SCO - EV1, Licensees, Groklaw, Armed Guards 778
Camel Pilot writes "It looks like the CEO of EV1Servers underestimated the reaction to giving in to SCO demands and licensing Linux. I know we were looking for a new hosting home, and had EV1 at the top of the list, but now they are not even a consideration..."
An anonymous reader writes "InfoWorld has an article with more info on Computer Associates denying being a SCO Linux licensee." Also, Mick Ohrberg writes "Pamela Jones, creator of Groklaw, an independent legal research site, responds to some allegations presented by SCO CEO Darl McBride." Finally, an anonymous reader writes "According to the Deseret News, Darl McBride 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." Update: 03/08 20:17 GMT by S : cdlu writes "Now the SEC is unofficially confirming some interest in the SCO and Microsoft connection, according to Newsforge [part of OSDN, like this site]."
Give me a break!! (Score:5, Insightful)
Lets see... one guy pisses off a buncha nerds. He's afraid of firepower?
Uhh... Darl... the only thing you need to worry about is stuff like cracking your servers and DoS attacks. Both of which you have survived.
Really, if frivilous lawsuits caused people to fear for their lives, something is wrong witht his world.
Computer Associates (Score:5, Insightful)
From the article, The Islandia, N.Y., company, one of the biggest makers of corporate software, said that although it signed the licenses, it didn't pay for them -- and never would
Signed but not paid???
Contracts? SCO? What did you expect? (Score:5, Insightful)
"
Like, SCO can read, understand, or comply with a contract; that they can be relied upon to disclose factual information, and that they're not in a media war. Give me a break. What the hell did you expect?
In for a penny, in for a pound (Score:3, Insightful)
Now I'm not one to make threats (instead, I just tell him to put up or shut up), but in any social group, there will be those who will feel the need to take extreme measures against a threat, be it real or perceived.
can they get their money back? (Score:5, Insightful)
so now they can sue SCO and get their money back!
Hey, SCO don't sell landmines! (Score:2, Insightful)
So they bought a licence, big deal. He's just covering his ass, and the ass of everyone who chooses EV1. The courts will not rule in IBM's favour just because linux geeks don't like it. Hell, it's not like it even matters! We havent even SEEN the "evidence" yet. what if SCO really does have a case, and they suddenly start suing every colo firm that runs linux?
Down here with the rest of us... (Score:2, Insightful)
I'm not a big fan of people taking the law into their own hands, but...
It's one thing to throw rocks at someone from the safety of a cushy penthouse and the security of a legal/corporate structure designed to benefit and serve you (and those like you). Must be a tad unsettling to find that one's actions as a corporate entity can lead to consequences in the real world.
On another note...
If his handgun is as powerful as his legal standing, I'm guessing it's a .32 automatic.
The Dalai LLama .22 and I found out about it, I'd be mad as hell!" - Some Texas Ranger
"If someone ever shot me with a
Re:Give me a break!! (Score:5, Insightful)
I think the chances that Darl McBride has received death threats, both at his place of business and his residence, are so close to 100 percent as makes no difference. Some people can laugh that stuff off. Others choose to take it seriously. Who can argue with either approach?
Should EV1 sue SCO? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:SEC investigation underway? (Score:4, Insightful)
emerge -DU SCO-SEC-case.1.2.3
If justice were done.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Hopefully jail will be McBride's ultimate fate. Crooks should be locked up and Darl McBride is a brazen example of one in my opinion.
Propaganda, victim complex, or both? (Score:5, Insightful)
First lines of the article:
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.
Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux operating system, calls SCO 'the most despised company in technology.'
...later...
In January, McBride's unlisted home telephone number was placed on Slashdot.org, a pro-Linux Internet site, which led to harassing phone calls on Super Bowl Sunday. Hackers also targeted the company's Web site with the Mydoom virus earlier this year, causing the company to shut down the site.
McBride said he sometimes carries a gun, declining to specify the type, and travels with armed guards. The gun is licensed, he said. Security officials have told him that convicted felons are behind the death threats, McBride said.
