Two on Desktop Linux Summit

PR: Lycoris Withdraws from the Changed Desktop Linux
Summit

Lycoris formally withdraws from participation in the Desktop
Linux Summit and wishes the now Lindows-controlled event great
success. Lycoris originally joined the conference after assurances
of balanced control and changes to the conference schedule
including the addition of keynote speaker Bruce Perens and vendors
like Hewlett Packard. The recent changes to the conference
schedule, the withdraw of Hewlett Packard, and conference
management have given a single-vendor too much focus which is no
longer in the interest of Lycoris.

In keeping with the Linux community goals of showcasing the
Linux desktop as an industry, market and community, Lycoris would
like to see a broad coalition of vendors in control of any summit
to satisfy the needs of a thriving and rapidly growing market to
and ensure a fairly distributed message for consumers. The breadth
of software, applications and services for the Linux desktop as
well as the spectrum of corporate, small/mid-size business,
consumer and education audiences call for a conference and support
broader than any single vendor.

“In true Linux fashion and the spirit of cooperation, Lycoris
acknowledges Lindows’ needs and understands their position, even in
withdraw, and hopes their event brings them what they truly desire
from it,” states Jason Spisak, Lycoris Marketing Director. “Who can
blame them for making changes in their favor. This is business, and
we’re their competitor. Lycoris wouldn’t get a fair shake at a
conference that’s now controlled, funded, scheduled and keynoted by
Lindows. We defer our participation for a conference that is as
originally promised–vendor neutral.”

An Open Letter to Michael Robertson and the Lindows
Corporation

With the continued onslaught of almost daily news of some
participant of the Desktop Linux Summit
(http://www.desktoplinuxsummit.org/main/) dropping out of the
event, I feel obligated to ask Lindows CEO to make a gesture at
making peace with the rest of the Linux community.

As advocates for the greater Linux Community we formally request
that the name of your event be changed to the “Lindows Partner
Summit” or some other name that conveys the true nature of the
event. Doing so would be putting a salve on a very sore wound. We
formally asking you to make peace, and play nice.

No one objects to Lindows being a successful company and making
a profit. What community members object to is Lindows lack of
follow through on assurances of egalitarian control of the event
and changes to the conference schedule of the event, including the
addition of keynote speaker Bruce Perens.

With the vendors on an apparent dead run to bail from your
event, you have to take ownership of the fact that you have
offended a great number of people in this community. Sadly, based
upon the experiences I have had with your firm, this seems to be a
historical behavior endemic across Lindows.

We understand your desire to run a successful event that
benefits your company. But, when you say one thing and do another,
you are taking the role of competitor and not a community member.
So, please do not tell us that you are not competing with
other Linux vendors and only compete against Microsoft. That is
just not true. Your actions have cast your company into the role of
a competitor, and based upon your behavior associated with this
event, you are attempting to do so on an unfair and un-level
playing field rigged in the favor of Lindows.

Just like a few years ago when the community was unhappy with
Red Hat when they strayed a tad and created a “Red Hat is not
Linux” backlash; you too are now suffering from your lack of
understanding of how we in the Linux community observe the spirit
of the GPL, not just the letter of the law. Being in this community
implies that you understand how we behave toward one another. You
do not seem to understand this. You learned everything you need to
participate in this community by the time you were 5 or 6 years
old, you need to behave in a simple honest manner. It
ain’t rocket science.

There is no fault and no objection to Lindows
running events that cast 99% of the spotlight on Lindows, as long
as you tell the truth about the event. It should be called a
Lindows event from the start. Virtually every Linux and Open Source
development company has conferences that are specific to their own
little community/partners and focus. SCO has “GeoForum,” Jabber has
“JabberCon,” Sun has “IForce” events, Red Hat and Oracle do their
“IDevelop” thing, SuSE has been doing the “United Linux”
conferences in conjunction with other events, and so on…

What your company did in conjunction with this event was less
than truthful. Our friends in the UK would say that you sold the
other vendors “a ex-parrot.” It is time for you to make peace.

Jeff Gerhardt
The Linux Show