OSS (was Re: Stand Alone Erlang)

[Michael C Williams]

> So, the COMMERCIAL bit here, well some lame corps release code as open source
> just because they thing it's in their COMMERCIAL interest. That doesn't
> apply to the vast majority of open source code though. Most of it is
> released by feverish individuals with various murky agendas, such as
> "destroy Microsoft" or "earn reputation as hacker" or whatnot.
>

The block wot wrote this letter was from some company and his
boss didn't let him release the SW. He asked for advice and
I suggested the MONEY line of argument. Of course there are
a lot of people (not usual in large companies) who release
SW for the highly compendable reasons that you quote.


> Then there are a number of largish corporations, such as /// and
> Nortel that only go where the money is. However, within these
> corporations thare are decent individuals that "do the right thing"

I though that these decent individuals gave up and left the
company to take their chance at starting up a small company
with venture capital with the hope of being bought up by
a large company like Alteon/Nortel?

> Remember, it's easier to get forgivness than to get permission. So
> don't ask for permission, just release it. I did (Yaws)

I guess that releasing yaws would not be approved of by your
employers?

> As if you know, you don't. What goes on in the heads of the suits
> is as inpredictable as the stockmarket. Q.E.D.

No, it is entirely predictable for 95% of the suites - their own
carreer and fortune comes before everthing including their
families. It is the other 5% who throw us into total confusion.
(In Ericsson it is more like 10% of totally unpredictable people.
Remember Jorma, Jan Uddenfeldt and Jaak?)

> > This communication is confidential and intended solely for the addressee(s).
>
>
> And this is not, I hereby, freely allow anyone who reads this to
> rephrase it and resend it as they please.

It isn't my fault that the IT people here add on totally wacko
attachments to me e-mails. I have already told them they have
a hole in the head but it didn't help.

/m



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