Lookie! It's the juxtaposition trick! Darl says, "I feel threatened," then mention someone (Linus) saying something threatening. Talk about linux advocates attacking making harassing phone calls, then mention unspecified convicted felons making death threats.
A classic example of propaganda I've ever seen one...
Its the users emotions not legal or technical. (Score:5, Insightful)
Its really our emotional response to threats. No different from any criminal threatening your hopes, dreams, your work, career or family.
EV1Servers should have simply waited until the SCO v. IBM was finished the appeals.
We've been desperately saying this - all we want is facts. Cold hard code with clear attribution and this has not been forthcoming from anyone to date.
EV1Servers have been tarnished because no-one knows who to trust right yet. For me if Torvalds says he wrote that code then he did and it stays that way until he says "Oh yeah I remember, I copied that from an old Computer or DDJ magazine or found it on a FTP site." or something equally absurd.
Re:SEC investigation underway? (Score:3, Insightful)
I wouldn't doubt that there are some people who have tried to report SCO to the SEC despite not having any true facts that could be used. Such people are just harming any true investigation into SCO by drowning out the actual signals...
EV1 CEO = idiot moron (Score:2, Insightful)
"So we felt like we were doing the right thing for customers, the right thing for ourselves and the right thing for our shareholders. We felt (that paying the licensing fee) put our customers and ourselves in a position where we could concentrate on our business instead of a bunch of lawsuits."
Its funny he never thought of doing the right thing for Linux. Considering how many Linux machines he has in which he paid $0 for the operating system you would think that there would be some loyalty. Linux probably played a key role in EV1's growth over the years. This guy is just another example of someone who will take take take from our community and never give anything back.
Man, what a jackass that guy is.
Oh the irony.... (Score:2, Insightful)
"If you have an agreement that calls for certain aspects to be protected, then you would hope that that would be respected."
So let me get this straight... they signed a contract with a company whose business model is based on FUD, who licensed their own code under the GPL and now calls the GPL "unconstitutional" and they expect the finer terms of a contract to be strictly adhered to? By SCO?
If EV1 loses all their customers, it won't come as any great surprise to anyone who has followed the SCO battle. Their CEO should have done his homework so he knew who he was dealing with.
Re:In related news... (Score:2, Insightful)
The fugitive is on the loose. Don't lose your keys.
Psychological Analysis (Score:3, Insightful)
I classify that statement as behaviour within a psychologically disturbed mind, and one which requires neurological re-evaluation.
Just a thought.
Beware the enemy within (Score:5, Insightful)
Darl has a right to be a afraid.. (Score:1, Insightful)
Which when they tank into penny stocks, will result in death threats from people who really do mean it.
Re:Computer Associates (Score:3, Insightful)
Now SCO is playing it like CA caved in to the extortion, but in reality CA is merely a little stupid (for buying anything from SCO).
Re:If I were EV1Servers... (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes, it would.
It would also be an excellent way to send a lot of their current customers fleeing. People aren't familiar with BSD like they are with Linux (particularly RedHat).
PJ Darl (Score:3, Insightful)
And I'm so pleased that one woman with motivation and smarts can so utterly rock SCO.
Re:Give me a break!! (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Give me a break!! (Score:1, Insightful)
But we're not going to go gunning for Darl, because we're not murderers.
Re:Give me a break!! (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Armed bodyguard? (Score:5, Insightful)
First, we take it personally in ways that other industries who have had attempts to destroy them haven't. Taking the pickaxe away from a coal miner or the torch away from a welder at an auto plant is one thing. Taking the paints away from an artist or the code away from the programmers is another thing.
Second, there are enough geeks who have varried interests in firepower. There's ESR and his "Geeks with guns". There's all of the crazy flamethrowers, flame cannons, high voltage tesla coils, etc. from the burner contingent.
Third, we won't be stopped if you take away our weapons. A gas grill and some machine tools can be turned into a variety of interesting weapons.
Fourth, we have been accumulating this knowlege ever since we found the Anarchist's Cookbook on the local BBS, so restricting further flows of information won't stop us. We have brother geeks in the other engineering fields to draw on as sympathizers. In fact, DeCSS has shown that the more you try to restrict the flow of information, the more folks who may not have cared otherwise now want to help share it.
