tomhudson's Journal: How many bugs would you eat for $400,000,000.00?

Jeremy Allison has just lost all credibility

"The problem with the Novell deal is -- Novell gave Microsoft what Microsoft dearly wanted, which is a public admission that they think that Linux violates the Microsoft patent."

Considering that this is an out-and-out lie, and that when Ballmer made the claim, Novell totally and unequivocally rejected Ballmer's statements, and that Microsoft has yet to "put up or shut up" and cite even ONE patent by either title or number ... its obvious that for Allison its personal all the way.

Linuxworld also takes a hit:

LinuxWorld: Watching Novell management being subjected to this was like watching a child eating a bug for money. It's embarrassing.

Allison: It is humiliating. I was horrified to say. It was humiliating. Yes. It really is like, "Go on. Eat a bug. Go on. Go on. Here's some money. Eat a bug." Yes, sad but true.

How juvenile - and it wan't filed on a Tuesday, either ...

Novell is a business. They don't HAVE to support SuSE, but they do. They don't HAVE to take SCO to the woodshed, but they do. Yes, they made what many consider a "deal with the devil" - but like when the devil argued with Dan'l Webster; its "the devil" who came up short. The deal gave linux a lot more credibility where its needed - the non-geeks who authorize the budgets.

Criticizing the deal on what it brings to the table, that's fine - but don't lie about it to try to make your case. There has never been any evidence that SuSE or any other linux distro infringes on any Microsoft patents. "Like eating bugs"? Oh grow up ...

all of 'em

[nocomment]

4 mill happens to be my magic number. I'd eat every bug I saw for that price. ;)

Ditto

[Scott Lockwood]

You beat me to it. :-)

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:

[tomhudson]

Its only by are reaction (or in this case over-reaction) that Microsoft is able to "drop a bomb" on us. Novell and Microsoft did a patent cross-licensing deal, and Novell, having the bigger portfolio, got the bulk of the money. These deals go on all the time.

Why would Microsoft do a patent deal? Because their sock puppet SCO is about to bite the dust, and Microsoft needs some coverage against their huge exposure in the mess.

It was only after the deal was signed that Monkeyman went out and claimed that