01.09.09
Novell is Heckling Boycott Novell, Anonymously
THE suspicion that Novell employees are harassing Boycott Novell (and other Web sites that occasionally write about Novell for that matter) is no suspicion but a fact. They want good publicity and in the lack of good publicity they’ll attack the messenger, be it the carrier of a negative message about Mono or whatever.
To produce proof, one need not go far, either. Take pseudonym “Baby In The Bath Water” for example. He has posted dozens of comments here since last year. What comments? Critical — if not abusive — comments.
According to one comment, this person is “involved” with “IETF draft specifications” and he spends a lot of time here promoting/defending Mono, as well as other Novell products.
He posted each and every one of these comment from 130.57.22.201, which belongs to:
OrgName: Novell, Inc. OrgID: NOVELL-1 Address: 1800 South Novell Place City: Provo StateProv: UT PostalCode: 84606 Country: US NetRange: 130.57.0.0 - 130.57.255.255 CIDR: 130.57.0.0/16 NetName: NOVELL-WEST NetHandle: NET-130-57-0-0-1 Parent: NET-130-0-0-0-0 NetType: Direct Assignment NameServer: NS.NOVELL.COM NameServer: NS2.NOVELL.COM Comment: RegDate: 1988-06-03 Updated: 2004-05-05 RAbuseHandle: BWA3-ARIN RAbuseName: Wayne, Bruce RAbusePhone: +1-801-861-2222 RAbuseEmail: bwayne@novell.com RNOCHandle: BWA3-ARIN RNOCName: Wayne, Bruce RNOCPhone: +1-801-861-2222 RNOCEmail: bwayne@novell.com RTechHandle: BWA3-ARIN RTechName: Wayne, Bruce RTechPhone: +1-801-861-2222 RTechEmail: bwayne@novell.com OrgTechHandle: DNJ4-ARIN OrgTechName: Johnson, David N. OrgTechPhone: +1-801-861-2561 OrgTechEmail: dnjohnson@novell.com # ARIN WHOIS database, last updated 2009-01-08 19:10 # Enter ? for additional hints on searching ARIN's WHOIS database.
We also get a lot of harassment from IP addresses in the vicinity of S.u.S.E. (Germany). Coincidence or mischief? Or maybe the posters just happen to have cracked and hijacked machines in Novell’s headquarters, in order to access Boycott Novell. [sarcasm /]
Anyhoo…
If it were not for the harassment, it would be harder to argue that Novell seems a little paranoid, maybe because the Netcraft (traffic) rank for this site is 2892nd on the Web (and rising steadily).
Novell loves arguing that we offer no honesty; but what type of example does Novell set when its employees post here under names like “Baby In The Bath Water”? █
“The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception, the one who lies with sincerity.”
–Andre Gide
C.J. said,
January 9, 2009 at 8:04 pm
http://frontalot.com/index.php/?page=lyrics&lyricid=45
*heckle* *heckle*
Roy Schestowitz said,
January 9, 2009 at 8:10 pm
Yet you can’t look away and you went on a campaign to discredit us.
Are you still contracted for that consulting gig for Microsoft Corporation, C.J.? I hear they are cutting down on contracted staff.
Ed Landaveri said,
January 9, 2009 at 11:19 pm
So many mono defenders, where did you think they come from? This was clear from the beginning. If somebody doesn’t like any site. Simple do not look at it. If they see any merit on mono why they do not create they’re own blogs to spread its wonders. They know that they would get no traffic figures thus, these Novell servants come and try ludicrously to defend what Novell have done: “To get in bed with Microsoft!”
If mono “has” any merit, what good it does to Free Open Source. None! it only benefits those who are being paid by Microsoft who is and will try to destroy Linux and FOSS. Remember they are scared by freedom and the fact that people everywhere in the world are waking up to know what Microsoft know for so many years that GNU Linux and FOSS are technically superior.
Meanwhile, please keep up the good work to stand up for freedom! To stand up against Colonialism! Hats off to you && Happy New Year! Your site is one of the lighthouses for the free world!
Shane Coyle said,
January 9, 2009 at 11:41 pm
I’ve been considering making ALL comments come up anonymous, so that they may each be judged on the merits of their content, rather than whomever spoke them and any perceived agendas they may have.
Even if it is Ron Hovsepian commenting here, who cares? Just like, for all everyone knows, I’m really twitter. As long as you can defeat my arguments and assertions, it really shouldn’t matter what my motivations and associations are perceived to be.
In fact, it is conducive to healthy discourse to ensure that there are intelligent people whom you respect from all sides of an issue participating – something that I’ve always hoped for on this site, and we have a fairly diverse and knowledgeable community of regulars here, let’s not keep chasing them away.
