“Independent” Studies... the Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree

Yesterday we wrote about this new 'study', which slags off Free software. Dana Blankenhorn highlights the obvious deficiencies of such studies.

What the Mendelson-Lee paper shows is that business schools (like journalism schools) work at the behest of those businesses which pay the bills. And those businesses are frightened of open source.

[...]

One final irony. Mendelson’s chair is sponsored by Kleiner Perkins, the venture capitalists. No one knows more how tough open source is to contain, and the need to go with its flow, than the folks on Sand Hill Road.

Kleiner Perkins?

Seems like another Ignition-like group, i.e. a group of investors containing former Microsoft employees or somesuch. It's all about interests, so let's find some.

Going to the Web site of the funders of this anti-Free software 'study', here is what you find in the front page: iFund

"KPCB launches $100M iFund in collaboration with Apple"

Looking at those who run the place, it's possible also to find things like this: (emphasis ours)

Russell joined KPCB after seven years at Microsoft. At Microsoft he helped launch LAN Manager, Microsoft's first network operating system, then was the marketing manager in charge of Windows for Workgroups, a small-business networking version of Windows. For the first half of 1993, Russell worked directly for Bill Gates, during which time he researched the online market and recommended an entry strategy for that market.

Nathan Myhrvold as well had been working with Bill Gates before these two decided to come up with patent-trolling as a 'solution', which Gates is now funding personally (not Microsoft). The above is not an isolated incident. There is another Microsoft root in Kleiner Perkins:

Prior to BEA, Ellen focused on business development and closed technology licensing deals for Tellme Networks and Microsoft's WebTV division.

So, these are the sorts of people who invest in a study on fighting Free(dom) software. Not much of a surprise there. The previous post contained no information about the source of the money; now we have it. ⬆

"Pearly Gates and Em-Ballmer
One promises you heaven and the other prepares you for the grave."

--Ray Noorda, Novell