartz is the head of Sun.  So Sun likely doesn't like GPL.
The statement above re GPL is intended to be ironic.  But I think that
if J.S.  made a presentation to a Linux group he would avoid saying some
of the things he's said in the past, like his support of software
patents.  So if we have him speak here (fat chance) I would ask that
we give someone equal time to remind him of his anti-Linux statements.

> Actually, you're the meeting-meister.  Why not invite him to speak
> (I'd prefer on those subjects, but if you say that he won't come) to
> UUASC?  It's a long shot, but all he can say is no.  It's no set-up,
> either, given how many Sun admins there are in UUASC.
> 
> Seriously.
> 
> Dustin
> 
> 
			David Lawyer