[clue-talk] Novell & Microsoft blather

[David Willson]

I wish someone would put up a simple survey, but failing that, let's vote and discuss and generally flood this list with chatter about "the big announcement".

What will you do in response to the deal between Microsoft and Novell?  You know that Microsoft, Novell, the Samba team, and Red Hat have their opinions.  What's yours?

I'm going to (stop|start) using (Windows|SUSE).

Personally, I don't know what to do...  I'm happy that Linux has been "accepted" by Microsoft, but I worry about the "embrace, extend, exterminate" cycle, too.  I am this short of spaz'ing out and ripping every kind of SUSE off of every box I own and/or support, because Novell has validated the ridiculous notion of software patent intimidation by entering an indemnity agreement.  And an OSS company should never, ever validate that stupid-ass notion.  To whom shall I go, though?  Only SUSE seems to understand that I have work to do, first, that if I must choose between playing a video file and keeping my system "pure", I'm going to have to be impure enough to get through my email.

So, is Novell on our side?  Do we trust 'em?  Or are they willing to kill their brothers (let's say Red Hat and Ubuntu for argument's sake) for a bigger piece of the pie?  Is it only Red Hat that understands that it's about Linux, not just BrandX Linux?

Bah!  Cancel Thanksgiving; I need time to think about this...
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