Fifth, we understand the system better than some of the other displaced groups. The Detroit auto-workers would take out their agression by buying a Honda and publically smashing it. We do not have political ability, but I have no doubts that the angry nerds of the world will be able to pick the right targets.
What's preventing this from happening? Well, right now, there's still a promise on the horizon. People remember the last boom-bust cycles, the last time stuff was outsourced and we were still able to find jobs. Our hacker projects have kept us from blowing up at OS/360 and Microsoft and VMS because there *was* something that we could work on. Take that away, and we'll show all of the other groups that have used terror how things are really done.
Having said that, I think that everybody is currently more interested in Darl being a failed businessman (And indicental picker-up-of-the-soap) than dead. Because, overall, that's just more fun.
Re:Oh no, he carries a gun! (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:How EV1 can get back on board. (Score:5, Insightful)
So, we have the gleeful announcement from SCO/EV1 that a seven figure sum has been paid to SCOsource, cushioning the ~10% fall in stock price after somewhat grim financials and announcements of the latest lawsuits. However, we also have the biggest backlash you could possibly imagine; EV1 has kissed goodbye to a few million dollars (a no refund clause is in the contract), lost an unknown amount of custom to its competitors and been tarnished with the same brush as SCO. You'd have to be a complete moron to consider buying a SCOsource license for "protection" and risk having your customers find out now, which leave less funds for the lawyers.
Re:If I were EV1Servers... (Score:3, Insightful)
EV1 looking out for #1, looking to screw #2... (Score:5, Insightful)
Dirty dirty company. They know that this deal with SCO has a good chance of indirectly benefitting them by fucking over their competition. See, here's the deal...
SCO wants a "big dog" in their portfolio: A high-profile licensee that they can use to scare smaller guys into submission. So they go to EV1 and offer them a really good deal for licenses. And EV1 figures, hey, we're only having to pay pennies on the dollar for these licenses, and it's going to give SCO a lot of ammo for taking out *other* hosting companies...
So what do they have to lose. They pay off SCO for an amount that really doesn't make a whole lot of difference to their financials, and the SCO guys look more credible, giving them a little more of edge for attacking EV1s competitors. This line of reasoning cannot have escaped the people making this deal, and it wouldn't be suprising if SCO explicitly used this argument to convince EV1 to buy.
So basically, EV1 rolled over because by being the first to pay they get the best deal and ensure that other Linux-based companies are going to get fucked worse than they are.
This was an exceptionally greedy and selfish move, and should speak volumes about those in charge of the company. Evil, evil, evil. Shady deals made for the sole reason to screw over as many people in the industry as possible, all for the sake of more power and money.
Does that sound like a company that *you* want to support?
Re:Its the users emotions not legal or technical. (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm staying with my EV1 accounts. I think the CEO made a smart decision, since he wants to keep his company going, and I don't want to have to pay higher and higher fees to pay for a lawsuit, even if EV1 eventually wins it, since I wouldn't see a penny of it back if SCO loses.
All EV1 is really saying is that they don't trust judges to make an intelligent decision, and I can't say I blame them.
Re:Here's his address, check for yourself! (Score:1, Insightful)
you people are teh scum of the earth.
Re:In related news... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Feel bad for EV1 (Score:1, Insightful)
They obviously felt they would lose too much in lawyers fees defending themselves in a suit that wouldn't be resolved for years or even decades.
You've never been the target of a major lawsuit, apparently.
Re:Darl needs protection, does he? (Score:2, Insightful)
But who gets UNIX? (Score:5, Insightful)
I expect that is correct, if IBM can pierce the veil.
The more interesting question is if SCO declares bankruptcy, who gets whatever IP rights they do have. (And realize that based on the Novell contracts, I don't really think they have any.) BayStar and the Royal Bank of Canada both get priority in liquidation--priority over and above IBM with a court judgement, I would imagine.
Do they get it? What if the MS connection alleged in the Anderer memo is proven? Then, do they get it? Does Canopy get it because they have a loan to SCO that is secured and, I believe, their lease to SCO is also secured.
