Andover.Net and VA Linux Join Together 276
As you may have heard, VA Linux and Andover.Net are gonna be joining up. We thought it would be dishonest not to say something about it, but as you probably understand, we're sorta restricted in what we can say. Of course, you can say whatever you want, and you can
read the press release if you're curious about some of the details. Creative control of Slashdot will remain where it always has been.
wow! (Score:2)
Join together? (Score:3)
--
Consolidation (Score:1)
In all seriousness, good luck guys, the more big companies we have on our side, the more market clout we all have for Linux!
Deluxe apartments in the sky (Score:1)
That's Pressure for VaLinux! (Score:1)
Why is Slashdot so slow? (Score:3)
server51 and sourceforge? (Score:5)
--
Heh... (Score:2)
"If ignorance is bliss, may I never be happy.
Hmmmm (Score:3)
BTW, you are opening yourselves to a lot of jokes by saying "Creative control...remains where it's always been".
--
Java banners:
Bad for users because Java kills Netscape
More prizes... (Score:1)
A few thoughts... (Score:4)
I'm wondering how this would affect the potential for Slashdot in the future to on it's own, or in partnerships, expand into other subject areas with its brand of site design and format. Granted, with the emergence of the open source Slash engine and PHPSlash, dozens of Slashlings are sprouting up everywhere (my own site included).
I guess I was just thinking at some point down the road that a "portal" or "index" of Slash-based sites covering a wide array of subject areas would emerge, either under the direct auspices of SlashDot, or some other party...I'm not sure how this acquisition would affect that scenario, tho.
Either way, I'm not disaffected. I think it's a great merger and I can't wait to see the results of the open Slash engines on the 'net.
humor (Score:3)
With the auto-posting perl scripts?
Andover sale (Score:1)
The critical question remains - does the editorial control agreement that Rob and Jeff have with Andover transfer intact to VA?
Re:Heh... (Score:1)
ZDNet has an article as well.. (Score:2)
The Future of Slashdot? (Score:5)
Oh boy, here it comes. All this is well and good, but how does it affect /.? This is not intended as flamebait but I think that since Andover bought /. The quality has gone downhill, mostly due to the increased traffic which also increases the trolls and the fray. When VA Linux takes over I'm curious how the flavor of /. Will change. Will added participation and content value come through more participation (on a massive scale)? Will the /. model change, part of what make slashdot so successful is the simplicity of the model. Time will tell, but I think that VA will add bureocracy and overhead to the site and change it in a way that takes it furthur from what has made it so great.
Never knock on Death's door:
Good match (Score:1)
Makes sense to marry the linux.com domain with the top Linux content and community sites.
Congratulations all around.
andover taken into the fold. (Score:1)
going to be the senior partner in this arangement.
No offence to the slashdot folk or the freshmeat
guys (guy?) - I'm just pleased to see the 'heavy hitters' of Linux
content under the banner of a company thats proved
itself capable of more than just buying other people.
Congrats to slashdot for making andover buyable
Congrats, guys... (Score:4)
Steven E. Ehrbar
hopefully things will change for the better... (Score:1)
Humor/Hype (Score:3)
"VA Linux to Acquire Andover.Net in Most Significant Transaction in Linux History"
I can't help but giggle a little at the hype. I appreciate that this important to me and allot of other
Sometimes corporate hype is just too darned funny to take seriously.
First haiku! (Score:5)
with Anonymous Cowards,
Natalie Portman
---
Why why why? (Score:2)
(Note, these are all rhetorical questions... the answer is, simply, that "Internet companies" have higher stock multiples, and VA will get a nice bump in their stock price with this).
Too powerful? (Score:2)
Congrats, guys... (Score:3)
Good luck, Rob- I remember the days when I contemplated getting some CD's through your links so you'd get some spare change from CDNow. Glad to see things have changed for you all.
