I don't think anyone was attacking Layer 8, so the
title of this latest broadside comes as a bit of a
surprise to me. Paul Lester quoted something I
wrote in his recent posting, but he never, anywhere,
says I was attacking anybody. Indeed, in the
post he responded to, I said that I didn't know the
real points of the case, so I wouldn't comment.
As to rumors about Japan Inc, Linc, etc., I've
had people ask me "who told you that? Where
did you hear it?" when I've said things like,
"Oh, did you know, Japan Inc has had layoffs
recently?" Like, I'm such an insider, y'know.
I read it in The Japan Times, which is I suppose
Pravda or rap album liner notes to some of you,
but I'm still waiting for them to print a retraction,
something Linc could get rather easily if this
story were wrong. To make sure I don't get
details wrong, I refer people to the Japan Times
story, rather than pretend to know details.
I'm sure that you find my faith in journalism
touching and pathetic.
From: "David Davies" <david@intadev.com>
On Sat 9/8/2001 11:07 AM
Paul Bryan Lester Wrote:
>> More than the economy this half-true/half-false rumors is a bigger
>> danger for us. That's why I am writing this to use what I can say to
try
>> to squanch the half-this half-that stuff.
Dave Davies:
> At risk of getting flamed for opposing freedom of speech or some other
> US borne concept of unequivocal unilateral justice. (They invented all
> laws right ?)
>
> I do totally agree with Paul on this point.
What point? He never says "us" is anyone other than maybe Layer 8
and affiliated companies. Are you sure you aren't putting words in
his mouth?
> Tokyo can be a small place and such rumors are very dangerous indeed and
> for no good reason can damage or destroy a companies ability to operate
> effectively.
Or ineffectively, as the case may be.
> Its a hard enough job to just run a business without fighting ghosts.
Your main problem might simply be that you believe in ghosts. I think
maybe you even host some ghosts. There's something you describe
as already existing, in the present tense, as a "revolutionary
open source package" (IntaBiz), even in the past tense, as "developed",
that does all kinds of wonderful stuff. According to you, anyway.
(OK, OK, it also says "will do" this and that, here and there.
ouldn't make up your mind?)
If it was really being developled as open source, though, wouldn't I be
able to get dozens of hits searching on "IntaBiz"? Sourceforge doesn't
carry the project? OK, then, where is it?
Where's your ftp site, so I can get the source and start contributing?
Where's your download page for this thing? Did you settle on a license
(Apache, BSD, whatever). Which one? I can't tell. Shouldn't that be
the FIRST thing I would know, if it was really open source? Is this your
idea of openness?
Oh I get it: *closed* open source. Quick, patent that!
We can spread any specious rumor we want, as long as it's hype about
our own companies?
> Propagating stories (whether true or not) damages the industry as a
> whole.
Mm. MM. MMmmph. Mumbblemmmmmfffff. And that's the truth.
(E-mail me privately for a decrypted version.)
In fact, propagating the truth is the best thing that can ever happen
in a free market economy. At least if you're a consumer or an
investor. (It's not all for entrepreneurs, believe it or not.) The
propagation of the odd falsehood is the price we pay for keeping
the truth-channels open.
> In many ways Tokyo at this moment is like being in Silicon Valley in the
> 80's (and pioneers there didn窶冲 grasp the full implications of what was
> happening either.) Part of the reason Silicon Valley boomed is becasue
> nobody at that time knew what a dot-com-bubble-bust was or expected to
> get ridiculious returns on investments in the first place (it didnt
> matter then and it really shouldnt matter now.) lets stop looking for
> reasons to fail and predicting doom and just get on with the job.
Um, you obviously weren't there, Paul. The 80s were boom AND
bust times in Silicon Valley. Maybe two cycles. I was there, and
saw blowhards get money and blow it, saw diligent and guileless
engineers packing U-hauls and going back to Ohio to pick up the
pieces. Good stuff happened, bad stuff happened, but worst of all,
VAPORWARE HAPPENED.
But vaporware is exempt from criticism, for some reason. Is it
because it might, someday, if we all pull together and shut up,
become real? Under strong leadership, perhaps?
-michael turner
leap@gol.com
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Received on Sun Sep 9 04:26:55 2001