Open Group to Close?

Several folks have been commenting on rumors that the Open Group is shutting down. Hit the link below to read a message posted to c.o.l.advocacy. Nothing has been confirmed, but the major question is, if this is true, what does this mean for X, CDE, Motif etc?

From: J. Maynard Gelinas m!a!y!n!a!r!d!@jmg.co!m.nospam
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.os.linux.x,comp.windows.x,comp.os.unix.m
Subject: RUMOR: The Open Group to close
Date: 17 May 1998 16:13:05 -0400
Organization: MediaOne -=- Northeast Region

      I am not an employee of The Open Group nor have I ever been, I
just know former employees of OSF/TOG (The Open Software Foundation
morphed into The Open Group about a year or so ago) and have heard
stories.  I can only present this as a rumor because as far as I can
tell it's still mums the word.  I haven't heard a _thing_ in the
press, or a seen press release; not even a little message on their web
page.  A representative from X/Open or TOG could put an end to any
debate quite easily with a few _facts_.  Let's hear the scoop from TOG
and X/Open before jumping to any conclusions.

      OK.  Based on what I _hear_, The Open Group located in Eleven
Cambridge Center, Cambridge MA (between Quantum Books and Draper Labs
in what used to be the old Symbolics building - this is MIT turf,
folks), will be closing their doors at the end of May-98.  I'm told
that all developers and regular staff in Cambridge will be out of jobs
and The Open Groups' intellectual properties will cede to X/Open.  The
Open Group will cease to exist, along with The X Project Team... and I
guess CDE and Motif development groups as well.

      Cambridge locals will notice the large 'The Open Group' sign has
already been removed from the side the building facing the Charles
river.  The very curious seeking confirmation might contact Boston
Properties to determine when Eleven Cambridge Center will next become
available.  A reporter type might even want to contact The Open Group
directly and ask them for the scoop.  Please do so!  While you're at
it why not ask someone in public relations to go on record concerning

what X/Open plans on doing with The X Window System trademark and
source code licenses after TOG shuts down.  Curious minds want to
know.

      Finally, a couple of things for honesty's sake.  First, it's
well known that I have an axe to grind with TOG.  I certainly made my
views of TOG's new licensing terms for X quite publically known, so
consider this post as coming from someone with partisan views and
check out the facts for yourself.  I could even have made a mistake!
Second, for those folks who let me in on the secret: hey, I kept my
mouth shut for well over a week hoping someone else would spill the
beans.  But I consider this so important that keeping quiet would be a
disservice to the community as a whole, even though I respect and care
for those individuals who let me in on the scoop early.  The Open
Group should have made a public statement _long ago_!  Hell, it's
being openly discussed across at least one mailing list of OSF old
timers.  It's out of the bag, folks.  And the subject is of _critical_
import to X users everywhere... Who owns X?  What's going to happen to
future development?  Will the licensing terms be changed again?  These
questions _must_ be answered by a representative of X/Open, and soon!
I certainly won't feel comfortable until they are.

Thanks for listening,
J. Maynard Gelinas
UNIX System Administrator
m!a!y!n!a!r!d!@jmg.co!m  - you figure it out.