Could Microsoft Buy Red Hat?

An interesting question from Marc Fleury.

The answer: *of course* it could.

Just don't expect many of the top open source hackers working there - and there are many - to stick around long if it did.

Security? - Don't Bank on It

A useful article here dissecting what's wrong with the latest version of the UK Banking code, "the voluntary consumer-protection standard for UK banks", which was released last week:

Until the banks are made liable for fraud, they have no incentive to make a proper assessment as to the effectiveness of these protection measures. The new banking code allows the banks to further dump the cost of their omission onto customers.

When the person responsible for securing a system is not liable for breaches, the system is likely to fail. This situation of misaligned incentives is common, and here we see a further example. There might be a short-term benefit to banks of shifting liability, as they can resist introducing further security mechanisms for a while. However, in the longer term, it could be that moves like this will degrade trust in the banking system, causing everyone to suffer.

The House of Lords Science and Technology committee recognized this problem of the banking industry and recommended a statutory change (8.17) whereby banks would be held liable for electronic fraud. The new Banking Code, by allowing banks to dump yet more costs on the customers, is a step in the wrong direction.

I also wonder what the banks' attitude to people using GNU/Linux systems might be, given the following requirement:

Online banking is safe and convenient as long as you take a number of simple precautions. Please make sure you follow the advice given below.

• Keep your PC secure. Use up-to-date anti-virus and spyware software and a personal firewall.

Since GNU/Linux users tend not to run anti-virus programs, and don't use traditional firewalls: does that mean they're always liable?

Second Life's Grand Opening

I wonder whether in retrospect Linden Lab's decision to open up the code of Second Life will turn out to be as momentous as when Netscape gave its Navigator code to the new Mozilla project? Interestingly, Linden Lab specifically invoked that precedent when it made the announcement:

In 1993, NCSA released their liberally licensed, but proprietary, Mosaic 2.0 browser with support for inline images arguably heralding the start of the web as we know it today. In an act of either acceptance of the inevitable or simple desperation, Netscape Communications released the bulk of the Netscape Communicator code base to form the foundation of projects as Mozilla, Firefox, and Thunderbird.

We are not desperate, and we welcome the inevitable with open arms.

Stepping up the development of the Second Life Grid to everyone interested, I am proud to announce the availability of the Second Life client source code for you to download, inspect, compile, modify, and use within the guidelines of the GNU GPL version 2.

A year later, it's a good moment to review where we are, and here are two useful contributions, one from Wagner James Au, the other from LWN's Jonathan Corbet. Things seem to be moving on, and it will be interesting to watch how this area develops.

Collaboration of a Different Kidney

Collaborating for mutual benefit lies at the heart of open source, but not quite as profoundly as in this situation:

US doctors have carried out what is believed to be the world's first simultaneous six-way kidney transplant.

Six recipients received organs from six donors in operations at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland.

The procedure was made possible after an altruistic donor - neither a friend nor relative of any of the six patients - was found to match one of them.

Five patients had a willing donor whose kidney was incompatible with theirs, but it did match another in the group.

This meant that suddenly, there were six people who could receive an organ.

Riding the Dragon

If you want to understand the role of the Internet in the development of the current situation in China, this is the best article I've read on the subject:

In the weeks since the protests, riots, and government crackdown in Tibet hit the headlines, Chinese coverage of the events has gone through several incarnations. It began life as a terse state press-release, then refashioned itself into a front-page struggle between embattled civilians and scheming "splittists", before arriving at its current manifestation: the public shaming of the purportedly anti-Chinese western media.

On the face of it, these changes have been mandated from the top down. But behind the curtains of China's official media, networks of active internet users have played a key role in shaping the course of the reporting of Tibet.

It includes this fascinating nugget:

"In the beginning, the government had been hoping to keep things quiet", my friend Bei Feng, an editor of a major Chinese web portal whose blog was chosen in 2007 as one of China's ten most influential, told me. "But the actions of netizens forced them to widen their coverage." He himself was an example of this sort of net activism. When news of Tibet broke, he employed a strategy he says he commonly uses for sensitive issues, posting a story about it on his blog and then taking it off after only a few hours to avoid being shut down by censors. The window of time is narrow, but gives readers ample opportunity to copy and paste his story into chatrooms and bulletin-board systems.

And concludes with this interesting thought:

As he offers rice wine to those seated near him, Bei Feng pointed out a failing in the government's favoured method of co-opting anti-foreign sentiment. "What the authorities don't realise is that the people who are using these standards of objectivity to criticise CNN will eventually apply them to Xinhua and CCTV."

"Yes", a listener chimed in. "The common people are very smart. Sooner or later they'll expect more."

