It Official Linus stole Linux (Microsoft FUD)

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/040514/234/71e7q.html ^ | 05/17/2004 | Yahoo

[N3WBI3]

Torvalds claim to "invent" Linux probably false, says new study

Fri May 14, 5:49 PM ET

Washington, DC (FeatureXpress) May 14, 2004 - Popular but controversial "open source" computer software, often contributed on a volunteer basis, is often taken or adapted without permission from material owned by other companies and individuals, a study by the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution finds. Among other points, the study directly challenges Linus Torvalds (news - web sites)' claim to be the inventor of Linux (news - web sites). In one of the few extensive studies on the source of open source code, Kenneth Brown, president of AdTI, traces the free software movement over three decades -- from its romantic but questionable beginnings, through its evolution to a commercial effort that draws on unpaid contributions from thousands of programmers. Brown's account is based on extensive interviews with more than two dozen leading technologists including Richard Stallman, Dennis Ritchie, and Andrew Tanenbaum.

[N3WBI3]

More thrid party fun compliments of redmond

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Popular but controversial "open source" computer software, often contributed on a volunteer basis, is often taken or adapted without permission from material owned by other companies and individuals, a study by the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution finds.

The "Alexis de Tocqueville Institution" is one guy with a $19.95 per month web site.

And he can't write.

[steve-b]

Oh, puh-leeze. This Microsoft brothel is a desecration of Alexis de Tocqueville's good name.

[stainlessbanner]

Guess Linus isn't going to win the Tocqueville award this year. < grin >

[prion]

Hm. The site is registered to a Gregory Fossedal, whose email address leads back to something called the Democratic Century Fund. Which, near as I can figure it, is a fund manager for high-risk third world investments. He's listed as the Chief Investment Officer.

Curious set of interests.

[zeugma]

If they think any "intellectual property" was stolen. They are free to attempt to prove it. SCO doesn't seem to be having a good time of it.

This is nothing but FUD. Microsoft is worried.

[Woodman]

If this is MS FUD, where is the connection between Microsoft and this article/publication?

[Know your rights]

Scholarly organizations are "institutes;" an "institution" is a mental health facility.

[N3WBI3]

http://www.wired.com/news/linux/0,1411,52973,00.html

A Microsoft spokesman confirmed that Microsoft provides funding to the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution.

"We support a diverse array of public policy organizations with which we share a common interest or public policy agenda such as the de Tocqueville Institution," the spokesman wrote in an e-mail.

It this good enough for you?

[Havoc]

The Story of Linux is prett friggin well known and documented. Lord only knows what this guy's motives are. If he were an MS wonk, it wouldn't surprise me.

[MrsEmmaPeel]

Not surprised. Andrew Tanenbaum is author of Modern Operating Systems, among other things. Mr. Peel says a lot of people stole from him.

[JustAnAmerican]

"If this is MS FUD, where is the connection between Microsoft and this article/publication?"

Add this little article to the long list of MS support proof for the Org. in question.

MS anti-Linux Connection

[zx2dragon]

MS-funded think tank propagates open-source lies

For some more FUD, the author suggests that if the DoD were to use any GPL'd code in a classified software project, they'd have to publish the source code for all to see. I'm afraid that's wrong. They would only have to make the source available if they were to make the software available. But if it's classified they won't, so the issue is moot. Contrary to the author's nonsense, the GPL doesn't compel anyone to make their creations public. It only forces them to provide sources if they should choose to make them public.

[Woodman]

FWIW Different article, different subject, same group. No that is close but not good enough for me until I know who all of the investors in the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution are. I'm not shilling for MS, but I think you owe it to the forum to be honest in your titling of posts.

[Dominic Harr]

Am I wrong in remembering this is the same bunch who came out with a 'study' that claimed open-source was more expenseive than proprietary?

[Publius6961]

If they think any "intellectual property" was stolen. They are free to attempt to prove it.

Why? Isn't "...Brown's account is based on extensive interviews with more than two dozen leading technologists including Richard Stallman, Dennis Ritchie, and Andrew Tanenbaum." good enough for you?

You want facts? What are you, some kind of a nut?

< /sarcasm >

[antiRepublicrat]

The FUD's going deep. Who is the father of Linux?

Message-ID: 1991Aug25.205708.9541@klaava.helsinki.fi
From: torvalds@klaava.helsinki.fi (Linus Benedict Torvalds)
To: Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: What would you like to see most in minix?
Summary: small poll for my new operating system

Hello everybody out there using minix-I'm doing a (free) 
operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and professional
like gnu) for 386 (486) AT clones. This has been brewing since 
april, and is starting to get ready. I'd like any feedback on 
things people like/dislike in minix, as my OS resembles it 
somewhat

Any suggestions are welcome, but I won't promise I'll
implement them :-)

Linus

It's kind of funny that he never foresaw how big his little project would become.

[Jack Black]

Not surprised. Andrew Tanenbaum is author of Modern Operating Systems, among other things. Mr. Peel says a lot of people stole from him.

Linus has always admitted that he based his OS on Tanenbaums Minix, a copy of which is printed in the back of "Operating Systems". Seeing as Tanenbaum put Minix in the public domain this hardly qualifies as either property theft or even taking credit for something you didn't do. Minix had huge problems and Linux and his friends fixed them, making it useful for something besides freshman comp sci classes.

[jpsb]

Linux is Unix, AT&T invented Unix at Bell Labs. End of Story.

[Woodman]

Please see #14. All of these links are about the same article. MS admitted that they Fund/Contribute to the org. That could be $100 or $100 million dollars, but I still see no proof that they are the major financier of the org. Although this paper may well be FUD, and even could be MS FUD, you are the ones that are blindly attacking here without the facts.

The correct title of the article linked from Yahoo is "Torvalds claim to "invent" Linux probably false, says new study" and normally that's what should be posted. Just who has the agenda here is starting to seem obvious to me.

Here is a list of officers of the ORG. It's an interesting set of names I'll admit.

Staff and Associates
Name Title
Ken Brown President
Gregory Fossedal Chairman
Christopher Cox Co-Chairman
AdTI Board of Advisors
John Norquist Co-Chairman
AdTI Board of Advisors
Gordon Macklin Co-Chairman
Market History Research Program
Robert Toricelli Co-Chairman
IMF Assessment Project
Donald Payne Co-Chairman
Opportunity Africa
Alveda King Senior Fellow
Education Policy and Civil Rights
Becky Norton Dunlop Director, Democracy and the Environment Research Program
David Kirkpatrick Fellow, Education Policy
Dan Evans Teacher Choice Fellow
Don Koniezco Teacher Choice Fellow
Marilyn Ketter Rittmeyer Teacher Choice Fellow
Sahir Zuberi Webmaster


That looks to me to be a pretty much Democratic Party funded and run operation.