This is an important question.
Re:Give me a break!! (Score:5, Insightful)
Okay, twit. I'll bite.
We live in a world where a pregnant woman can be convicted of a stoning offense, just because the man decided not to marry her. Nigeria.
We live in a world where people participating in an anti-tyranny march to the capitol will be shot from rooftops by the minions of a guerilla warlord who will "protect" the country from violence. Haiti.
We live in a world where a well-respected and popular female government official is slain by knife while shopping in a department store. Sweden.
We live in a world where bloodshed happens for unjust and unjustifiable reasons... in every country there is, and every country there ever was. Even your country.
This is starting to sound more and more familiar.. (Score:3, Insightful)
"Linux has our technology."
"We can't show proof, it would harm us."
"My enemies are out to kill me."
I've met some people like that in my life. All of them suffering from very severe psychological problems. Old McBride is sounding more and more like he fits into that particular segment of society.
(Of course, living in Provo is, in and of itself, a warning sign.)
steve
Re:Give me a break!! (Score:1, Insightful)
In fact, the "sporting purpose" concept originated in a Nazi gun-control law from the 1930's (details at Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership [jpfo.org]).
Re:Beware the enemy within (Score:2, Insightful)
As a fellow BYU Grad and Mormon Missionary: (Score:3, Insightful)
Let me also just say that when I served as a missionary for the Church in South America, it was one of the hardest things I'd ever done, because it is a work that can only be done selflessly. Anyone who embarks on it with self-interest in mind is destined to fail miserably until they realize that it isn't about them, it's about trying to help people and about forgetting yourself in that work.
Of course, Darl has had more than 20 years to forget all the lessons he learned (if he ever did learn them) while a missionary, and he must have worked quite hard at doing so to get to the point at which he now lives.
Re:EV1 CEO = idiot moron (Score:4, Insightful)
You want to win in the business arena, make the best product and convince people to use it. Don't look at it as a holy jihad, because the business people sure as hell won't. He got the product for free? That's great for him. There's no EULA that goes with Linux that requires your loyalty or support. There's no GPL clause that says you must declare your fealty to the Open Source Movement. And that's how it should be, because Linux, if it wins, should win on its merits, not on the religious zeal of its converts.
The only 'right thing for Linux' that business users should be required to do -- or castigated for not doing -- is abiding by the GPL. That's "abiding," as in "not breaking," not "not supporting anyone who doubts the veracity of the GPL."
Re:As a fellow BYU Grad and Mormon Missionary: (Score:1, Insightful)
Sounds just a little bit like developing Free Software, don't it? Just a little?
Re:As a fellow BYU Grad and Mormon Missionary: (Score:4, Insightful)
Maybe he might get a clue after being excommunicated. (Though I doubt it.)
Re:SCO: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Give me a break!! (Score:2, Insightful)
Acts of unmotivated violence prevalent across society is one thing. Extremely rare and unfortunate incidents are another. The killing of the Swedish PM by a menthally ill person with a long clinical history proved exactly the point the parent was making, that such violence is extremely uncommon in Sweden. Ditto for Finland that was shocked by the mall bombing in Helsinki last year.
The USA is not the safest place in the world, whatever metric you choose. Far from the safest, actually...
Bullshit (Score:1, Insightful)
In terms of tainting the church's image, go to www.exmormon.org at some point, and read up some of the things the church is allegedly doing or has done. This is worth a thousand SCOs, even if the church were single-handedly responsible for SCO. I've never seen the Mormon church address any of these allegations, so I am inclined to believe at least a significant number are true (probably virtually all are. But even if none were, sites like this, unaddressed, lower LDS' reputation far more than an arbitrary number of SCOs. If you point them out to Mormon missionaries, they will not respond -- apparently something about some prohibition on reading non-Mormon texts and articles while on mission.
No Darl. (Score:3, Insightful)
From Darls current actions I suspect that what actually happened was that Darls family figured out they couldnt live on the one poor mishandled cow they had, so they sued the neighbours, claiming the neighbours cattle were actually theirs (because their cow had one dark night given birth to several thousand fully grown cattle who had then snuck into the neighbours ranch), and then went on to threatening with suing anyone eating beef unless they paid Darls family.