Update: Looks like it's started...

A Good Foundation to Build On

On Open Enterprise blog.

Al Jazeera: Opening New Horizons

Interesting:

It has been maligned by the US administration because it has given a voice to its public enemy number one: Osama bin Laden, but Al Jazeera's motto of giving voice to all sides of a story is also reflected in its IT deployment. The news organisation is turning out to be a big fan open source software.

(Via Linux Today.)

OOXML a No-No for Some Countries, Anyway

Here's an intriguing hint of what may be to come, in Europe at least.

First, in Belgium and Holland:

Belgium and the Netherlands will not yet consider OOXML, Microsoft's format for electronic documents, it appears from comments by the Belgian Federal ICT advisory body Fedict and the Dutch ministry of Economic Affairs.

Asked to comment on last week's ISO approval for OOXML, Fedict's chief IT architect, Peter Strickx, said: "There will have to be multiple implementations, in order for us not to become dependent on a single vendor. It will also have to be compatible with open standards that we already use, in this case Open Document Format ODF."

Also in Germany:

The German Foreign Ministry will not be using OOXML, at least for now.

"We will not be in a position to process OOXML unless it is available independently of the platform", said Rolf Theodor Schuster, who heads the IT department of the German Foreign Ministry. "There must exist an Open Source implementation that can be used without any restrictions, regardless of the platform or Linux distribution."

He said the Foreign Ministry will not accept OOXML if only a single GNU/Linux distribution implements OOXML. "It is not good enough if only Novell will offer it on Suse Linux."

What's particularly interesting about both these is that they show how these people understand that a so-called standard with only minimal implementation is no standard at all. What is needed is multiple, major implementations and real competition.

Maybe one benefit of the extremely argumentative process of considering the approval of OOXML is that is has made people - well, technical people, at least - much more aware of the key issues involved. And we have Microsoft to thank for that.

Of Microsoft, GNU/Linux and Boiled Asses' Heads

On Linux Journal blog.

Should We Discriminate In Favour of Firefox?

An intriguing idea:

And if I ran your site, I'd treat Firefox visitors as a totally different group of people than everyone else. They're a self-selected group of clickers and sneezers and power users.

So, should we be hiving off visitors using Firefox to some enhanced, privileged version?

One (Chinese) Door Closes....

...and another (Turkish) door opens:

Just days before Commission President José Manuel Barroso's visit to Ankara, the Turkish government has introduced a bill to soften a controversial article in the country's penal code outlawing criticism of Turkish identity.

...

The main change to the so-called "Turkishness" article is that the permission of the President would be needed to approve prosecutions related to cases where Turkish identity or the country's institutions have been insulted, Turkish media reported yesterday (7 April).

The proposed amendment would also decrease the maximum punishment from three to two years and replace the wording "denigrating Turkish identity" with "denigrating the Turkish nation" in an effort to eliminate the law's vague notion of "Turkishness".

Hardly total Turkish delight, but it's a move in the right direction, and to be commended for that.

Is This the Start of Red Hat 2.0?

On Open Enterprise blog.

The Yakuts Have an Word for IT

Readers of this blog probably take for granted a crucial freedom that open source software makes possible: that of being able to use your own language for computing. If you think this isn't a problem with proprietary software, even for well-known nations, just ask the Icelanders:

When Microsoft refused to produce an Icelandic version of Windows '98, on the grounds that the market was too small, Iceland's Ministry of Education and Culture threatened legal action. Microsoft relented.

Unbelievably, that was just ten years ago, and although Microsoft has improved since then, it's done so largely because open source has forced it to by showing what can be done. And still free software reaches the (linguistic) parts other software cannot.

For example, it's probably not a good idea to hold your breath until Microsoft comes out with a version of its software that can accommodate the Yakut language, but free software is already on the case:

В ходе этих встреч было подписано соглашение между фирмой ALT Linux и ЦНИТ ЯГУ о научно-техническом сотрудничестве и на ЦНИТ ЯГУ была возложена функция представительства ALT Linux в области образования по республике Саха (Якутия). В то же время был обсужден вопрос о внедрении якутских шрифтов в операционную систему ALT Linux с целью продвижения и широкого использования продукции ALT Linux.

[Via Google Translate:

During these meetings, an agreement was signed between the company and ALT Linux TSNIT YAGU on scientific and technical cooperation and on the New YAGU was responsible representation ALT Linux in education in the republic of Sakha (Yakutia). At the same time, discussed the implementation of fonts in the Yakut ALT Linux operating system to promote the production and extensive use of ALT Linux.]

Update: More here.

