On Dec 1, 2007 9:23 PM, Ben McGinnes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > 1) The cited project hasn't been closed down, just restructured (along > with other large chunks of Sun recently). > > 2) OpenSolaris' licensing has resulted in all released code > effectively being "in the wild" - those horses have bolted. > > 3) Development of OpenSolaris isn't just spread across two or three > Sun offices, which could be readily consolidated like the Directory > Services projects have been. It really is a worldwide development > process, so all Sun could do is reassign developers to other projects > which still wouldn't prevent those developers from contributing > privately. > > 4) From a PR point of view, shutting down OpenSolaris would be > foolhardy at best. Sun management are well aware of what happened to > The SCO Group and a public backlash from the FOSS community is a > serious issue these days. > > 5) The OpenSolaris Project provides a very real vector for future Sun > growth. By introducing Solaris to a wider user base than that > traditionally generated through the employees of existing clients, > they have a natural entry point into market segments not usually > targetted. Small to medium enterprises, for example, may now start > acquiring low end Sun servers and/or thin client services if their IT > staff/consultants are already aware of the benefits through working > with OpenSolaris. > > 6) There's no real market value in selling the operating system alone. > Not with the development of the many GNU/Linux distributions and a > solid base of GNU/BSD systems already freely available. The operating > system's value is only realised in conjunction with the hardware it > leverages. > > It's not a matter of "Sun's goodwill," regardless of how Sun's > attitude may be spun that way, it's simply enlightened self-interest. > > > Regards, > Ben > > > P.S. Disclaimer: I am currently contracted to Sun Microsystems via a > third party. All opinion is my own and not speaking in any way for > Sun (hence the post from my home address). Neither am I speaking for > any of the FOSS organisations I am involved with at an organisational > level (e.g. Open Source Victoria) or have been involved with in the > past (e.g. Linux Users of Victoria). > > I thank you for your point of view on the matter.
-- Chris Mahan http://www.christophermahan.com/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] cell 818.943.1850
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