You know, lately I've been hearing more and more about SCO suing all sorts of people, namely IBM and users of Linux, over some apparent fact that they own open source software. I usually don't get myself too involved thinking about legal disputes. Lately though, it has hit too close to home, namely, an attack on free software. These values are so fundamental to progress in the world and so important to the work I do and the life I lead that I finally had to learn more about it. I read some articles and read some arguments from people that know about all aspects of the case, hoping to get a glimpse of hope. I was hoping for something that would convince me that SCO wasn't just a bunch of wankers who are scared because people are actually taking free software seriously.
But after reading everything, my overall feeling is that of disgust. I feel sick to my stomach when I think about the kind of harm that SCO is trying to cause everyone. Companies like IBM, who despite being giants, are in my opinion just trying to make good technology and make money doing it. And ordinary people and other companies who have embraced open source software not only because it's flexible and doesn't cost any money, but because it just feels right.
When many of my waking hours are spent in front of a computer carrying on my work and play, I think of the computer as an environment. One can almost live inside it. It's important to know when to walk away, but it's also important to feel comfortable when it's time to use the computer. Living in an environment that isn't yours, but is some large company's Intellectual Property just makes one feel like an unwanted guest. I've used Windows for long enough to know that if you have a question, they won't answer. If you have a problem, too bad. They even cover up problems by calling them issues, which is clearly the wrong word. So natually I've been turning more and more to open source software. It's getting better, and now I can use non-commercial software nearly all the time, with only a few applications requiring me to use windows.
It's easy to inadvertently refer to open source operating systems such as Linux and BSD as UNIX, but that name is owned by SCO, who now is claiming that Linux, and probably some of BSD is their property. They claim that source code was out and out copied from UNIX, which they own. But so far none of their examples of this have held any merit. Sure they have found things that LOOK like copied code, but so far there has always been a reason why the examples have been invalid. Most of the time the code was either not the same, and only looked the same, or it was code that was legally copied. Often the code was not even SCO's to begin with. So, with all this hoohah going on, everyone including myself is being diverted from our tasks, which often include making better techology. I decided that enough was enough, and so I wrote to SCO using their online comment form. It will probably end up with the raft of hate mail that gets discarded each day, but it made me feel better writing it. Oh, and I didn't swear once! Here's what I said:
You know, I've been following the SCO lawsuits involving Linux for
some time now. I don't use Linux, but instead FreeBSD, but I have a
very similar outlook on free software as the Linux folks.
I'm not sure the motive behind your lawsuits, but it makes me feel
sick to my stomach to read the reports of SCO suing all sorts of
companies for claims that upon close examination seem to be false. Why
now? Is it because free software has a firm place in the industry?
Why IBM? Because they are making money with free software? And for
heavens sake why the FSF? They're just a bunch of poor individuals
following their lifelong dreams!
Do you have dreams? I certainly do, and they involve doing what I
love, which is making great technology. And I can't help but feel
sick when I see that a company that appears simply hungry with greed
is trying to hurt thousands or millions of people that just want to
create and use technology. If you've ever written code yourself
you'll understand that it is very difficult to copy someone else's
code, and it is often just easier and better to make your own
implementation. After reading many different opinions I strongly
believe that your case is only trying to maliciously hurt work that is
done in good faith, whether to make a better product or make free
software.
Either way, I truly hope that all this press helps everyone BUT SCO,
and that you find yourselves wallowing in sorrow when you realize
that being greedy will hurt you in the end.
I pity you for having to work for such a horrible company.
Andrew
And so hopefully my message lands on the screen of someone with a bit of compassion, who is not afraid to say: "Hey! What the heck are we doing this for?" And hopefully a blip will turn into a wave of questions, and that wave will be so strong as to cause a disturbance at the top of the chain of command, where Darl McBride might end up looking at himself in the mirror one day and realize that while thousands of programmers were working simply to make something better, he was doing nothing but being a big asshole. It seems that lawsuits are the answer for a failing company that needs a bit of a stock boost. But someday I hope that society proves that wrong.
