Groklaw Calls it a Day, To Close May 16
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Sun 10th Apr 2011 19:57 UTC, submitted by PLan
Legal Should I be sad or relieved? Groklaw, the website that played a central role in the SCO vs. sanity case, has just announced it will close up shop on May 16 of this year. Groklaw's place in history has been secured, surely, but in recent years, the site became more and more like a relic from the past, clearly stuck in the everyone vs. Microsoft mindset of the late '90s and early 2000s. Even in today's announcement post, Groklaw shows that its time has indeed come.
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RE: Bad Call Thom
by Thom_Holwerda on Sun 10th Apr 2011 20:46 UTC in reply to "Bad Call Thom"
Thom_Holwerda
Member since:
2005-06-29

With a relic I meant that Groklaw is still firmly entrenched in this idea that Microsoft - and Microsoft alone - is the big bad wolf in computer-land. This is no longer the case. Microsoft is but one of many wolves in computer land. I mean, PJ claimed - time and time again - that the Psystar case was a Microsoft ploy to destroy the GPL, meanwhile advocating for the entirely closed and controlling Apple!

PJ should've either gone with the times, or quit a few years ago. Now, while I will remember the good things she's done, I'll also never forget the whackier stuff she came up with later on.

Reply Parent Score: 2

How's about Oracle then?
by shotsman on Sun 10th Apr 2011 21:07 in reply to "RE: Bad Call Thom"
shotsman Member since:
2005-07-22

Once upon a time they were 'ok' as far as Groklaw went. Since their take over of Sun they have done a lot of things that IMHO, put them firmly into the same mould as Microsoft.

However we shall probably never know who finds a lot of these cases or even journalists/activists. The well funded and smoothly operating US Lobby System makes it pretty easy to channel untraceable money into all sorts of places for all sorts of objectives.
What PJ has done is look for who has most to gain from the slagging off of Linux & FOSS in general.
So she talks about Microsoft? Well they do seem to be at times the most likely suspect. After all didn't Mr Balmer call Linux evil amongst other things? How many of their Patents does Microsoft claim that Linux infringes?
Of couse she might be wrong but AFAIK, the evidence seems to point towards Redmond. Look at their latest antic. They want to make companies liable for an possible software license violation of any company in their supply chain. They are trying to get this through on a state by state basis starting with Washington Naturally. This means that say a supplier in Japan of components to GM who in turn gets 'stuff' from a supplier in S Korea who in turn gets 'stuff' from China would have to pay MS money if the supplier in China uses a 'free/hacked' copy of Windows. Now how just is that? Would your politicians enact that sort of legislation just to protect say Phillips?

There is a need for a rational debate on all this anti FOSS, anti business legislation. There is a need to inform us lay people of the implications of being sued.
That is why Groklaw has been and is so useful.

Reply Parent Score: 10