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It appears that SCO is no longer a NASDAQ property. Now over the counter as scoxq.pk, currently at 9 cents (1/11/08)!
How the mighty have fallen.
It seems particularly telling when the SCO site is advertising the hot news for SCO Unix is the "Free Daylight Saving Time Patch".
Oh well...
Recently, Mozilla got a new CEO. An internal candidate (John Lilly, COO) moves into the role to create and drive the vision of an open web for the betterment of all.
In conjunction with the move of Red Hat, and others, it's apparent that there is a misunderstanding of the availability of CEO types in open source and open source talents for executive positions in general... or the reverse. not sure yet.
As a guy who has sat through a number of pitches for start up funding (from A round to E round) on both sides of the projector, it seems that the issue is a lack of recognition that the business model is changing in the software industry. It's not enough to focus on the coolness of the technology. It's more important to deliver the appropriate service, not just the appropriate product. oh, and by the way, make money, return value, keep yourself out of jail, be cool. Note again, it's not the "open source business model", it's the "business model" for "open source"
Stop and think about this for a second. Ignoring the business aspects and expecting the technology to drive uptake is a great way to keep a hobby alive, but not to create the world domination that open source development can attain. Open source is and should be far more than a hobby.
The new CEOs are most often from outside the tech industry... in fact, often from adjacent service industries. So, are the companies brilliant or simply lacking in vision for the folks in the trenches of open source. Or does the the misconception that open source types want to give it all away make this a moot and misunderstood point. And does the understanding of service industry types on open source mate well with the technical types creating the new universe.
Off the top of my head, I can think of 5-10 open source people I wouldn't mind running a start up as CEO that wouldn't show up on a recruiting search. I'm more limited as to ones that I'd trust with my $50M business. And I'd bet that none of my candidates would ever be acceptable to a big name VC/PE company. (it seems to be one of the standard questions these days "Who's going to be the CEO", often asked of the-then CEO).
So do we need a new crop of CEO talent? Open source trained, willing to accept that usines is changing? I think the answer is no... we just need the chance to prove what we all can build.
I just registered for the 2008 Open Source Think Tank. It is an invitation-only event, limited to 120 people who want to discuss in depth issues around open source and commerce. In short, it fits my job, and my mind set.
I've been attending open source events since before it was called open source. I "flew" penguins in Raleigh Durham, had early discussions with maddog Hall, and even had my smirk photographed down under. I've got a Golden Penguin on my shelf... and would love to take on the chance for another. But that said, most open source conferences are just not worth (me) going to.
The OSTT, at least last year, was different. Interactive. small groups discussing in depth concepts and beliefs around commercial activities and open source. No holds barred opinions, and yet consensus. Meeting some of the major players and shakers in the industry. Meeting newcomers that both have a clue and give a damn. And darn little sitting around listening to drivel, and no marketing... well, not much.
During the event last year, we had a presentation on the-then GPLv3, rev (something). Unfortunately for the presenter, I read ahead on a slide and started expressing my opinion on certain "features". Now, I am not a lawyer (though there were a "lot" of them there last year) but I managed to get a point across that may have made a difference, and with the current flavor of GPLv3, Adobe has actually considered it, and has adopted the LGPLv3 for one of our efforts. (But I am surprised they are letting me come back <grin>).
There are certainly folks who last year pointed out how elitist this event is. I heard from folks last year that it should be open to anyone who wanted to attend, free (as in beer). And you know, those people are probably the ones that I run into at every other show, telling me how Adobe is doomed, that Adobe should just open source everything. I talked about that in a different blog, and lets leave it at that.
I want discussion and reasoned opinion. And if you want to offer me that, feel free to let me know. I'm looking forward to the OSTT 2008, and expecting to come away with a new appreciation of open source and ways to make it work with and for Adobe.