[CLUE-Talk] SCO vs the computer industry

[Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier]

On Tue, 2003-06-17 at 09:17, Kirk Rafferty wrote:
> On Mon, Jun 16, 2003 at 09:47:13PM -0600, Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier wrote:
> > > Oh, and now Linux is a terrorist tool?
> > 
> > That one really got me... They're really reaching for anything they can
> > think of to smear Linux. 
> 
> Not to play devil's advocate here (the SCO legal time is doing a fine job
> of that :), but I seem to recall about five years ago that Iran had
> reportedly set up a (Beowulf?) cluster for nuclear weapons research.
> Supposedly it was the largest computing effort in the middle east at the
> time.  Anyone else remember this, or did I have a Tom Clancy moment?

I don't recall that, but it doesn't mean it didn't happen. 

However, I still see this as a red herring -- the fact that a "rogue
state" might download and use technology that's Open Source isn't really
relevant. If they want a type of software that's commercially available
badly enough, they can find a way to smuggle it in. 

Think about it -- before Iran can use SMP code, they'd have to get hold
of SMP systems first...if they can can smuggle in multi-processor
computers, (assuming that they're prohibited) they can certainly smuggle
in SMP-capable OSes along with the computers. 

I really wish they'd get in front of a judge and get this over with. If
there is any justice in the world, SCO will be bankrupt and McBride and
Sontag will be relegated to working in fast food the rest of their lives
after the shareholders sue them into oblivion for completely ruining
SCO. I can't imagine anyone would do business with them after this is
all over. 

Zonker
-- 
Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier
jzb at dissociatedpress.net
Aim: zonkerjoe
http://www.dissociatedpress.net