---
title: "Duke Open Sourced: now that *is* news. And a word to the wise (IBM)"
date: 2006-11-16T01:39:57Z
modified: 2006-11-16T01:39:57Z
permalink: "https://redmonk.com/jgovernor/duke-open-sourced-now-that-is-news-and-a-word-to-the-wise-ibm/"
type: post
status: publish
excerpt: ""
wpid: 778
categories:
  - Uncategorized
timestamp: 2006-11-16T01:39:57Z
tags:
  - Uncategorized
---

[Sam Ruby: Open Source Duke](http://www.intertwingly.net/blog/2006/11/15/Open-Source-Duke "Open Source Duke")

Sun drives some fun into the whole OSS equation. GPL/Apache – [who cares](http://www.redmonk.com/sogrady/archives/002516.html)? Duke is now an open source icon. literally.

Its good to see Sam say something positive about Sun’s contributions this week. His last utterances were somewhat [gnomic](http://www.intertwingly.net/blog/2006/11/13/IcedTea). Miguel [sees things a bit differently](http://tirania.org/blog/archive/2006/Nov-13.html) as far as Mono is concerned.

My suggestion to IBM. Say nothing about Sun and the GPL for a while. Keep it buttoned until you know what your position is. This is not a good time to leave it to the cluetrain. You may deeply regret things you say now in anger or frustration or whatever. Don’t say dumb stuff or you may lose a lot of the [good will](http://www.redmonk.com/sogrady/archives/002423.html) you have built. Very few things in life and more fungible than good will.

I actually disagree with Stephen somewhat. I think IBM has said some clumsy things about open source but got a free pass because of its contributions. Think Danny Sabbah on PHP, or the odd mistep around Linux distros. I though Kristof Kloekner’s recent comments in the FT (firewalled so no link love) about Oracle and Red Hat were quite amusing.

As far as the GPL communities are concerned you are perhaps only as good as your last contribution… A period of reflection about the implications would be a very good thing.

Did I remember to say well done everyone at Sun for finally pulling the trigger? I am so glad Duke is finally free of your heliocentric clutches.