SCO News Roundup

Grokwar. The boards are thick with it. Everyone's talking about it. Even PJ's chimed in, somewhat obliquely. For reasons I can't fathom, the hot issue of the day is not SCO's bankrupcy case, or the latest M$ shenanigans. No, it's all about comment moderation at Groklaw, and the dogged pursuit of random personality conflicts. My usual response is to try to calm things down and distract everyone with photos of cute kittens and so forth. That doesn't seem to be working this time around. So, as sole proprietor of this little corner of the anti-SCO multiverse, I figure I ought to say a few words about the current ugliness.

I don't see any value in Grokwar. There's nothing to be gained by it. There really isn't. For the sake of argument, let's assume you're a partisan in the Grokwars, and your side finally achieves total victory, so that either a.) GL is utterly destroyed, or b.) the anti-GL crowd is utterly destroyed. What would you have you won, really? SCO would still be out there stirring up trouble, M$ would still be out there doing the same, and those who oppose them would be weak and exhausted from the endless, bitter infighting. For whom is this a desirable outcome? Who would be the real winner, in the end? Unsubtle hint: It wouldn't be you.

I'm troubled by this impulse toward fratricide (or soricide, as the case may be), this inclination to see dark conspiracies and enemies under every rock. Don't take your eyes off the ball, folks. The enemy is SCO. Anyone who's against SCO is not the enemy. It's really that simple. If someone votes differently than you, or moderates your comments in a way you don't like, or doesn't rec you, or disses your colors, or says toMAYto when you say toMAHto, just roll with it. Let it be water off a duck's back. It's not so hard.

So in case I haven't made it abundantly clear yet, this is not an anti-GL site (and I link to GL quite regularly). It's also not a pro-GL site (and I've been known to link to Al P.'s SCOFacts somewhat regularly as well). Not to invoke Godwin's law here, but if SCO's jackbooted thugs came for them, either Al or PJ (or both, if they could stand each other) would be welcome to hide in my attic for the duration, and I wouldn't rat them out. This blog exists because it seems worthwhile, most of the time, and because it's kind of fun, some of the time. My policy here (and everywhere) -- and my advice -- is to spend as little time as possible pursuing interpersonal conflicts, especially esoteric ones. Only fight over issues, not personalities, and only fight over issues when they matter. Otherwise, just freakin' shrug it off and forget about it, already. It's easy. Trust me.