[ic] Re: AOL in negotiation to buy Red Hat

Barry Treahy, Jr. interchange-users@interchange.redhat.com
Mon Jan 21 12:17:01 2002


Jeff Fearn wrote:

>>>Eeek!
>>>
>>>JT
>>>
>>What Eeek ?
>>
>>I read this: http://www.washtech.com/news/media/14759-1.html.
>>
>>I don't understand if that is a good thing or a bad thing.
>>What happens to the stocks from RedHat if they are bought out ? Unless
>>
>they
>
>>don't pay the whole RedHat IC team double the salary they get right now,
>>
>AOL
>
>>should go to ... :-)
>>
>>Can anybody tell an Enroe challenged person, if that means trouble,
>>
>success
>
>>or nothing at all ?
>>
>
>Well it could either mean an interference in the free software provided by
>RedHat, or it could mean a lot of extra cash injected in to freeware
>products. It depends on how AOL approach it. AOL pushing Linux would be a
>huge plus, especially if the help with some core development, and just add
>on some AOL specific features for their users.
>
Remember too, AOL owns Netscape and a lot of folks are feed up with MS 
and being flung to all corners of the earth with BSA threats, software 
registrations, .NET privacy, not to mention plan crappy software that 
contains more bugs or security flaws than features in each release.

AOL, being a mega-ISP, with their own OS, Browsers, E-commerence, etc. 
could spark a thought to a viable alternative.  Who knows, with Apple's 
come-back on MAC X OS, what is to say that AOL doesn't buy Apple, put 
the GUI on Redhat Linux and then chase after ISV's to make sure the 
desktop apps are there and run?!?!?

I, for one, would love to see MS get knocked in the chops...  Remember, 
dreams do come true :-)

Barry