From:	"Ojaste,James [NCR]" <James.Ojaste@**.GC.CA>
Subject:	Re: "Free" Software (was: Euro question)
Date:	Fri, 1 May 1998 11:53:20 -0400

Brett Borger wrote:
>I changed the topic and put us back on-topic, since I'm trying to tie
>it into shadowrun.

We've been discussing the relationship of the megas to independents
in the 2050s. That's SR, isn't it?

>> The megas would never let Linux get to the point where it is now.
>> They'd nip it in the bud - "Hey, I hear XX has developed a new OS
>> with some possibility of promise! If we can't have it, no one can."
>
>This assumes they hear of it. While normally corps R&D depts and
>Intel depts are supposed to be well-informed, they spend their time
>and money looking at each other. Something the developed as Linux
>did wouldn't have promise at first, except in the eyes of the
>original developer (I'm seeing Linus as decker with a penguin icon
>:)) One or two revisions by the devloper and a few others interested
>in the challenge or the possibility, and suddenly it's chock full of
>potential and performance. So you pass budding. On to the next
>stage...

"Suddenly"? It's taken Linux many years to become "chock full of
potential and performance". In that time, *some* people at least
have noticed. But for the sake of argument, I'll let this pass.

>> OS, and those that did wouldn't be able to do much. If they develop
>> in secret (very difficult, unless you're the only one working on it,
>> and you're not connected to the net), then it's no threat. If they
>> then release it simultaneously everywhere, Mega #1 ties things up
>> legally while Mega #2 writes virii to combat the OS directly, while
>> Mega #3 kills the author(s) to discourage further development.
>
>Well, I'd say the in secret wouldn't be so hard, as the corps don't
>look to the public areas too much for secrets...and if they do, they
>don't look for public domain secrets. But let's just assume that it
>does get developed so I can discuss your next argument.

Sure.

>Mega #1 ties things up legally.....where? There is no legal entity
>responsible for the new system...thousands of owners (no doubt a ton
>of them shadow deckers anyway, the rest all hardcore geeks) crossing
>national and corporate boundries.

Sure - there are several legal entities responsible. Everybody
who contributed, for one. Sure, lots of them cross national
boundaries, but since when does that bother an international mega?

>Mega #2 writes a virus: Okay, I'll accept that. But then all those
>hardcore geeks take it as a direct challenge (never rile a geek...).
>Either they fail to beat the virus, or they succeed. This then
>stands as a testimony to the new systems power, and further
>entrenches it among the geeks, not to mention a few "minor" geeks.
>Mega 2 just helped any system that survives the assault.

Yup. And you can bet that its own systems will be at the top of
that list, no? "I was running a Fuchi deck and it stopped the
virus cold - my friend with a Penguin deck survived, but it meant
a reinstall..."

>Mega #3 kills the authors. Okay, poor Linus is toast. But the
>system now has thousands of authors and developers...Linus has
>already done his part. Sure, some of them will be scared enough to
>back away, but all? Most? Enough?

Life is cheap in SR. I'd say Enough. Sure, there will always be
the hardcore "I'd rather die than give in" sort, but I'm sure the
corps are willing to accept the exchange.

>In addition, how many Mega's are going to seriously consider any new
>system a threat until it proves that it can be one? MS has been
>working on forcing people to be dependant on their system, not
>targeting other systems specifically. MS can write anti-Linux

Heh - tell that to the OS/2 folks. IBM gets a license to use the
Windows code in OS/2 and then MS goes and tweaks the API just
enough to break just about everything.

>viruses without getting caught. Legally? Hasn't even tried. Mega's

I doubt that MS could write a virus without getting their buns
toasted. Virii move much slower nowadays than in the 2050s, not
to mention the millions of Linux users (not all of which are net
connected, anyhow).

Legally? MS doesn't have enough money to try that, and it would
be cheaper to rely on what they're good at (FUD/publicity). They
do flex their muscle occasionally though (like "Wang's" suit against
Netscape, for instance).

>watch the bottom line, and there's no profit in quashing every
>two-bit system that might come around...just the ones that have
>potential to harm. And it's quite possible that that hasn't happened
>yet (after all, you need some rare conditions to come up with this:
>Talented developers who are willing to sacrifice all the potential
>money involved.) I'd say it remains an unlikely (because of those
>conditions) but purely possible situation in SR.

Yeah, it's possible. I just see the ratio of power in the 2050s
to have swung more towards the megas than the independents. MS
isn't near the power levels of the A corps, let alone the AAAs.
Independents are more likely to be willing to do illegal stuff,
but so are the corps - I'd say it's likely that the corps win on
that front, too.

Ah well, I guess we just disagree.

James Ojaste

>