03.19.08
Support Bruce Perens’ Fight Against ‘Invasion of the Borgs’
The OSI and Bruce need your signature
Several months ago we wrote very extensively about Microsoft's motives in joining the OSI. By following the links, you can locate old posts that obviate the need to repeat old arguments.
The news today is actually arriving not from Michael Tiemann (shown on the right), who keeps a relatively low profile. Bruce Perens, as you are probably aware, is one of the louder and best-known protesters against the Microsoft/Novell deal. He continues to focus on this issue, which he has not forgotten. He wants to keep Microsoft out of the OSI’s board as well, possibly preventing an effect akin to that of companies like Novell inside the Linux Foundation.
Here is the link to the letter and a selective excerpt.
Unfortunately, running for the OSI board is going to be painful. Some oppose my action against vendor excesses like the Novell-Microsoft agreement. And there’s bad blood from the past - some of it my fault. I’m sure this campaign will inspire ad-hominem material about me on the net, etc. That’s another reason that I’ll need your support.
I’ve signed his letter (also mentioning OSBC 2008 in the process) and I encourage you to do the same if you object to Novell’s perversion of the FOSS ecosystem with the 'mixed source' strategy it takes so much pride in.
Yesterday we posted a link to the Wall Street-Linux event. Guess who will be rubbing shoulders with the attendant over there? Microsoft. Yes indeedy! Microsoft sponsors yet another event that revolves around its #1 competitive threat.
The following comment from my ‘Digg friend’, cday, is worth bringing up:
Microsoft is just one of many sponsors. MS must keep their fingers in all the pies, it also makes them look like they support openness. Plus, FUD doesn’t just happen spontaneously, someone’s gotta be there to generate it and spread it around, and no company on Earth can do that better than Microsoft.
Microsoft is likely to encourage companies in this event to choose only ‘legitimate’ Linuxes (i.e. ones that are Microsoft cash cows) and also warn people about their ‘precious’ intellectual monopolies. Attendants have complained before about Microsoft’s invasions which are intended to just bring brainwash (Microsoft called it “balance”).
Support Bruce. Help stop this abuse of Richard Stallman’s vision. █
Bruce Perens at the launch event of GPLv3
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.
Woods said,
March 19, 2008 at 2:11 am
Thanks for the tip. Would’ve missed that petition otherwise…
Roy Schestowitz said,
March 19, 2008 at 2:22 am
You can find some more background information in Bruce’s site, Technocrat.
Thomas Lord, who contributes to the site a great deal, makes an interesting remark.
c. day said,
March 19, 2008 at 9:51 am
Hi Roy,
I’m honored that you used my quote! I genuinely wish Bruce great success, but if, as he says, running for the board is going to be painful, actually getting on the OSI board likely won’t end the painfulness. Microsoft folks apparently aren’t above attempting to bully and smear the reputations of good people that oppose them.
From all I’ve read about Bruce Perens, he seems to have enough dedication and determined courage to stand his ground. cday
Woods said,
March 19, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Positive remarks on the web seem to be a bit hard to come by…
At least Matt Asay was…less than supportive: http://www.cnet.com/8301-13505_1-9897860-16.html
(Also see comment from Michael Tiemann)
Woods said,
March 19, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Come to think of it…what has Mr. Perens done for open source lately?
That question bothered me for a while (as I don’t keep such a close track of current events as I really should…) but then I remembered and my fears were allayed.
What has Mr. Perens done for open source lately?
He fights for FOSS. Every. Single. Day.
CoolGuy said,
March 19, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Yeah he is working all the time for FOSS, maybe not that openly.
He is always working behind the scenes for FOSS.
I vote to put him in the board at the highest level. That way atleast m$ wont be able to damage the OSI in anyway possible.
We just need him there, so that m$ wont dare touch OSI. We have assurance that he wont sell out like others. He doesnt have to do anything at all - just to make sure that m$ stays out of OSI.
Thousand times better than novell or sun or other commercial companies and their half baked approach towards FOSS.
Roy Schestowitz said,
March 19, 2008 at 6:46 pm
From what I can see, he gives many talks and travels with Stallman. Matt’s response irks me as somewhat arrogant.
Many people don’t do as much /for/ open source as much as they gain /from/ open source (money). Bruce fights for Freedom, not just open source _as a development method_ for commercial-grade software.
Perhaps that’s the type of personal attack Bruce warned about in advance. That’s why he needs people’s support.
paul said,
March 20, 2008 at 8:17 am
Thanks for the post, Roy. I, too, had no idea that these petitions were available. I just signed ‘em all.
Neil said,
March 20, 2008 at 11:51 am
hopefully you are moderating blog responses because this doesn’t need to end up on your blog
I noticed that you spelled rms’ name wrong, it’s Stallman. I’d have emailed this but I couldn’t find a way to contact you directly.
-Neil
Roy Schestowitz said,
March 20, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Oops. That’s a typo. Thanks. I hardly proofread. unless I write an article or a whitepaper.
Fixed now.