~luge
Becau$e,Becau$e,Becau$e, (Score:2)
Back the ethics truck up for a minute. I believe that Twickler and Augustin believe in the profit stemming from the future of open source. They are profit modivated period. That's their job, they have to make money for the investors and the bankers.
Never knock on Death's door:
Creative control... (Score:3)
But, regardless of the fact that you state "Creative control of Slashdot will remain where it always has been"... I find it difficult to believe that slashdot can really remain as independant as it was (especially when it was completely self run). I (and surely many others) come to slashdot because of the independant perspective presented by the editors and next by the readers. The quality/independance of the editors has already gone down since the andover purchase, I fear what will happen now that slashdot it owned by valinux...
donfede
Re:wow! (Score:2)
--From the makers of lumpy linux
Stock (Score:1)
Bad Mojo
Re:The Future of Slashdot? (Score:4)
I disagree. I think it's fashionable to wax nostalgic once something loses its "newness" or feeling of exclusivity. All I know is I keep coming back here 20 times a day to see what's going on becuase Slashdot does it better than any other site I know. Let's give them credit for working very hard to handle the explosive growth. They're working very hard and, in my estimation, getting better all the time.
server51 (Score:3)
I dont think server51 had the hardware resources VA had. Just think.... the sourceforgenetwork. A whole ton of "mini" sourceforges that differ in setup and stuff like that. Heh.. perhaps not
Perhaps there will be skinning of sourceforge
Have a good one out to Andover and VA.
Re:Join together? (Score:1)
50% of internet Linux destinations? (Score:1)
Hope these guys aren't going for the monopoly-price?
Re:Why is Slashdot so slow? (Score:2)
Ars Technica seems to be much better at providing computer-related news now, and their site is cleaner too. I'm considering switching permanantly to them.
An hour is slow? (Score:2)
Re:The Future of Slashdot? (Score:2)
VA, on the other hand, has always done the right thing by the community, and since it has always been a Linux company (unlike Andover, who were a failing "tech" company before
~luge
No comment (Score:3)
"Creative control will remain where it's always been."
--
Java banners:
Bad for users because Java kills Netscape
Re:The Future of Slashdot? (Score:4)
I don't want to denigrate the good Cmdr, Hemos et al, but their role is actually quite limited to keeping the thing running...it's the users that make the content. VA linux - or anyone else -can't change any of that.
If the quality has gone downhill because of increased traffic, that isn't because andover is driving the traffic here - just that slashdot is good, and people just want to come along and join in.
Re:Why why why? (Score:1)
VA could point to
BTW, shouldn't
George Lee
Re:The Future of Slashdot? (Score:1)
To break things up like this requires a certail critical size of readership as a whole, to ensure that the current lively discussion continues in each of the various sections. Pulling in VA customers/associates might push things over the line.
Rodd
Re:server51 and sourceforge? (Score:3)
Sourceforge.net, and Themes.org) and Andover.Net (including
Slashdot.org and Freshmeat.net) to create the Internet's leading
destination for Open Source developers"
they will consolidate, if they do what they say in the press release
Re:Andover sale (Score:1)
Rob is on the Andover Board of Directors. (See the SEC filings.) I think they call him "Mr. Malda". So don't worry too much.
--
Re:humor (Score:1)
With the trained chimps and grits boy?
Re:A few thoughts... (Score:3)
I met most of the VA crew including Larry a few years ago and was impressed. They do get it. Both the business and the linux side.
They are the only company who I would buy an assembled computer from. They do it right. The machines that we bought from them run 100% stable and have never given us problems. They are not alway the cheapest, but the quality AND support we got was worth it.
On the personal side they were doing linux before it became fashionable. They also tend to know what is going on in the community. Recently they have been hiring like mad, snagging developers(ie. Raster and Mandrake) like crazy. Not all of these guys are as high profile, but a lot of them are really important. Few other companies contribute as much as them even though they are not a software house.
Something I don't like about this... (Score:2)
This means that one source is controlling 2/3 of all Open Source web pages! No one else hearing alarm bells ringing? It is really important to have no monopoly in the media, especially in this case where Open Source is going to have a strongly increasing influence on society.
