[Debian-uk] Re: Expo aftermath

[Philip Hands]

At 24 Oct 2002 21:07:34 +0100,
Roger Leigh wrote:
> 
> Philip Hands <phil@hands.com> writes:
> 
> > At Wed, 23 Oct 2002 19:03:24 +0100 (BST),
> 
> > ... and also revealed that the new SuSE bloke (should probably find
> > out he name and position) doesn't understand what Free Software is,
> > and is apparently rather proud of that fact, if anything, which bodes
> > ill for SuSE's medium/long term future.
> 
> Was this the same person who manned the SuSE stand next to the Debian
> one at the UKUUG Linux Developer's Conference this year?  I forgot his
> name (he was a marketing manager IIRC), but I sat next to him at the
> dinner on the barge and we had a fairly interesting discussion about
> licensing issues and free software, and the differences between Debian
> and SuSE (and UnitedLinux, YaST etc.) in this respect.  He seemed
> clued-up, and I couldn't fault anything he said, even if I disagreed
> with some things he said.  He certainly understood Free Software and
> the GPL.
> 
> I have a digital photo from the event, if that would help things (he
> had a beard and glasses, though that might not be so uncommon, since
> it applies equally to me and many others ;-)

Nah --- different bloke.  The one at the Expo was a clean shaven
german (judging by the accent), and I doubt he has read the GPL, let
alone understood the implications.  He joined SuSE in Feb or March
this year, and is from a conventional business background as far as I
could work out (in other words, he thinks he's selling baked beans,
and has contempt for the unworldly folks that try to tell him thet
Free Software is not just another product --- he didn't say that, but
I've met the type before).

Cheers, Phil.