Open Source
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Oracle courts Ubuntu, Red Hat in denial
“Even if Red Hat’s relationship with Oracle is still more or less intact despite Ellison’s barbs, the Linux distributor needs to recognize that Oracle now considers them a competitor.”
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AP Wire | 10/24/2006 | Popular open-source Web browser Firefox gets update
“The Mozilla Foundation released on Tuesday an updated version of its popular, free Web browser, Firefox, which features improved search functions and more protection against spyware.”
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BBC NEWS | Technology | Space tourist promotes open source
“On this week’s edition of BBC technology programme Digital Planet South African space tourist and open source evangelist Mark Shuttleworth talks about the developing world’s need for technology solutions.”
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Java Technology – Introduction to Sun’s Open-Source Java Initiative
Simon Phipps pointed me to this one.
Venture Capital
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The top five VC proposals I’d like to write | Paul Murphy | ZDNet.com
“Suppose you had the opportunity to pitch a business opportunity to a high end, Silicon Valley style, venture capital firm. What would you talk about?”
About Ubuntu, Linux, and Mark Shuttleworth; and the contrast with Windows and Microsoft.
There always have been two traditions.
The ‘commercial’ tradition, whereby a publisher comissions an author to write a work, and then sells copies of the work at so-many dollars per copy. If someone starts selling copies of the work without the publisher’s permission, or makes a derivative work (translates to French and starts selling in Canada, maybe), then that is regarded as very naughty and is stopped by courts of law. You can always get permission by paying mucho dollars, of course.
Bloomsbury Press http://www.bloomsbury.com/harrypotter/ and the Harry Potter books are a good example of this.
The ‘scientific’ tradition, whereby a scientist reads and understands the works of all previous scientists; does his or her own research; and publishes his or her report. A good scientist will give references to all his or her sources, but there is no need to seek permission from or to pay any of those scientists whose work go before.
SpringerVerlag http://www.springer.com/ are a good example of this; if a scientist (or his employer) pays Springer enough, then Springer will review and publish the paper and make it available to the whole world forever at no charge.
Einstein couldn’t have done his work without Newton going before, but I think all that Einstein had to say was ‘Thanks, but you are wrong’ .
Microsoft and Windows are ‘commercial’. Shuttleworth and Linux are ‘scientific’.
The world needs both kinds of thing. Neither can exclude the other forever. If you get the wrong sort for your needs, it’s unlikely to make you happy.
I wonder how the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is going to use its resources in addressing malaria http://www.gatesfoundation.org/GlobalHealth/Pri_Diseases/Malaria/
I think they’re going to need some scientific progress. They might find Ubuntu works better for it.