Re:Why is Slashdot so slow? (Score:2)
Well, looky! Slashdot is already the PR mouthpeice of VA and Andover! What happened to journalistic integrity and independance?
Re:server51 and sourceforge? (Score:3)
--
Should be bettter overall! (Score:2)
IMHO Andover has done crap with the money earned from their IPO while companies like RedHat and VA Linux have taken their money and put it to good use.
This makes me happy, andover hasn't made a penny while VA was in the black when they went public. Obviously Andover is getting the sweet end of the stick on this deal.
As for creative control.. I think the Tacos of this {/. world} might be in for a shock when they suddenly are required to take some stock in the words they publish. I somehow do not feel VA-Linux-in-charge would stand so quietly over something like the
Great news to hear... It can only mean more for
They are a threat to free speech and must be silenced! - Andrea Chen
Impressive Combination of Services and Talent (Score:3)
I think that their track record of support for major Open Source projects ensures that the Slash Engine will continue to be a strong project. I'm not sure what this will mean for the project that is called Area 51. It will be interesting to see how SourceForge and Freshmeat interact.
In any case, I think a combined VA-Andover has a tremendous supply of proven talent. They have the people in place to create a lot of new and interesting software and Web Sites. I think it will be interesting to see whether the majority of these people will stick around, or if they will leave, as many did when RedHat bought Cygnus.
--
Dave Aiello
The biggest name in Linux? (Score:3)
This is flatly not true. If they wanted the biggest name in the Linux and Open Source community, they should have gone for:
VA LINUX
Or,
VIRGINIA LINUX
Or,
VIRGINIA LINUX
Or,
V-I-R-G-I-N-I-A L-I-N-U-X
Or,
V-I-R-G-I-N-I-A L-I-N-U-X
Or,
ANDOVERDOTNET A WHOLELY OWNED SUBSIDIIARY OF VIRGINIA LINUX INCORPORATED
Or,
ANDOVERDOTNET A WHOLELY OWNED SUBSIDIIARY OF VIRGINIA LINUX INCORPORATED
Or,
A-N-D-O-V-E-R-D-O-T-N-E-T A W-H-O-L-E-L-Y O-W-N-E-D S-U-B-S-I-D-I-I-A-R-Y O-F V-I-R-G-I-N-I-A L-I-N-U-X I-N-C-O-R-P-O-R-A-T-E-D
Or,
A-N-D-O-V-E-R-D-O-T-N-E-T A W-H-O-L-E-L-Y O-W-N-E-D S-U-B-S-I-D-I-I-A-R-Y O-F V-I-R-G-I-N-I-A L-I-N-U-X I-N-C-O-R-P-O-R-A-T-E-D
Or, A-N-D-O-V-E-R-D-O-T-N-E-T A W-H-O-L-E-L-Y O-W-N-E-D S-U-B-S-I-D-I-I-A-R-Y O-F V-I-R-G-I-N-I-A- L-I-N-U-X I-N-C-O-R-P-O-R-A-T-E-D, O-W-N-E-R-S O-F S-L-A-S-H-D-O-T
Or better yet,
A-N-D-O-V-E-R-D-O-T-N-E-T A W-H-O-L-E-L-Y O-W-N-E-D S-U-B-S-I-D-I-I-A-R-Y O-F V-I-R-G-I-N-I-A- L-I-N-U-X I-N-C-O-R-P-O-R-A-T-E-D, O-W-N-E-R-S O-F S-L-A-S-H-D-O-T
Never knock on Death's door:
Re:Why is Slashdot so slow? (Score:2)
Think of it this way. This is a story that's going to affect Hemos, Taco, et al in a big way and their presentation of it is probably a lot more important than their presentation of other stories in that they will see a lot more criticism for this one. I would imagine that they all sat down at a big table in the geek compound for a couple of hours this morning sipping blueberry squishies and talking this out. It's no surprise that it took a while.
