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Can Ubuntu Phone Succeed?

Simon Phipps — Fri, 24 May 2013 16:30:17 +0000

On FLOSS Weekly this week, Jono Bacon told us all about the Ubuntu Phone. I’ve summarised the most interesting points on InfoWorld today, but the key take-away for me was they are focussing on the carriers and handset vendors yet don’t appear to have a strong plan to build a developer marketplace around the device. As Sir Humphrey would say, that’s a brave choice.

Stockholm Syndrome Stopping Seeing How Linux Has Won?

Simon Phipps — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:28:42 +0000

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.

What does the Special 301 really reveal?

Simon Phipps — Thu, 02 May 2013 22:02:37 +0000

Reblogged from Meshed Insights & Knowledge:

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.

Beware Zombie Legislation

Simon Phipps — Wed, 01 May 2013 14:19:39 +0000

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.

Components Becoming Major Source Of CVEs

Simon Phipps — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:52:17 +0000

Reblogged from Meshed Insights & Knowledge:

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.

Microsoft Firewall

Simon Phipps — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 23:49:28 +0000

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.

Time For A Security Team For OpenJDK

Simon Phipps — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:56:42 +0000

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?

It Would Be Funny If It Weren’t True

Simon Phipps — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:56:04 +0000

Free Software Needs Support

Simon Phipps — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:19:47 +0000

Reblogged from Meshed Insights & Knowledge:

This open letter from the director of Bytemark Hosting is a call for other hosting companies to help financially support the development of a new free email client. It asserts that by supporting this particular project the industry as a whole can progress, becoming better able to compete with propriety software giants.

The principle seems valid enough, if you want a project to succeed, adding value to your own product, you need to give that project your support.

Taking MariaDB Foundation Forward

Simon Phipps — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:15:59 +0000

I’m pleased to tell you that I have a new role that I’ve already started within the scope of Meshed Insights. It’s a new and exciting departure for me.

I’ve remained in touch with Monty Widenius ever since we were both at Sun together. At the start of the year, he asked if I would consider helping him move the MariaDB Foundation forward as an independent steward of the MariaDB database project. I agreed, and recently accepted his request to join the board of directors for the new Foundation, along with several others. To allow Monty to focus on the technical aspects of MariaDB, I also agreed to the new Board’s request to take on a part-time role as the interim chief executive of the Foundation, at least until a member-elected Board is seated.

We just published a news release about this, which you’ll also find at MariaDB.org. I’m very excited by the opportunity to help this important open source software community devise representative governance. I expect every individual who has made substantial contributions to MariaDB to have a role in the governance process and in the future Foundation too; more of that soon.

But most importantly, I want to hear from every company that values MariaDB and wants to see it have a stable, secure, independent future. We need you as a sponsor – either engaged in governance or simply making financial (or other) contributions to the community. Please contact me now – MariaDB needs you!