SCO Terminates Darl McBride 458
bpechter writes "Linux Today reports SCO has terminated Darl McBride and linked to the SCO 8K SEC report. The report found also at the SCO site and states: 'the Company has eliminated the Chief Executive Officer and President positions and consequently terminated Darl McBride.'"
See ya! (Score:3, Funny)
Don't let the door hit you in the ass!
Sucka
Re:See ya! (Score:5, Interesting)
I doubt he'll cry too much over it. His little stock kiting scam has made him somewhat independently wealthy, and barring a lawsuit, I doubt he'll have to give the money back.
OTOH, I doubt that no one in the tech industry (save for maybe Microsoft) would ever hire him for anything.
(the Linux Foundation could maybe use a janitor, but...)
Re:See ya! (Score:5, Interesting)
"OTOH, I doubt that no one in the tech industry (save for maybe Microsoft) would ever hire him for anything." ....except to repeat his SCO adventures with another expendable company.
Re:See ya! (Score:4, Interesting)
Or anyone wanting a CEO who would do anything to keep their stock prices up in their failing business.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Id hire him in a second if i was a major software company in a big building. He could be the window washer on the side of the building where people throw pennies off the roof. Of course the elevator control system will run linux and the $699 license fee will come out of his (minimum wage) pay. Also the pennies thrown off the side count as tips! :D
Re:See ya! (Score:5, Insightful)
Exactly right. (Score:4, Insightful)
Guys like this always pop up again somewhere. We have not seen the last of Darl McBride's assholery ... not by a long shot.
He has CEO on his resume and I'm sure there are some "benchmarks" that he hit as part of his contract; meaning, he was a good CEO by those people's definition. He'll get another job somewhere.
It must be nice being at the top.
Re:See ya! (Score:5, Funny)
Remember at the end of the first Star Wars when Luke is jamming down the trench with Vader and his crew looking to bust a cap in his ass but Solo lays the smack down and Vader gets bitch slapped and they blow up the Death Star and they cut back to Vader recovering from a triple lutz doing a "WTF"?
Darl = Darth
Hope that clears it up for you.
Re:See ya! (Score:4, Funny)
Darth Vader intelligent? He accepted the Darth Vader job shortly after killing his predecessor at the order of his new boss. The retirement plan was not only very bad, it was potentially very early.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Guys like this always pop up again somewhere
I'm thinking "Celebrity Apprentice" or some other pseudo-celebrity reality show.
And along those lines... (Score:5, Interesting)
If anyone, and I mean anyone gets a copy of his resume sent to their HR department...they must post it.
I apologize for the brusque tone, but this is not optional - you have to do it. In it's entirety, unedited.
I'll bet it reads like Kim Jong Il wrote it. [11points.com]
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
(the Linux Foundation could maybe use a janitor, but...)
I think they'd be fools to hire him as a janitor. Think of all the mischief a sociopathic janitor could cause.
I second that! (Score:3, Funny)
Obligatory
I am a sociopathic janitor, you insensitive clod!
Careful there, or I'll grab a rag and clean the toilets, then clean your coffee mug!
And I have keys to everything!
Yeah, I see what you mean!
Re: (Score:2)
Re:See ya! (Score:5, Insightful)
I think they've already sold the door.
He's received millions in compensation during this whole pump-and-dump scam. I'm sure he's crying all the way to the bank.
Could I possibly be the first... (Score:2, Insightful)
"terminates" (Score:5, Funny)
I don't think that word means what I want it to...
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
I'm disappointed too, I thought maybe he met the governor of California.
That's a bit harsh (Score:5, Funny)
>SCO has terminated Darl McBride
That's a bit harsh. Couldn't they just have fired him?
Re:That's a bit harsh (Score:5, Funny)
Can't fire him - he's inflammable.
Inflammatory (Score:3, Informative)
inflammatory
Pronunciation: \in-fla-m-tor-\
Function: adjective
Date: circa 1711
1 : tending to excite anger, disorder, or tumult : seditious
2 : tending to inflame or excite the senses
3 : accompanied by or tending to cause inflammation
— inflammatorily \-fla-m-tor--l\ adverb
Source [merriam-webster.com]
No, Inflammable (Score:3, Informative)
1. Capable of burning; easily set on fire.
2. (figuratively) Easily excited; set off by the slightest excuse; easily enraged or inflamed.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Strange. I always thought he was a giant fart.
Re:That's a bit harsh (Score:5, Funny)
<dr. nick>Inflammable means flammable?!? What a country!</dr. nick>
Re:That's a bit harsh (Score:5, Funny)
That's a bit harsh. Couldn't they just have fired him?