Re:Why is Slashdot so slow? (Score:2)
What does this mean to Andover shareholders? (Score:2)
They get
Is there an accountant in the house? (Score:2)
--
"But, Mulder, the new millennium doesn't begin until January 2001."
Re:Why is Slashdot so slow? (Score:3)
On days that I'm really bored at work, I'd like to be able to read 50 news for nerds stories, but on days when I'm busy, I'd like to be able to see just the cream of the crop, maybe 5 or so.
More stories! Moderate stories!Threshhold for stories!
Re:The Future of Slashdot? (Score:2)
Re:Is there an accountant in the house? (Score:2)
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, please...
LL
Re:server51 and sourceforge? (Score:3)
The new company will be releasing their new auto-acquisition system "Andover va linux server, now!" sometime in the 2nd quarter.
In related news, reports of flying disks around Roswell, New Mexico, and the sight of a large number of men in tuxedos and dark glasses was hotly denied by an air-force official in a penguin suit, who claimed that Freshmeat's maintainers weren't even in the area at the time.
Re:Why is Slashdot so slow? (Score:2)
to them.
Or you could just surf both regularly, most ISPs allow this.
Re:Why why why? (Score:2)
Now VA has all of these properties and the people at Andover (incl
I guess we can look forward to lots of anti-VA stories being posted now. Riiiight.
Re:server51 and sourceforge? (Score:2)
How will it affect Freshmeat [freshmeat.net] (owned by Andover) and LinuxApps [linuxapps.com] (a 'partner' of linux.com, owned by VA)?
Re:Why is Slashdot so slow? (Score:2)
I like
Thimo
--
Re:Too powerful? (Score:2)
I think the very nature of our community prevents a centralist monopoly of information. If we freely share one set of ideas (code), we also freely share other ideas as a consequence. Any one company trying to do this is going to alienate the one thing that makes our community different. That's us. The people who use Linux, FreeBSD etc do so because it works, and they have the freedom to use it. These people already reject the centralist view by not using the software of our favourite monopoly. They'll have no problem rejecting a monopoly of information like this, and starting new news sources.
Colin Scott
Re:Consolidation (Score:2)
-- Consolidate the complementary networks of VA (including Linux.com, Sourceforge.net, and Themes.org) and Andover.Net (including Slashdot.org and Freshmeat.net) to create the Internet's leading destination for Open Source developers, with nearly two-thirds of the total traffic of major Open Source sites and putting the combined network in the top 100 web destinations worldwide;
Two thirds of the total open source traffic, discussion, and news will be 'owned' by one company?? This doesn't concern anyone? Sure, CT can claim that he will maintain control, but I'd love to see his contract proving that. Money changes things and people.
This article [slashdot.org] seems to indicate that advertising is already cropping up as editorial content. How different is this 'story' from this one [slashdot.org]? Sure, it might be nice to make notice of the live broadcast, but mentioning The Sync both times seems a bit inappropriate.
Now, before getting flamed and moderated, let me explain one thing: I'll give the Slashdot gang the benefit of the doubt. Most of them are younger than me by a couple of years, and I know I'm not fully baked. But I expect they'll have to learn fast. Just as important as actually maintaining independent editorial control (there was a story a few days back that mentioned someone trying to get andover to force a story, but CT et al. said no.) is maintaining the appearance of objectivity.
To that end, perhaps the main page needs to be redesigned with an announcements section that concerns
Re:Is there an accountant in the house? (Score:2)
Re:Is there an accountant in the house? (Score:2)
Re:Consolidation (Score:2)
Talk about slanting the tables a little!
If Microsoft tried to buy ZDNET, everyone here would cry foul.
If Apple tried to buy MacWeek and MacWorld from ZDnet, again, everyone would cry foul.
If Sun went and bought performance computer, AGAIN, everyone would cry foul.
But, if VA Linux buys Andover.net, it's a *good thing*?!?
Wake up, guys!
