links for 2008-08-12 [delicious.com]

interesting interview with Novell's Michael Meeks; notable for the comments on Sun, copyright assignment, Go oo, and so on

"Opportunities forgone aren’t always easy to see. The effects of overuse are generally unmistakable—you can’t miss the empty nets of fishing boats working overfished oceans, or the scrub that covers an overgrazed field. But the effects of underuse created by too much ownership are often invisible. They’re mainly things that don’t happen: inventions that don’t get made, useful drugs that never get to market." – one of the primary concerns with software patents

well, hopefully it's not quite so zero sum.

poor Twitter. when it's not being slagged for its poor uptime, it's being knocked for its lack of a business plan. which is fair, given recent history. but how many would have used it – or even realized that they might – if it's gates weren't wide open from Day One? i wouldn't have. Twitter stands a much better chance of realizing revenue, IMO, now that it's addicted so many users than it did before. it's like crack that way.

just what it says

"The strategic bottom line is that Microsoft, under Ballmer, feels compelled to compete everywhere — that they must directly confront any company achieving any significant success, no matter how far afield that success is from the areas where Microsoft is already winning or doing well."