You cannot fire that which does not work.
Re:That's a bit harsh (Score:5, Funny)
You cannot fire that which does not work.
That's not what your boss will say when he finds out you were on /. instead of working.
Re:That's a bit harsh (Score:4, Interesting)
What happens when I tell your mom that your room isn't clean? Time to look for a new basement!
Re:That's a bit harsh (Score:5, Funny)
Dang... only fired. (Score:3, Funny)
Big deal (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Big deal (Score:4, Funny)
Agreed. Call me when the shareholder lawsuit gets filed (if ever).
Re:Big deal (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Big deal (Score:5, Funny)
Better not go swimming then.
Re:Big deal (Score:5, Interesting)
Further to that, now that he's no longer at SCO, no one knows where he is going to land. Now that he has a taste for FOSS blood, he might end up at another company whose sole business model is litigation.
Re:Big deal (Score:5, Insightful)
Bank Of America seems to have an opening for a CEO that likes to really mess up the company they run. Darl would be perfect!
Re:Big deal (Score:5, Informative)
Val Noorda Kreidel, Ray Noorda's only daughter, shot herself to death at her home in Huntington Beach, California at 8am last Thursday morning, March 17, according to Orange County supervising deputy coroner Cullen Ellingburgh.
She shot herself in the head with a handgun, Ellingburgh said. He ruled out murder.
Ms. Kreidel committed suicide less than a week after the fracas over the management of the Canopy Group, her father's venture capital operation, was settled.
She was 49 and leaves a husband, four daughters and a son in addition to her parents and brothers.
The settlement transferred Canopy's 32% position in the infamous SCO Group and an undisclosed amount of money to former Canopy CEO Ralph Yarro. The Yahoo message board related to SCO's stock wasn't content with the initial report that Ms. Kriedel died of an apparent heart attack and placed calls to the coroner that tore away the protective euphemism.
Given Ms. Kriedel's conservative Mormon roots, one can understand why the family might be giving it out that she died of natural causes.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I assume you're point is that suicide is considered an unforgivable sin in Mormonism?
If so, and if they really believed it, I would expect them to be far more worried about their daughter's eternal fate, than what the community thought.
Re:Big deal (Score:5, Insightful)
Those two things are not mutually exclusive. If I had a child who committed suicide, I'd be disinclined to share that information.
Regarding suicide being a sin, it's a touchy subject though because many, if not most, people who commit suicide are mentally ill or are suffering from other mitigating circumstances. I can't speak for Mormon theology, but as a Catholic, we can pray for the repose of that person's soul. We cannot and do not judge the disposition of that person's soul. Personally, I trust in the mercy of God and that whatever He does is just. There's not much else you can do.
Re:Big deal (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Makes sense to me, but why should I trust a "CorporateSuit"? ;-)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Catholicism has a belief in purgatory though, which most Protestant denominations do not believe in.
Personally, having been raised Baptist, it was taught that suicide was pretty much a straight ticket to hell with no redemption, period. Reason I was always given was that "Sin cannot enter into heaven.", and that killing yourself was a big enough sin that you would have to ask for forgiveness before entering heaven, but given your death in the act you never would have a chance to repent for that sin.
Being t
Re:Big deal (Score:4, Informative)
Catholicism has a belief in purgatory though, which most Protestant denominations do not believe in.
That's because the Pope made it up some time in the Middle Ages as a fundraising tool.
Dan Aris
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Indulgences were the fundraising tool, the notion of Purgatory simply created the demand. Johann Tetzel even came up with a witty slogan, translated from German, it went something like, "Every time a coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs!".
This very act of blatant corruption is purportedly what motivated Martin Luther to post his theses on the church door, and later led to the schism. So naturally Protestants would wish to distance themselves from the things the movement's founder was
The Church and suicide (Score:4, Informative)
Re:The Church and suicide (Score:5, Insightful)
Sad. But too often true. All one needs to do is read the book of Job (the one in the Bible, not Apple CEO), to see this.
As a congregational leader, it is tempting to sit in judgment when bad things happen to good people. It is also easy to marvel when good things happen to bad people.
However, I teach that these things are as much a test of character as anything. I'm not one who can judge another, because simply it is not my job description.
As tempting as it may seem, we should instead focus on what we can do with what we have, to build up and bless(Order, Peace, Joy) this world we live in; leaving it better than when we found it.
But hey, what do I know? I'm a wacko religious nutcase. ;)
Re:The Church and suicide (Score:5, Funny)
Quoth Archangel Michael :
As a congregational leader...