Re:Consolidation (Score:2)
Kinda scary, don't you agree? One omnipotent ruler in OSS-land...
Right on! (Score:2)
New XFMail home page [slappy.org]
I'm both happy and concerned (Score:2)
Okay, enough hype. All of what I've said may be and probably is true. But I am still concerned. Can VA Linux manage the rate of growth that has come with it's success? And as other people have pointed out here, as open source companies merge, are they bigger competitors or more centralized targets?
As long as viable new players with new ideas keep springing up and creating niches for themselves and the big players don't forget what makes their reputation in the open source community, I don't think I'll worry. If we end up with one behemoth as the only corporate player in the open source world, then I will suspect a problem. Not because that company got big; I hope that VA Linux and Redhat continue to grow. But any market that isn't spawning new ideas is dying.
So my message to the open source companies is simple. Stay young and alive for as long as you possibly can. It's more fun and you'll have the support of a lot more open source developers. Don't grow at the expense of who you are. This merger has every sign of being the right direction.
Re:"we're sorta restricted in what we can say" (Score:3)
From now on, Slashdot, which has been actively covering every twist and turn with Redhat's and VA Linux's stock (which I personally got rather sick of) may need to stop and VA story when it comes time to announce earnings?
This is BAD BAD BAD! Why can't many people see that?
You get angry when AOL buys time/warner because they'll monoplize consumer content on the internet, and rejoice when ANDN takes over most of the good site and then gets bought by VA Linux, who will now oww 50%+ of the real Linux related sites.
Short sited.
Re:Drivel (flame) (Score:2)
I know a bit about /.'s future (Score:2)
wowsers (Score:5)
I don't know what you all are allowed to say, what with SEC restrictions and all that kinda stuff, but (how) will this affect Slashdot? Will we get even more editors (like the advent of Roblimo when Andover took over)?
I'm just guessing, but I assume Mr. Malda is pretty high on the Andover totem pole. What's going to be his new position at VA Linux, or is he going to remain at his current position inside Andover?
I think the Andover aquisition was a Good Thing, and VA seems like a nice company, so I guess this will also be a Good Thing. Then again, you know how the Open Source Community(tm) feels about monopolies...
Any info from higher-ups would be appreciated... and if you can't say anything, then say that you can't say anything! Otherwise I will have hurt feelings...
___________________
Re:The Future of Slashdot? (Score:2)
VA, on the other hand, has always done the right thing by the community, and since it has always been a Linux company (unlike Andover, who were a failing "tech" company before /.) ...
VA is not just a money-making opportunity? It could be argued that now it's VA that is the failing "tech" company. They've still failed to produce a profit, right?
Weren't you even a little concerned about Larry Augustin's answers in the recent Slashdot interview [slashdot.org]. He appeared to dodge at least one pointed question about lack of support for AMD processors and it's relationship to Intel's investment in VA. But, read the whole thing, he sure comes off as a businessman interested in making money first and foremost. In fact, the publicly traded nature of VA probably requires a fudiciary responsibility on Augustin's part to try and make money. Nothing wrong with this. I'm just pointing this out to you as you seem to believe differently.
I think clues to the motivation for this merger can be found in this interesting article [upside.com].
Disclaimer: I work for Compaq. I have absolutely NOTHING to do with PC or PC Server sales marketing, support or service. However, I do work for Compaq. Compaq DOES view itself as a direct competitor to VA, so take this into account when reading the above.
For the record, Compaq is a company concerned primarily with making money. I don't deny it and I'm not casting aspersions in the direction of VA Linux for also being such a company.
-Jordan Henderson
Not a good thing for consumer choice (Score:3)
--
Howard Roark, Architect
Really Disturbing, Not Unexpected (Score:5)
It seems to me that having a major community hubs like Slashdot and Freshmeat owned by a parent media company was bad enough. Having them owned by a particular producer of Linux products is downright scary. I'm sure that Rob & Co. will argue that content won't be effected. While they might believe this, I sort of doubt the reality of the claim.