Wrestling with Google's Python in the Cloud

Here's Google App Engine, part of its cloud offering:

Google App Engine lets you run your web applications on Google's infrastructure. App Engine applications are easy to build, easy to maintain, and easy to scale as your traffic and data storage needs grow. With App Engine, there are no servers to maintain: You just upload your application, and it's ready to serve your users.

You can serve your app using a free domain name on the appspot.com domain, or use Google Apps to serve it from your own domain. You can share your application with the world, or limit access to members of your organization.

App Engine costs nothing to get started. Sign up for a free account, and you can develop and publish your application for the world to see, at no charge and with no obligation. A free account can use up to 500MB of persistent storage and enough CPU and bandwidth for about 5 million page views a month.

During the preview release of Google App Engine, only free accounts are available. In the near future, you will be able to purchase additional computing resources.

Here's the fun bit:

Google App Engine applications are implemented using the Python programming language. The runtime environment includes the full Python language and most of the Python standard library.

Although Python is currently the only language supported by Google App Engine, we look forward to supporting more languages in the future.

A big boost for the open source Python, then - no surprise, given that its creator, Guido van Rossum, works for Google. But I wonder what languages it will support in the future?

Jisus - It's the Loongson Chip

Aside from its rather curious name, the Jisus ultraportable seems at first sight pretty standard:

* Monitor: 8.9” LCD screen (800×480 pixels), LED backlight, VGA port
* Processor: 1 GHz, 64-Bit Loongson 2F
* Graphics: SM712
* Memory: 512 MB DDR2-667
* RAM: 4GB Nand flash
* Operating system: Ubuntu, others possible

But closer inspection reveals something unusual: the use of the Loongson chip. As I've noted before, what makes this notable is that it's produced in China, using a non-standard architecture. Although there are claims that Windows CE has been ported to it, it's mainly used to run GNU/Linux. All of which makes it perfect for ultraportables. It will be interesting to see whether it turns up elsewhere. (Via Eee Site.)

This Gets My Vote: Open Source e-Voting

If any area of human activity cries out for openness, it is the political process. In particular, if want to institute e-voting, you'd be mad not to opt for open source and its associated transparency. Or, to put it another way, you'd be nuts not to follow Brazil's fine example:

The Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (the brazilian Election Supreme Court), officially announced on April 4th, 2008, that the brazilian 2008 elections will use 430 thousand electronic voting machines migrated from VirtuOS and Windows CE to GNU / Linux and open source softwares for security and auditing defined by proper law.

All open source and in-house developed software will be digitally signed and all loaded software will may be verified at voting places by inspectors at any time to check against tampering.

Special measures will be taken to reduce risks of breaking in by crackers, like no direct network connection to internet.

Random voting machines will be audited by TSE, political parties and external auditors.

Political parties software experts will have access to voting machines software from April to September, looking for problems and or point of improvements.

The Dirty Secret Behind 1,000,000 Viruses

On Open Enterprise blog.

MyMiniPC, YourMiniPC, TheirMiniPC

On Open Enterprise blog.

The FT on OOXML: Dr Johnson Applies

On Open Enterprise blog.

BECTA Backs ODF

One of the most heartening developments on the UK computing scene has been the evolution of BECTA, "the Government's lead agency for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in education, covering the United Kingdom" from an organisation that was supine at best, to one that not only knows what it is talking about, but cares.

Here's further evidence of that:

During the standard approval process Becta wrote to the British Standards committee responsible for co-ordinating the UK’s response to the proposed Office Open XML standard asking that it considers carefully whether two different ISO standards was the best outcome that could be achieved in this important area. We were clear that the interests of non technical users (including most teachers and parents) would be best served by a single standard which accommodated the existing Open Document Format (ODF) specification, and any extensions necessary to provide the required compatibility with various legacy Microsoft formats.

...

There will remain the important practical issues of interoperability within schools and colleges in an environment of multiple ISO standards operating in the context of multiple document converters of varying effectiveness.

As I've noted before, this issue of competing standards, rather than competing implementations of a single standard, goes to the heart of the what standards are for, so it's good to see BECTA picking up on this. (Via Phil Driscoll.)

Portuguese Schools Learn About Open Source

It's always seemed to me one of the biggest problems for free software that it's not well known in schools. As Microsoft understands - and as Apple first learned - if you get them young, you've pretty much got them forever. So it's good to see efforts being made to spread the open source word in the educational world, like this new effort by the Portuguese Ministry of Eduction:

Potenciar a utilização de software livre nas escolas, aumentando as oportunidades inerentes à sua adopção, é a base para a criação deste portal.

