Amazingly, the debate about when we will see the “year of the Linux desktop” is still active. Maybe it’s software Stockholm Syndrome making us all love our captor, but the focus on desktop applications, coupled with the idealistic expectation that Windows will be displaced, has led many to overlook or even dismiss the way Linux actually has taken over the desktop.
We were expecting it to displace Windows; instead, it has displaced the Windows desktop application, powered the reinvention of the mobile market, and in the process done more for us all than the revolution we expected could ever have delivered. Read about it on InfoWorld.
This week the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released the annual Special 301 Report. For those of you who are not aware of this report, it assesses the standard to which America's international trading partners "uphold intellectual property rights protection and enforcement". Of the ninety five countries assessed, forty one have then been put into the report itself. The report consists of a series of watch lists, of countries that to a greater or lesser degree fail to meet the standards desired by the USTR.
I’m pleased Nick Clegg has blocked the Communications Data Bill, but if we’re to avoid the same zombie bill coming back in the night for our brains we need to fill the vacuum it leaves. I explain more on ComputerWorldUK today.
Earlier today Sonatype released the results of their annual survey. The survey looks at the extent to which developers use open source components, with a particular focus on how they balance the competing needs of speed and security. The data makes it clear that security is very often not the priority.
The results of the survey show the massive extent to which developers now rely on components.
On its first anniversary, I remain convinced that the motivation for Microsoft’s wholly-owned open source & open standards subsidiary is primarily to isolate Microsoft from the open source community. I explain in InfoWorld.
In my InfoWorld column today I consider the recent news that Java 8 is going to be substantially delayed because Oracle’s development staff have had to focus on security issues. I wonder if fully and inclusively engaging the community – especially with a proper security team like other open source communities use to great effect – would help avoid similar delays in the future?
RT @EFF: Californians: Public access to scientific research is at stake tomorrow. Tell your lawmakers to support it now: https://t.co/H142L… ✍ 15 hours ago
RT @LawandLifeSV: Open vs. closed battle continues: Android Dramatically Extends Lead With Open Source Developers – ReadWrite http://t.co/x… ✍ 15 hours ago
The EFF's criticisms of Google's betrayal of both federation and standards in Hangouts are spot on: wmk.me/16QXLEy ✍ 19 hours ago
MariaDB 5.5.31 Now Available - mainly a bug fix, keeping up the drum beat though: wmk.me/16QTJfo ✍ 20 hours ago
All views expressed on this blog are those of Simon Phipps and do not necessarily reflect the views of any other entity, including clients and former employers. See my full disclosure of interests.