Bear with me here: It figures that Slashdot and Freshmeat are the main portals for Linux information. Therefore, they are the prime ground for advertising by Linux-related companies (especially OEMs). How many Penguin Computing or Indybox ads are we going to see here when VA is fully entrenched? They might not vanish outright, but smart money says that VA will slowly muscle them out.
Not allowing (or rather, making it difficult for) other OEMs to post up their banner ads is just as bad as if VA imposed editorial restrictions. It also makes perfect sense from a business point of view to keep your competitors from advertising on your channels -- how many ABC superbowl ads did you see on FOX?
I hope I'm wrong. It could be that the people at VA are more idealistic than the average business types. Even so, management can change -- this cloud will forever hang over Slashdot, Freshmeat and any other major community site which ever gets aquired by a large company.
----
Re:Something I don't like about this... (Score:2)
This means that one source is controlling 2/3 of all Open Source web pages!
Start your own. No one here will stop you. It's what Rob and Jeff [slashdot.org] did, it's what Scoop [freshmeat.net] did, it's what Joe P. [linuxtoday.com] did, it's what the guys behind Themes.org [themes.org] did. Hey, even Bruce [technocrat.net] did it, and he had some money already.
Unless VA or Andover somehow make it so that people can't visit my site [wgz.org], I won't worry.
--
This would bother me a lot more... (Score:2)
I'm willing, now that
This is also an important reminder to those of you who _weren't_ whinging about the source release: you don't get something unless you ask for it, and you need to call bullshit when you smell it, that's the true rationalist way (no hypocrisy permitted at all, strict and harsh self-editing must be imposed).. You don't have to be a flaming dick about it, but a polite reminder as needed is a _good_ thing, don't forget that.
Your Working Boy,
Single point of failure convergence? (Score:2)
The interconnection of huge companies is one thing, as long as there are alternatives. But mindshare is another concern. I suspect that VA Sys is caught up in the mega-merger surge, and is gobbling up the major players in the open-source field. Expect fusion with RedHat next...
The problem I see here is that with one false step, the reputation of open-source may be harmed. One large company controlling (effectively) the resources that the whole community relies upon (at this point) can be bought by... guess who?
Now, I know that the GPL protects the source against exploitation, and that we got to where we are without the reliance on a central authority, but... The instrumental people behind the movement have been gobbled up by these companies in the same way as the smaller companies have been absorbed into larger ones. They're under NDA now. Some may leave, others like the money and corporate status.
I'm getting the feeling that the grassroots movement is getting a new corporate domed stadium built over it.
Re:First (non-haiku) haiku! (Score:3)
with haiku! Why, you may ask?
It is more polite.
Yes, i miscounted
syllables. It's too early
for me to count well.
No need to flame me.
I'm not perfect, but at least
admit my mistakes.
What shall i do now?
I'll gaze Medusa-like on
Natalie Portman!
Haiku is so cool.
Even Natalie Portman
jokes can almost work.
What else can i say?
Hemos sux? BSD rules?
Katz is a windbag?
---
Re:Really Disturbing, Not Unexpected (Score:2)
Had to hear about this on Reuters (Score:2)
Not that I'm complaining, mind you, it's a smart move for VA Research\\\\\\\\Linux Systems.
Re:Why is Slashdot so slow? (Score:2)
Re:Really Disturbing, Not Unexpected (Score:2)
Even if you've never clicked on a banner ad, you have to concede that having a majority of the top-traffic Linux sites owned by one OEM is a bit scary in terms of advertising opportunity. Were I, say, Penguin Computing, I'd be sweating right now.
----
Re:Humor/Hype (Score:2)
By the way, the very beginning of Linux was not two years ago. My own personal first encounter with Linux was five years ago, and from what I can rememeber, it was fairly fleshed out then.
Linux existed before it was for sale.
Re:wowsers (Score:2)
Of course, if they really wanted to be "neutral" they could have put Linux.com on NT... lol.