Procuramos divulgar e apoiar as Escolas na utilização de software livre para os vários Sistemas Operativos.

O Portal estará em constante actualização, pelo que convidamos todos os utilizadores a enriquecer este projecto submetendo novas ferramentas, notícias e hiperligações, assim como, estão também desde já convidados a participar no fórum.

[Via Google Translate:

Strengthening use of free software in schools, increasing the opportunities inherent in its adoption, is the basis for the creation of this portal.

We disclose and support schools in the use of free software for the various OS.

The Portal will be constantly updated, so invite all users to enrich this project by submitting new tools, news and links, and are now also invited to participate in the forum.] (Via Softwarelivre.)

Is Google Summer of Code Fizzling Out?

I've always assumed that Google's Summer of Code, a generous if self-interested offer to pay for students to do some directed open source coding during school/university holidays, was wildly popular - after all, who *wouldn't* want to get paid for hacking? But maybe there are the first signs of momentum being lost in this post, which suggests that the recent deadline extension hasn't led to a flood of applications:

Extending the deadline has, for us, only resulted in six or seven more applications, and the number of applications is about 50% of what it was last year. I'm not sure why that is - persuading people to apply is not really within my power, at least. In the next few days, I guess I'll find out whether we have quality rather than quantity :-)

Anyone else with positive/negative experiences?

Bye-Bye Biofuels...

When are people going to wake up to the fact that biofuels are not the solution, but actually exacerbate the world's problems?

A global rice shortage that has seen prices of one of the world's most important staple foods increase by 50 per cent in the past two weeks alone is triggering an international crisis, with countries banning export and threatening serious punishment for hoarders.

With rice stocks at their lowest for 30 years, prices of the grain rose more than 10 per cent on Friday to record highs and are expected to soar further in the coming months. Already China, India, Egypt, Vietnam and Cambodia have imposed tariffs or export bans, as it has become clear that world production of rice this year will decline in real terms by 3.5 per cent. The impact will be felt most keenly by the world's poorest populations, who have become increasingly dependent on the crop as the prices of other grains have become too costly.

...

Analysts have cited many factors for the rises, including rising fuel and fertiliser expenses, as well as climate change. But while drought is one factor, another is the switch from food to biofuel production in large areas of the world, in particular to fulfil the US energy demands.

And this is just the beginning....

I Fear Microsoft, Bearing Gifts for the Greeks

They're at it again:

Η Microsoft είναι η πρώτη εταιρεία που θα προσφέρει δωρεάν εργαλεία ανάπτυξης και σχεδίασης λογισμικού στην ελληνική ακαδημαϊκή κοινότητα μέσω της νέας υπηρεσίας «Αναφανδόν» του Εθνικού Δικτύου Έρευνας και Τεχνολογίας (ΕΔΕΤ). Οπως ανακοινώθηκε την περασμένη εβδομάδα, πρόσβαση στην υπηρεσία έχουν αυτή τη στιγμή οι φοιτητές και καθηγητές του Εθνικού Μετσόβιου Πολυτεχνείου, ενώ σύντομα αναμένεται η σταδιακή ένταξη όλων των ιδρυμάτων της τριτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης και των ερευνητικών κέντρων.

[Via Google Translate:

Microsoft is the first company that will offer free development tools and design software to the Greek academic community through new service Anafandon of the National Research and Technology Network (GRNET). Microsoft is the first company that will offer free development tools and design software to the Greek academic community through new service Anafandon of the National Research and Technology Network (GRNET).]

Paying the Price of Windows

I've written variously about the implications of the arrival of the ultraportable sector (at greatest length here), notably that as the price of systems fall, so the chasm between Windows and GNU/Linux pricing deepens - at least relatively (can you have a relative chasm?). Against that background, this is interesting:

However, our source told us that there would be two new SKUs, the Eee PC 900 Win and Eee PC 900, with the former featuring Windows XP pre-installed, 1GB RAM and a 12GB SSD for just £329 inc. VAT. More intriguing, though, was the latter new Linux edition, which we were told would house 20GB of storage and retail for the same price as the XP version.

See what they've done? Rather selling the GNU/Linux version for less than the one running Windows XP, Asus has upped the spec for the former, and kept the price the same. That doesn't seem very logical: after all, GNU/Linux actually needs *less* memory than XP, so it would have been more sensible to keep the memory the same, and cut the price.

The cynic in me can't help feeling that Asus has been leant on here by Microsoft, and "persuaded" not to sell the GNU/Linux system for less than that of Windows XP. The assumption being that most users won't care about the difference in RAM, and will just go ahead and stick with familiar old XP when given the choice between what seem to be similar systems.