At least, then it would be a more comparable story.
I expect EV1 to stand up for me (Score:3, Insightful)
But I don't care. I expect the people I support through my business to act ethically and support my interests when they don't conflict with theirs. SCO is playing lawsuit roulette, betting on 000. Despicable. And insupportable irrespective of financial calcs.
More BS (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Darl the gangster (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:In related news... (Score:1, Insightful)
All but one of the so-called witnesses in the front of the Book of Mormon who "witnessed" the gold plates of Joseph Smith, later denied seeing these.
The polygamy and racism history is hard to deny also. So would you call this "respected"?
Re:Bullshit statistics (Score:2, Insightful)
UK: 1.13e-4 % of the population murdered by gun.
US: 3.79e-3 % of the population murdered by gun.
i.e. You are 33.5 times more likely to be murdered by a gun in the US than you are in the UK (if you believe the quoted statistics).
Finding actual murder rates is hard, numbers for the states varies between about 5.5 to 8, and the UK is quoted as about 1-2. Also, it seems they count murder rates in a different way, the UK counting murder convictions, and the US counting murder arrests. Still, using typical figures:
6.8e-3 % of the population murdered
1.5e-3 % of the population murdered
You are 4.5 times more likely to be murdered in the US than the UK.
As a side note, it does happen. The son of a friend was shot dead last year, so I'm well aware of the meaning behind these statistics. But - basically, you are more likely to be killed in the US, and *much* more likely to be shot.
More important from my point of view is statistics on people accidentally killed by guns each year in the US and the UK...
In the US, a conservative estimate is ~1500 people are killed by guns accidentally each year. I'm willing to bet thats at least 1495 more than the UK.
Re:Beware the enemy within (Score:2, Insightful)
Also, note how you lose credibility by posting your denial as AC in a thread about AC astroturfing? Next time, log in.
Re:OT: Re:Mistaken Identity? (Score:2, Insightful)
First, few are going to believe it. Do you honestly believe that aspirin would kill more people than marijuana if the number using it was the same? You can't compare straight numbers if one has 500 times the amount of people using it. Those that go "hell yea" to it are believers anyway.
Second, if any one digs into the quoted numbers, you will find that the study was in 1987-1988 and dealt with *medical* marijuana with the others collated from *non-medical* abuse.
This is like picking the pot-heads that can't string a coherent sentance together and wear dyed twine clothes to promote it's usage - not gonna get sympathy.
In short, pick statistics and people that will not get easily torn up.
Re:Darl needs protection, does he? (Score:3, Insightful)
Good question.
Many people here have answered "geeks do... well, we might!" but I seriously doubt that. Most geeks I know don't want to hurt anyone.
Darl has a history of fucking over companies. I personally believe he's been carrying a gun for a while now.
Cheers
Stor
Re:Here's his address, check for yourself! (Score:5, Insightful)
Also, society sanctions those who break rules. While Mr. McBride hasn't been legally convicted of wrongdoing, he is visibly seeking to take wrongfully from others in order to enrich himself.
Inevitably, he suffers societal backlash, ranging from the Utah reporters who no longer give him positive press to the angry teenagers calling him up at home.
An individual's rights can be narrowed by society if he commits wrongdoing. This narrowing can occur formally, as in criminal sentencing, or informally, as in the shunning and hostile attention directed at a pariah.
It's unfortunate that your comment was modded down merely for disagreeing with the mainstream belief here.
Re:Give me a break!! (Score:3, Insightful)
"The US is unsafe!!!" they say, and how do you respond? "We're safer than rwanda! We're even safer than communist china or the former soviet union! We're *EVEN* safer than post-war Iraq! We r0xx0rz!!!!!111one"
If you're going to compare, compare at least to a country that isn't in the middle of a warzone or in the midst of anarchy and social turmoil, eh? You *ARE* part of the first world, you know!
Re:Umm, hello??? (Score:2, Insightful)
Black list of SCO license buyers (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Paranoid schizophrenia? (Score:3, Insightful)