What Goes Around Comes Around - The Only Clear Winner in This SCO Versus IBM Case is Microsoft

PBS ^ | JUNE 19, 2003 | Robert X. Cringely

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Just came across this today, seems to make sense!

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[Duke Nukum]

I keep hoping that the Germans or the Japaneese will take over LUNIX software engineering, since they seem so good at car engineering. Its, like, they *GET* that people buy cars to drive them all of the time and not have to get out to push them whenever the open scourge engineers don't feel like adding a feature. Like if the car egineers didn't feel like putting in the code to go up hill and the driver had to get out and push everytime they came to a hill. That's what LUNIX is like.

Until, like, the LUNIXitcs grok that people want their computers to work, we're all, like, DOOMED, to get systems that run out of swap space for no reason. Nobody even wants to know what swap space is, let alone why its running out. If it was really important, they would have called it "sexy nightie space" or "scantily clad babe space" but they didn't. They named it something nobody can even remember, even in their worst Freudian nightmares.

Sic Semper LUNIX!

[Golden Eagle]

The IBM lawyers (who ARE IP lawyers) will strongly argue that none of this matters since we have a case of a single person who did two very similar implementations based on his earlier research.

They're going to have a hell of a time proving that, if the code was the same.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

It's early in the life of the Operating system.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The IBM lawyers (who ARE IP lawyers) will strongly argue that none of this matters since we have a case of a single person who did two very similar implementations based on his earlier research. Both his UNIX and Linux versions (works B and C) were derived from his original research (work A) which was not exclusively limited to UNIX. His paper shows that was the case and while SCO may see it as the smoking gun, IBM will see it as the proof of innocence.

What's work with his point?

[Golden Eagle]

You mean W-R-O-N-G?

[Imal]

Ha! Spoken like a true Unix devotee. U R 3733t, d00d!

[Imal]

**(in reference to "It's early in the life of the Operating system." -- a classic Unix truism)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Yes, got distracted!

[Stump.Puller]

Earnest, Thanks for posting this.

As a member of the programming preisthood from the early sixties, I can say with a fair degree of modesty that R. X. Cringeley's article is about an accurate description of the situation as I have ever seen.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I watched MVS struggle with some ( conceptually ) pretty simple stuff for a lot of years!

SMP (System Maintenance Program ) was a nightmare for several years, although that is not a simple task!

[Golden Eagle]

Because this is in many ways more evidence for SCO's case.

This means IBM is already publicly admitting the same guy did it before the trial even starts.

I expected something similar to this all along. They are going to crucify this linux hack that did it in his mind "for the community". Then start dealing with SCO again, and start charging money for SCO(IBM) Linux (may have to change name). What a dirty deal to play on those gullible Linux hacks that built this for them. Who would have ever guessed. ;-)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

It will likely take a few years to see if he is right! But he seems to have a good argument to me, but I know nothing about Intellectual Property Rights!

I know IBM has had some big battles over just that particularly with Hitachi when they were copying sections of MVS code!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Aren't you getting ahead of things ?

[Golden Eagle]

Aren't you getting ahead of things ?

Maybe for some, but not for others that have expected this suit for years, and have been watching it develop from long ago.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Oh?

[Imal]

I used to run some DEC 8400's for a while, running my beloved Digital Unix (IMO one of the best Unices ever), So I know the culture.

And my favorite characteristic of high-end systems culture is the wry humor you find throughout. The "early in the life of the operating system" line is classic, widespread, and by no means unusual. Just read the jargon file for a taste, be aware that the culture is constantly evolving (and not just for -=haXX0rz=- either), and one can gain an appreciation for the depth of that culture.

I remember a few DEC tech bulletins that positively had me in stitches. Very dry, very clever, very informative (if you could read between the lines), and paid for by DEC. *8^)

[Golden Eagle]

Don't act surprised. Every Linux hack knew what they were doing, you can argue but it's just like Napster was. This was inevitable, especially after RIAA's success.

Sure a lot of people put a lot of work in it. But they never understood these big companies, and these courts that feed greedy governments wouldn't let this stuff sit out there as 'free' for long. Big business rules. So do big governments. Whether we like it or not.

[eggman]

I think the SMP they refer to in the article is Symmetrical Multi-Processing. I worked with Dynix, SCO, AIX, HP-UX, & Solaris. Each had their own version of a System Maintenance Program.

Of course Microsoft is going to be the only winner here. Why else would they pay off SCO and let them try to destroy Linux while Microsoft just sat back and watched the fireworks.