There are plenty of people in the world who don't trust openness, either for software or governments. Freedom must be defended against such people.
-- Dan Stocker
Shamelessly stolen and posted here without permission... and then chastised for it!
Mr. McCollum has sent me a cease and desist letter. This is the first paragraph:
I ask that as a man who cherishes freedom, liberty and the right of others to hold a differing opinion than yours, that you remove the copyrighted material from World Tribue.com off your website.
And later:
This is not a partisan attack upon a misunderstood minority that has a problem with "The System" or "corporate rule."
I had thought including the full text, the self-written bio and plug for the World Tribune, was more than fair. Apparently not. So, you'll just have to go find those things for yourself.
His opinions are political ones: the kind of speech that receives the highest protection from the First Amendment, and the least for copyright purposes (in the context of commentary thereupon). But I will say, given the highly-charged intellectual property debates, he deserves kudos for writing the letter himself, rather than engaging counsel.
He invites me to comment on the article and link to it. So be it.
This guy is a "tech industry insider" the way George Bush is really in charge.
This is only an excerpt to whet your appetite.
For the full madness, please follow the link.
The jihad against Microsoft
By Scott McCollum
October 5, 2001
A little over three weeks since the evil attacks by left-wing Islamic terrorists murdered 6,000 human beings on American soil, the American political left launches their assault on democracy. Phil Donahue slithered under the doors of Good Morning America this week screaming about American imperialism under Ronald Reagan was the cause of the terror attack.
Only three weeks! Wow, that’s a full twenty days longer than the Linux™ cult allowed before they began their assault on that evil imperial, corporate destroyer of civil liberties known as Microsoft!
Linux™ is relatively new to the IT scene, a project begun ten years ago by Finnish programmer Linus Torvalds. Torvalds, the son of socialist Finnish radio commentator Nils Torvalds who often sided with Soviet leadership in world matters during the Cold War, was a computer science student at a university in Helsinki.
. . .
It’s funny, but the Linux™ cult sound an awful lot like the fanatics engaging in a jihad against the Great Satan called the United States of America. No wonder Linux™ cultists hate the idea that American law enforcement is about to get tough on terrorism.