ESR Quietly Departs VA Software Board of Directors

By Brian Proffitt,
Managing Editor
Linux Today

Nearly three and a half years after Open Source guru Eric S.
Raymond joined the Board of Directors of VA Software Corporation
(formerly known as VA Linux Systems), Linux Today has
learned that as of last month, Raymond is no longer a member of
that board.

When reached for comment, Raymond confirmed this change of
status.

“I’m no longer a director. A couple other board members are also
gone,” Raymond stated. “[CEO] Larry [Augustin] reshuffled the deck
to bring in a bunch of people with operating experience.”

According to a press
release from VA Software dated March 20, 2002, recent additions
to the Board have been Andre M. Boisvert, former President of SAS
Institute Inc.; Legato CEO David Wright; and PeopleSoft Executive
Vice President of Development Ram Gupta. The news of the departing
Directors has been kept very quiet, however, as no mention was made
by VA Software or any of its OSDN media holdings.

Raymond indicated that one of the other Directors leaving the
Board is “our manufacturing guy from Cisco.” Presumably this is a
reference to Carl Redfield, Senior Vice President, Manufacturing
and Logistics, Cisco Systems. Raymond would not speculate on who
the other departing board member was.

Raymond’s relationship with VA Software is not completely
severed.

“I’m still on a technology advisory board, though, and involved
in forming VA’s strategy with respect to SourceForge and other
things,” he said.

Raymond, who has long been a staunch advocate of VA Software and
VA Linux Systems, declined to comment on how he felt about the
change in status or whether he thought the move was mutually
beneficial.

“I don’t know the answer to that yet,” he stated.