[SGVLUG] Re: Last night's meeting

[Dustin]

On Mon, 12 Sep 2005, Swantje wrote:

> I don't understand these insider comments, but would like to know
> what's going on.
> 
> So what is it that Sun is up to that is so bad? Could you summarize it
> on the list or point me to a place where I can read an article or
> something about it?

Well, I didn't used to save links like that because it would be like 
saving Steve Balmer quotes--there are plenty to go around.  But I started 
saving a few just for questions like that.  Here is a random selection.  

Keep in mind that this isn't by any means the entirety of Sun's
relationship with us--in fact, they are one of the most schizophrenic
companies around, which is part of the problem.  But there is no need for
me to try to be balanced, Sun's executive-level bigmouths talk friendly
enough when we are the audience.  This is just an antidote to the
kool-aid.  As I like to say, if you had a sharpshooter on your squad that
was the best around, but every fifth bullet he would turn around and shoot
at friendly forces, would you still want him on your team?

A lot of this stuff dates to the day that Sun decided it had more in 
common with Microsoft than us and buried the hatchet:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/04/03/why_sun_threw/
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20040405065529259

It's a stunning about-face, but I guess it's true that the most vocal
bigmouth is not the person likely to be in it for the long haul.

One of the results of that was Sun and Microsoft together promoting a 
world where hardware was free with software subscriptions:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/free-hardware.html

There isn't actually anything in the world more hostile to either Free 
Software or consumers than that idea, and Illiad summed it up pretty 
brilliantly:

http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20040606&mode=classic

Basically, that world presupposes destroying Free Software first, because
the business model is the opposite of the Open Source/Free Software
business model.  I can see why it is attractive to Microsoft, of course,
and as long as Sun is content to be a lap-dog, Sun too.

Then there is the long-running anti-GPL FUD from Sun's top junkyard dog 
and (since the rapproachment) all-around Microsoft Cat's Paw, Jonathan 
Schwartz.  Here he is quoted saying the GPL is proprietary:

http://news.com.com/Linux+license+overhaul--dont+hold+your+breath+-+page+2/2100-7344_3-5573356-2.html

My favorite for sheer stupidity and chutzpah is Schwartz's claim that the 
GPL hurts the Third World (he apparently thinks they're better off either 
spending their entire GDP on boutique Sun Hardware or just not having 
computers at all):

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-5656047.html

The argument, unbelievably, is that hotbeds of technology like, I don't
know, Bangaledesh would be forced to give away their software so that we
in the US with so many global market-leading software vendors could steal
it.  The mind boggles.

Of course, software theft *never happens* in the proprietary world either.  
:-P

Far less creative, but a perennial favorite among the minions who have
their press releases written in Redmond, is the attempt to misrepresent
what "Free" means (and ESR to the contrary, they do it very well with
"Open" too):

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/linuxunix/0,39020390,39206659,00.htm

While Schwartz is the main Cat's Paw, Scott McNealy plays the game too.  
Here he talks love and kisses:

http://www.itworld.com/Man/3828/020816mcnealy/

But by the time of this article Sun has decided to downplay Linux:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/21/sun_linux_labotamy/

Nothing wrong with that in itself--Sun isn't obliged to advertise Linux or
anything else.  But given the level of friendly rhetoric Sun sometimes
produces, it is a useful example of how absolutely meaningless their
pronouncements are.  You can believe what a Sun exec says for what?  A
day?  An hour?

That's enough.  Mostly following Sun's press releases makes me want to
puke, so I don't collect links all that hard.

Note that I always try to distinguish between Sun the company and Sun's
current management and frantic "strategy du jour" style.  Sun has great
unix engineers and has done amazing things that benefited all of us.  
Generally, they are our friends either because we share the same values or
at least because we (as a community) tend to appreciate great engineering
whatever the source.  But anyone who thinks their current management are
our "friends"  probably thinks that a lion who keeps an eye on you instead
of attacking because he isn't quite hungry yet is a friend too.

I've always said I wished Sun would tank in the marketplace just hard
enough and long enough to get McNeely and Schwartz fired, followed by a
quick return to profitability under management whose main professional
skills are not being loudmouths.  Not likely, though.

In the mean time, don't drink the kool-aid.

Dustin