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01/23/2004 Archived Entry: "More FUD from SCO"

It's too soon to score the latest round, but in the Mars vs. Earth Scorecard, Mars is still ahead by 20 to 16. (Thanks to Gordon P. for the link.)

A sign that it's time to dump your SCO stock: their CEO, Darl McBride, is now sending letters to Congress, whining that Open Source software is un-American, unconstitutional, and a threat to the U.S. computer industry, the economy, and National Security. No doubt it also causes acne, grows hair on one's palms, and contributes to global warming, too. This looks like a desperation gambit by a company that's faring badly in its spurious court cases. I think the best response came from the Open Source And Industry Alliance when they said "Software adopted by hundreds of the nation's largest tech and non-tech companies is a threat to no one except those who can't innovate and compete."

McBride's wail -- adequately debunked by OSAIA and Groklaw -- is, like the rest of the SCO FUD campaign, so transparently false and deceptive that only a pack of imbeciles could fall for it. Unfortunately for us, that's where he sent this letter.

If I keep harping on the technical literacy and ethics -- or lack thereof -- of legislators, it's because they keep legislating techincal matters with predictable idiocy. Or perhaps venality; certainly the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, and the extensions of copyright and patent terms, smell strongly of Favors For The Well-Connected. In this case, I almost hope venality rules, because I don't think SCO is sufficiently well-heeled to buy many votes.

At any rate, be on guard for a Making America Safe for Lazy and Incompetent Software Vendors Act. (Come to think of it, Microsoft would probably lobby for that.)

Speaking of technical idiocy: the imbeciles are now proposing to use the Internet for voting. I'm sure I don't need to explain here why -- after two years of the worst computer security breaches in memory -- this is a bad idea. Besides the security problems, are the folks in Florida who were too befuddled to punch the right hole on a card going to do better with a secure web browser? (Heck, even I have problems with secure order forms not being processed, or being processed twice.)

brad