Sun / Imprise Announcement: A Blackdown Porter's ViewPoint

[Kevin_Hendricks]

Hi,

I thought you might like to know that Sun is now officially supporting x86 Linux 
and didn't bother to inform their porting partners after using their efforts.  
There is no planned support for Sparc, PowerPC, arm, alpha, etc.

Needless to say, the Blackdown porting effort is in serious jeopardy.

My efforts for Java on Linux PowerPC will cease unless Sun makes a "*public*" 
change asap.

If you use the JDK and want support to continue (at all for powerpc based 
machines) you might want to (politely) express your displeasure with Sun.

Thanks,

Kevin

------------- Begin Forwarded Message -------------

Date: Tue, 7 Dec 1999 11:39:58 -0500 (EST)
From: Kevin_Hendricks <khendricks at admin.ivey.uwo.ca>
Subject: Sun / Imprise Announcement: A Blackdown Porter's ViewPoint
To: java-linux at java.blackdown.org
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-MD5: jfrc0hb9tf/kXVy1gfHb0g==

Hi,

I just wanted the list to know that although we (Blackdown) knew Sun was going 
to make some release we had no idea it would not even mention the 4 years of 
work the Blackdown porters have contributed to this effort.

I truly believe that the Sun / Imprise effort is based on an earlier Blackdown 
tree.  

If so, why has Sun not even acknowledged the existence of this second tree to 
us.

If so, why hasn't Sun given credit to Blackdown where credit is due?

Needless to say the people who have contributed their personal time and effort 
to the Blackdown project are *NOT* happy.

I don't mind donating my time and effort to help Java on Linux.

I *do* mind not having that effort recognized especially when it is used as the 
basis of a someone else's tree.

Frankly, Sun's conduct here stinks.

Unless Sun makes some public change crediting Blackdown where credit is due in a 
prominent place in their announcements / press releases/ web-page, I am finished 
as a Blackdown porter and the future of the entire Blackdown project is 
seriously at risk (most of us feel this way).

If you have benefited in any way from the efforts of the Blackdown porting group 
over the last 4 years, please (politely) express your displeasure at Sun.

Thanks,

Kevin B. Hendricks
(possibly former member of the Blackdown porting group!).

--
Kevin B. Hendricks
Associate Professor of Operations and Information Technology
Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario  N6A-3K7  CANADA   
khendricks at ivey.uwo.ca, (519) 661-3874, fax: 519-661-3959


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