Holy crap. I'd think a being like yourself would have better things to do than post on Slashdot.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
One Christian community's behaviour does not necessarily indicate how others will act, especially given the incredibly wide variety of "flavours" of Christianity.
Re:Big deal (Score:5, Insightful)
Oh, Bruce. Vicious, semi-legal, fraudulent, knock down drag out competition is the cornerstone of capitalism. Why, if CEOs do not try every ruthless, amoral strategy they can think up, they aren't competing. Without competition, the fat lazy companies take over the business ecosystem. If companies did not try to take advantage of every customer, supplier, and worker, those customers, suppliers, and workers would take advantage of them, or worse yet, everyone would get a fair deal. And if everyone got a fair deal, the strong would not succeed and the weak would not fail, and that would weaken the gene pool.
See, by relentlessly screwing us over, people like Darrell are improving the species.
Re:Big deal (Score:5, Insightful)
Vicious, semi-legal, fraudulent, knock down drag out competition is the cornerstone of capitalism.
Not if you want to stay in business for the long haul.
How did this not get a single flame mod?
Because everyone knows I'm right. Show me one business that has been around 'for the long haul' that does not have at least one black mark of this type on it's record, and I'll back down.
People are sick and tired of this kind of capitalism. They see it on Wall Street every day. They see it destroying America, and they hate it. So no, nobody feels like I'm flaming anything. Just telling the hard truth. Most Americans are moral people. Most CEOs aren't, and people are tired of Wall Street Fat Cats getting respect they don't deserve.
I'm not badmouthing capitalism in general here, just the utter lack of morals it encourages. Amoral behavior is not okay, and America will no longer accept it from our business leaders.
Re:Big deal (Score:5, Informative)
Show me one business that has been around 'for the long haul' that does not have at least one black mark of this type on it's record, and I'll back down.
Lego. Zippo. They're out there, although few and far between: Small companies that actually make things and aren't cutthroat because they're the best at what they do, that live on reputations of quality--real quality, not the word "quality". And more often than not, they end up selling out to huge conglomerates that either wisely let them do their thing in peace (Ben & Jerry's), or milk their reputation while letting them rot (Singer). But there are a (very) few out there that stay independent and manage to not be evil without it being a marketing strategy.
Re:Big deal (Score:5, Insightful)
America will no longer accept it from our business leaders.
For how long?
Until the next season of TV starts up in about a month :{
Re:Big deal (Score:5, Insightful)
For how long?
How long does it take a generation to forget a major recession? Five years? Ten?
How long did it take to make it okay to say, 'greed is good,' in public? Back in the 50s and 60s, it was not okay to say that. CEOs and other corporate fat cats could not flaunt their amorality. They had to at least pay lip service to being good community members.
If I recall, greed started being 'good' in the eighties, at least according to Gordon Gekko. I don't think the majority of people think it is anymore. Maybe we can hold better values than greed in high esteem again, things like cooperation, fairness, reciprocity, service, and selflessness.
Maybe we shouldn't be playing the sociopath's game if we aren't sociopaths. They will always win that game.
Re:Big deal (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Big deal (Score:5, Interesting)
People do not act like this in every system. Systems impact how people act. There will always be selfish people in any system, true. But systems that cater to and reward selfish behavior, that don't allow people to punish unfairness, will create more selfishness.
While your suggestions as to how to correct things are astute, you seem to be denying the impact that economic systems can have on people's behavior. You may want to read up on modern economic theory. Economic systems can make a huge difference in whether people play fair or not. Look up various games theory experiments, the dictator game, the public goods game, the ultimatum game. Or google, 'fairness reciprocity economic research.' It turns out that, counter to your assertion, people are not primarily selfish or self interested. They are far more motivated by notions of fairness and reciprocity. Only when they have no power to punish unfairness in others do most people resort to selfishness, to avoid being taken advantage of.
TERMINATION (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
A lot of newer slashbots won't know of him (Score:5, Funny)
For some background, Darl McBride was the CEO who saw the Linux company SCO through some of the hardest times the company ever went through. As CEO, McBride redefined SCO so as to make it one of the most talked-about computer companies ever. His leadership pushed the SCO reputation to limits most companies never reach.
SCO is a company for the history books nowadays, but just a few years ago it was one of the most influential companies around, garnering interest and vile from MS and a host of Linux vendors. They will be missed.
Re:A lot of newer slashbots won't know of him (Score:5, Funny)
They will be missed.
Just keep firing.