___________________
Hey Rob, Hemos!!! (Score:2)
Get out the Cutlery (Score:2)
Is it time to get ready to fork? It is still a bit premature, let's wait and see how things work out, but the code for most of these sites is GPL, as long as we have that then if things start to smell fishy then we run.
Sounds reasonable?
Crystal Pepsi (Score:2)
Re:The Future of /.? Traffic engineering, my boy! (Score:2)
Never knock on Death's door:
Re:wowsers (Score:2)
___________________
That depends how you look at it. (Score:2)
I haven't changed: I'm still building my recording studio, still waiting for the ADAT to get back from being fixed, still building all the auxiliary equipment I need (finally finished the recording multiband compressor the other night- thing is the audio hardware equivalent of a crazed Unix console app that can do anything, but with demented syntax- it's an art form just twiddling the controls on this bugger).
I'm also still looking for ways to tap into good publicity for 'free' ideas and inventions- will certainly begin sharing everything that goes into this hardware design as soon as it seems to be going to an unarguably public place. This is very heavily influenced by open source software. My whole approach to the world has been colored by open source software, the GPL, and my learning to identify with these values. In this way, 'our eggs' don't necessarily belong to one vendor, one company or even one platform or one field of endeavor- I think it's just as important to pursue 'free' audio electronics hacking and share information in a way similar to the GPL- specifically because going strictly philanthropic and public domain is just asking for abuse, it's just putting power in the hands of _collective_ entities such as corporations which can stomp all over individials. For software, the GPL puts some rules on behavior that legislates good behavior. I'd like to see something similar for strictly idea exchange and inventions, or we may be looking at an intellectual property Dark Ages, where you're not allowed to think or innovate because everything is already 'owned' in one way or another.
That said, of course this conglomeration is unpleasant and nasty. VA Linux has a fiduciary duty to not help other Linux companies, and at the same time is bound by things like the GPL to limit the extent to which they can hurt other people in the community they are theoretically a part of. The people behind things like Slashdot have ended up paper millionares in many cases- and we're not talking dollars, unfortunately, we're talking stock, which means their personal wealth is equal to exactly how much _their_ little projects or big companies can hurt the other people in the community. I think that unlike the hardcore e-business such as MS, many of the Slashdot people will geniunely choose to suffer financial losses rather than hurt the community- this is not unthinkable, for instance Richard Stallman actually declined offers of stock options. However, this can only be a personal choice- for instance, Rob Malda can and probably would choose to suffer losses of half his stock money rather than hurt the community by damaging another Linux company or project. But if Rob is a corporate officer, he's not allowed to make such a decision- he's required to hurt the other Linux company, because it is his legal duty to the stockholders and he is breaking the rules if he doesn't.
This, not the specific ownership of Slashdot, is the problem, and it's been a long time coming- there have been people pushing for the adoption of the corporate, big-business model (most notably ESR) for a long time, and people who've become upset and argued against it.
Well, now we get to see what Linux is like when it is all owned by corporations which aren't allowed to share or be nice to each other, and controlled by stock-option millionares whose riches are directly linked to their Linux competition doing badly or failing outright. We can expect to see basically the same state of affairs as commercial software, up to and including the privacy messes we've been wailing about in Slashdot columns...
It's a pity things have gone this direction, but freedom doesn't grow on trees. If you don't fight for it, it erodes and fades away- but you can usually grab a bit of it for yourself anyhow, if you try.
Re:Not a good thing for consumer choice (Score:2)
Re:What does this mean to Andover shareholders? (Score:2)
$3.81/share, I believe.
Re:It would be nice but i don't think so (Score:2)
Good Point (Score:2)
A media blurb that gets it! (Score:2)
Re:Editorial Control? I think not... (Score:2)
Now, if you believe that he's lying, just to keep the audience... then I guess you should just go read another news source.
Re:The Future of Slashdot? (Score:2)
Jazilla.org - the Java Mozilla [sourceforge.net]