News Linux aids Axis of Evil, SCO claims

Also from the Inq:

SCO HAS WRITTEN a letter to politicos in Washington DC which alleges that Linux threatens the US economy, technological innovation, its grip over the global software industry and last, but surely not least, "our national security".

The firm claims that Open Source Software – a community of volunteers and "abetted by the efforts of several major computing companies" has two serious problems.

Full story here

Oh dear - SCO are getting desperate, aren't they. I suppose that they do have a point on the supercomputer issue, but please - it smacks of a "lets push as many 'hot buttons' as possible in the vain hope that it aids our cause" strategy.

Having said that - the clustering technology that allows computers running Linux isn't open source, is it? I thought that stuff was a 'for sale' item, and the developers would be unable to distribute it to the mustachioed villains ready to do war with their home brew supercomputers.

Besides, if they really wanted a supercomputer, and even if Linux wasn't around, the countries mentioned would get one by hook or by crook. Everythings for sale if the price is right.

 

I can see the headlines now:

Laptops of mass destruction found!

 

"Evidence of development of Laptops of mass destruction"

 

Here is a thread a made a few days ago with another article from NewsForge on the subject.

 

look at iraq, they ended up making a supper computer out of 2000 PS2's, because for some reason or other they wheren't allowed to import pc's

 

Next thing we know they'll be trying to arrest 12 year old beginnning computer nerds for networking their home computers.

 

They are quoting SCO right? I thought all of the above described MS Windows(maybe not the economy part).

 

Didnt microsoft once say thant Linux was communist, I guess that makes them Facists

 

No, "Evidence of the intention to develop laptops of mass destruction".

OK, if the US government even just listens to this one, it has finally lost the last shread of its sanity. Or rather, Sanity signed a disclaimer form, packed its bags, and left without forwarding address and is now living in an undisclosed location after a change of identity (effected by the Sanity Protection Programme).

Oh, for the days when the biggest worry about a US president was that he had had a ******* in the oval office...

 

It's interesting to read the ramblings of someone who's clearly lost their mind..

 

I just read that letter by SCO, and it mde me physically sick.

 

I don't know much about Linux or Unix, I am one of the millions of mindless drones we call "Windows User". So maybe someone here can tell me exactly how much of Unix code was incorporated into Linux. Call me old fashioned, but I do believe in intellectual property; however, the SCO's arguments are full of holes.
Linux is now backed by IBM and DELL and the SCO is terrified of losing anymore of it's market share. Microsoft has the consumer PC Market cornered. Can you buy a PC anywhere retail that doesn't come with Windows pre-installed? So Unix can only be competitive in the business market. The problem is UNIX's command line shell is inaccessable to the end-user. That was fine up 'til a few years ago when the only people who did anything at work with computers were the tech nerds you knew in High School (Yes, I was in the AV club for a year or two). Now, computers are being utilized for everyday applications. Everyone working in a business that doesn't include manual labor uses one, and even sometimes when it does. Windows and Linux are better solutions. They both offer a GUI which is vital to easy management of files and applications for the casual user.
The SCO claims that open-source software will lead to a loss of jobs in the software industry. Perhaps it will, but the there will be a greater number of jobs in the IT industry. Company's buy tech support with their free software. If they have a problem they call a guy who gets payed $60/hour + service charge to go to the site. The result is better software because everyone is working on it and more jobs because businesses need the tech nerds to maintain it.
In regards to the allegation that open source abets "evil" countries, I will say that Darl McBride is correct as well as an alarmist. It is true that people in countries opposed to the US can build supernodes and use Linux as their OS. It is also possible to use pirated versions of Unix or Windows. As GreatOldOne mentioned, it's absurd to think they can't obtain the software because SCO is forbidden to sell it to them. McBride knows this but cares not to mention it in his letter to congressmen. It is as alarmist in nature as the blanket color-coded terrorist alert system. It is used to inspire fear as motivation to maintain copyright laws.
There are many other things to say about these letters, but this post has gotten long enough. The ultimate irony is that the SCO defeats their argument by challenging the GNU GPL. Their software is becoming obsolete and, rather than make better software to compete in the changing market, they wish to hinder innovation. If they win their case, it shows that copyright law can defeat it constitutional purpose to "promote the progress of Science and useful Arts."

BTW, if anyone has actually read this far, does anybody know what SCO stands for? I couldn't find it in any of the letters or on their website.

 

How about Stupid Copyright Owners? (sorry, couldn't resist)