Re:A lot of newer slashbots won't know of him (Score:5, Funny)
Once he puts it down on his resume' he is going to sue you for copyright infringement.
Best publicist EVAR (Score:2, Funny)
Wait, they fired the best publicist in the history of the company, perhaps one of the best in the history of the tech industry? Why on EARTH would they do that? Now they've got nothing left!
Or have I just been brainwashed by the "no such thing as bad publicity" crowd?
Re:Best publicist EVAR (Score:4, Funny)
I don't know about that. I kinda lean towards the Former Iraqi Information Minister, Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf (AKA Baghdad Bob)
Re: (Score:2)
This is the guy that killed any credability the company had, drove away their userbase, fired their engineers, killed any chance of SCO ever making honest profit again, singlehandedly turned his own and the company's name into something synonymous with evil, and kept taking multimillion dollar performance bonusses even when the company was heading into bankrupcy, and you think he was good for SCO? wow.
Did the Gun Help? (Score:4, Informative)
"Darl McBride, chief executive of SCO Group Inc., says he sometimes carries a gun because his enemies are out to kill him. He checks into hotels under assumed names. An armed body guard protected him at Harvard Law School when he gave a speech last month."
So, did he ever get use that gun against the people who terminated him, I wonder?
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,595047068,00.html?pg=1 [deseretnews.com]
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Did the Gun Help? (Score:5, Insightful)
> "An armed body guard protected him at Harvard Law School when he gave a speech last month."
> So, did he ever get use that gun against the people who terminated him, I wonder?
I wonder more why anyone at Harvard law school would invite, and even listen to him?
Yes, it is of course just part of the wonders of modern society, where a sociopath can keep on messing up society via influential positions he gets via friends (i.e. fellow sociopaths). Isn't it great?
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes, it is of course just part of the wonders of modern society, where a sociopath can keep on messing up society via influential positions he gets via friends (i.e. fellow sociopaths). Isn't it great?
Sociopaths rule the world. [slashdot.org] It won't ever change. Get used to it.
Re:Did the Gun Help? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Did the Gun Help? (Score:5, Insightful)
He tried to appropriate the hard work of the community, scam people and organisations out of protection^H^H^H^H license money and sully the name of FOSS in general. All the while raking in money hand over fist and obstructing the legal process at every turn.
I very much doubt he needs to fear for his own safety, but yes, he is actually a first degree asshole.
Re:Did the Gun Help? (Score:4, Interesting)
There was about a year where SCO loomed as a very large threat. So yes, there was a time when McBride deserved the ill will he received not just here, but in many places. After it became clear that SCO literally had nothing at all, it became more of a joke. Now it's just kind of pathetic to watch as the whole thing implodes, so I certainly could care less what happened to him. If I were a shareholder, however...
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Technically, that's not a grammar flame, that's a semantic flame. The sentence "I could care less" is grammatically correct - it's the content that's wrong. And for me, my biggest language pet peeve ever. I have to do mental gymnastics every time someone says it to make sure that the topic really isn't important to them, and that they didn't mean what the sentence means: that it matters an indeterminate amount.
And now, we return to your regular slashdot programming of flames, rants and internet fights.
Re:Did the Gun Help? (Score:5, Insightful)
For all everyone's complaining here, did he really do anything that negatively impacted your lives?
No, but neither did any of those involved in the Rwandan genocide. One of the things about being a part of a society is that you are allowed to care about things that don't directly affect you personally.
Re:Did the Gun Help? (Score:4, Funny)
No, but neither did any of those involved in the Rwandan genocide.
Oh man, so close to a Godwin and yet you didn't go all the way!
Re:Did the Gun Help? (Score:5, Interesting)
Interesting. Its not very common for me to run into a Darl McBride sympathizer. The man after all is one of the worst scums the Linux community has ever encountered. He probably is the most hated man in technology. And you don't attain that title for just causing some uncertainty in the market.
The man lied and continued to lie for years. Filed frivolous lawsuits and dragged innocent people into court for years. And illegally pumped his company's worthless stock so that it could be dumped on unsuspecting investors. Essentially called all Linux users thieves and told them that he was coming for them. The list of his crimes and his victim is very long. And there are two suicides related to this case. You do not appear to have followed this scum as closely as many others here. This guy is a con artist of the highest order.
What is the sad commentary? (Score:3, Insightful)
Which is a pretty sad commentary.
What, that he thinks people are out to get him and that carrying a gun will make a difference if they are? That he thinks it's something to brag about?
The quoted text didn't indicate that he had any rational reason to take those actions.
