I don't suppose most people are aware of the continued threats against Linux by those companies who feel threatened by the growth of Linux. Many out there believe that Linux is just some minority OS that's not user-friendly and is not going anywhere. Actually Linux adoption bubbles along just below Apples OS X - at least on the desktop. Interestingly, Linux (in the form of Android) is doing well in
mobile devices, in
web servers, and in
supercomputers. Anyway some years back, an excessively complex and convoluted legal assault on Linux was mounted by SCO, a Utah company formerly engaged in selling a Linux distribution.
The whole farrago of legal action seemed to many in the Open Source world to be a campaign to nobble Linux adoption, by spreading FUD - with conspiracy theorists seeing Microsoft as one of its financial backers (there was a suggestion that MS took a Unix licence to help fund the lawyers).
Chief in the pro-Linux camp (and some might actually say pro-truth camp) has been the weblog
Groklaw, which began when paralegal Pamela Jones wanted to write about these issues on the net - from May 16th 2003, Groklaw has been the number one place for the truth about SCO's attempt to squash Linux (and several other stories): in the 8 years since then, PJ has suffered considerable abuse from SCO and their lawyers, and has stuck to her mission to sift out the truth in this tortuous legal case. At all times, she's maintained her position on the moral high ground.
Now PJ has announced that from May 16th, 2011, Groklaw will no longer publish new articles (
Groklaw Articles Ending on May 16th): it's time for her to move on in her life.
I just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed PJ's coverage of the SCO affair, and the other stories she's presented. Groklaw has been a fascinating read at all times, and has been an excellent example of what can be achieved by a community effort on the web.
Thank you, PJ.