Maison Fleury

Woke up this morning, blogosphere alight with about 40 blogs on the topic . Many of the article quote yours truly's "white paper" where I had written "I for one do not believe there will be an OSS billionaires club". I had written that in 2003, quoting a panel where Linus was talking at Stanford, back in 1998. That was what, 10 years ago? We asked ourselves the exact same question, which in itself is part of the answer. It intrigues me how the OSS community seems to recycle the same topics and if they were news items (Linux on the desktop! Aliens make billions from FREE software!). Each time we discuss the topic with passion, intelligence and ultimately, short memory. Do we suffer from collective 10 years amnesia? We look like fish in a bowl, at every turn of the bowl we look like we have never been here and we ask with bewilderement, 10 years later, "where are all the OSS billionaires?". Let's go for another round, shall we? In retrospect, I am...

More than one person has asked me lately if it was true that I was going back to work for SUNW. That's a good one. Let me deny it. First of all I have a non-compete. Second, I would need to be promoted significantly above the middle management hell I remember it being. And finally, they haven't even approached me! So no, I am not going back to SUN, not today, I am sleeping in and playing video-games. But seriously, "what would Marc Fleury do" at SUNW? It is a hardware company. I am a free software guy. On the positive side, last I ran into a SUNW exec was at the Churchill Club. The gentleman asked me how I recommended they license OSS java. I said "GPL it". They did, I am done, I will take the credit, and there is nothing left for me to do. Ok here is one thing SUNW should do: buy Red Hat. Preferably at a premium and in time for my earnout. I will even give free integration advice. Thank you very much, good night. marcf

I almost died laughing a few days ago when I read this article by Dana Blankenhorn . It contains an interview with Rod Johnson, Spring's founder, and "Nelson" (I think it is Neelan) Choksi, I21's COO and Rod's new handler, who are on a charm tour with the press. As the article demonstrates, Johnson hasn't lost his affinity for vacuous and slightly pompous generalizations: "people want an ethical vendor, an honest broker" (cuz, of course, it wouldn't be about the money would it...it's all about the community). I cross-checked his blog where one gleans similar insights along the lines of "the world is worldwide" and a comparison of his company to Walmart, where he modestly concludes that I21 is more global. The funny part is when Dana asks the wonder boys what they truly think of yours truly. Both profess to be "Fleury Fans". The irony is that I happen to live in ATL, where the interview is taking place. The Corner Cafe is...