I mean, really... I've had death threats from disagreeing with someone on Usenet about technical details of the process of creating new groups. This is the Internet, that kind of thing happens. You can't take it seriously.
Re:Did the Gun Help? (Score:4, Informative)
Yes. He pretty badly messed up the business I had at the time, because too many people took his threats seriously. Probably cost me a million-dollar deal.
Re:Did the Gun Help? (Score:5, Funny)
I advocate any form of violence against anyone.
I would, however, like to see him prosecuted, and be justly stripped of his riches, and to do a long stint behind bars. And Mr. Yarro too.
TYPO, sorry (Score:4, Informative)
Raising additional funding (Score:3, Insightful)
"The Company is also looking to raise additional funding and sell non-core assets"
Translation: The company is looking at further litigation, and selling off all software development divisions.
Re:Raising additional funding (Score:4, Informative)
You don't even need to "translate". The next sentence in the TFPressRelease reads:
(emphasis mine)
Knowing how this has gone... (Score:3, Interesting)
Goodbye sweet prince (Score:3, Funny)
I'm uninstalling my Caldera Desktop in protest.
So when is SCO going to Die (Score:2, Insightful)
Good bye loser! (Score:4, Insightful)
kill -9 `pgrep darl_mc_bride`
Re:Not quite into the ground (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Not quite into the ground (Score:4, Interesting)
why doesn't IBM buy them up (or at least a controlling interest) and finally drop the curtain on SCO's last act?
Because IBM is a big pockets corp. They have a policy of defending against bogus IP suits rather than buying them off - because if they ever bought one off they'd be inundated with more.
Thus they and the legal system have played "mill of the gods" to SCO's grain and ground them slowly but exceedingly fine.
Now that SCO is in receivership and their antagonist-in-chief is in the unemployment line, they MAY consider their point proven. Or they may continue to grind until every i is dotted and t is crossed in the legal record - and any remaining stockholders (who should have known better and restrained Darryl, rather than cheering him on and hoping for a piece of IBM) are perhaps left with zero.
Their call.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
And most probably a policy of defending against legitimate IP suits as well, don't you think?
If the suit is legitimate the best strategy is to settle quickly for a reasonable royalty or an IP swap and small lump sum (for a little guy or a competing big guy respectively) rather than risk a large judgment and an injunction against shipping more product and supporting their user base.
I don't know that IBM follows this strategy. But I haven't seen any stories (or heard any rumors) in the last couple decades ab
Let's all sing along with the Munchkins! (Score:3, Funny)
Chris Sontag (Score:5, Interesting)
Job search licence (Score:3, Funny)
Dear Darl McBride:
I would like to interview you for a position I have. The application requires a licence that costs just $699.
Signed,
All future potential employers
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
SCO basically claimed to own the rights UNIX (incl LINUX) and kindly offered not to sue companies using it, if they paid 699$ per installation. For details, check groklaw.net.
The Ha Ha is on YOU! (Score:3, Interesting)
Maybe SCO got rid of Darl because the company doesn't need an executive any more. It needs a lawyer to manage litigation, because the big lawsuit (such as it is) is the only asset of SCO.
If you're not making, only suing, then it makes sense that your corporate boss should just be a lawyer to manage the lawsuit.
SCO's new slogan: "We're a big, lean litigating machine!"
He was a kind and generous man.... (Score:4, Funny)
$300k salary + bonus for meeting loss targets (Score:4, Informative)
Darl was hauling in a pretty pile for driving SCO into oblivion.
Last year while in BK he hauled in $492k.
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1102542/000095013409004254/v51630e10vkza.htm
This from a 60 person company. That was losing money like crazy.
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1102542/000095013409001443/0000950134-09-001443-index.htm
$13M revenue, $8.7M loss
Nice 0.5/13 -> 1/26 of the revenue was paid to Darl
Re: (Score:2)
You laugh, but asshattery of the Darl McBride variety has been rewarded more often than not.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
You laugh, but asshattery of the Darl McBride variety has been rewarded more often than not.
How do people think that someone becomes CEO to begin with?
Re:Don't forget... (Score:5, Funny)
They killed a man for fucks sake! This is no time to be trolling!
Re:Don't forget... (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Depends on which Terminator they used.
Re:Don't forget... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Buh-bye! (Score:4, Informative)
Early '90s SCO would have been Santa Cruz Operations which sold the "UNIX" business to Caldera which renamed itself SCO in 2003 to muddle the ownership issues. The original SCO renamed itself to Tarantella and was bought by SUN which is now Oracle.
It was/is a great mess.