Note: writer of this comment wants to look cool by having one of those ominous-looking disclaimer texts.
Peter2 said,
January 10, 2009 at 3:48 am
Your astounding method as harrasing commenters that do not agree with you is incredible.
I can see why people would only want to be anonymous here. Before you now it you publish their personal details in your articles.
You show extremly obsessive behaviour towards people that do not agree with you. That is unwise because a lot of your articles are so outrageous that most people are bound to disagree even from the FOSS community.
Roy Schestowitz said,
January 10, 2009 at 4:12 am
If defence of Mono comes from people with vested interests, should we not know?
AlexH said,
January 10, 2009 at 4:17 am
@Roy: if you bash a project, it’s natural that those that first protest to the bashing are those in the free software community who spend their (often free) time working on the project.
After all, there are vested interests working against Mono on this site.
Roy Schestowitz said,
January 10, 2009 at 4:19 am
Really? How so?
AlexH said,
January 10, 2009 at 5:04 am
Well, inability to accept clear facts about the project and to continue to deny its status as free software is obviously a vested interested. Like denying global warming; they are often connected to oil interests.
Kevin Vacit said,
January 10, 2009 at 5:14 am
Roy, do you have any indication this is a coordinated attack? Strictly speaking it might simply be a disgruntled Novell employee venting his private opinions.
Roy Schestowitz said,
January 10, 2009 at 5:26 am
Companies comprise people. Policies don’t come from a crystal ball and companies take responsibility for what they — their staff — do at work.
towanowitsch said,
January 10, 2009 at 6:39 am
Thank you, Shane.
the11thplague said,
January 10, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Lol, this is like a battle between you and anybody who posts. Maybe it’s just a battle of yours, maybe it’s a war on you. Anyway, it’s really fun to see.
G. Michaels said,
January 11, 2009 at 12:43 am
Roy – I’m sure everyone is waiting breathlessly for you to actually come up with some proof that this is some sort of concerted effort on the part of your most hated corporation. I know I am!
If this is the extent of the “attacks” you claim you’ve been a victim of, it sure looks rather lame-ish (what with an IP that can easily be identified) and it sure took them their sweet long time to start it up, didn’t it?
You’re like the kid who poked the beehive one too many times, and then acts all surprised when the bees sting him.
But it’s probably your belief that anyone who works at Novell or Microsoft is an amoral monster, so one employee calling you on your lies and misrepresentations has to be a corporate-sponsored attack.
Note: writer of this comment adds absolutely nothing but stalking and personal attacks against readers, as documented here.
G. Michaels said,
January 11, 2009 at 12:46 am
Oh and,
Is this a policy at your company as well? At mine, the employee agreement that allows me to use the company’s internet connection explicitly says I’m responsible for my actions while using said internet connection.
What does your employee agreement say, Roy? Can you share, just generalities about it? Standard disclaimers and so on, a synthesis of the legalese, please?
Note: writer of this comment adds absolutely nothing but stalking and personal attacks against readers, as documented here.
Old Novell Employee said,
January 20, 2009 at 6:43 pm
As a past Novell employee I was told to post to these sites in defense of Novell and it was driven by my boss at then Novell. Yes you are correct in saying it is a dictate to employees at Novell by management to act this way.
Jose_X said,
January 20, 2009 at 9:42 pm
[AlexH] >> Well, inability to accept clear facts about the project and to continue to deny its status as free software is obviously a vested interested.
On free software:
Being free software is not a magic ticket. It never has been, though in the past, when Microsoft was not involved and when patents were used less, free software was a safer concept.
Free software can be a tool used to help sustain a monopoly. That is how I view mono and certain other free software.
[Peter2] >> That is unwise because a lot of your articles are so outrageous that most people are bound to disagree even from the FOSS community.
What do you mean by “a lot”? For example, in Roy’s last 100 postings, could you point out to this “lot” so we can better see?
tak said,
January 21, 2009 at 1:44 am
Yo, I come from Germany. I guess this makes me automatically someone ‘near the SUSE headquarters’ and suspicious of working for Novell. Swell. :p
If I move to France is this far enough from SUSE headquarters?
Roy Schestowitz said,
January 21, 2009 at 5:51 am
I assume the comment from “Old Novell Employee” was tongue-in-cheek.
twitter said,
February 18, 2009 at 10:02 am
It is a good idea to expose Novell for astroturfing, to record the crime and judge the criminals. Regulars to the site know that a significant amount of effort is spent harassing Roy through comments, significant enough to be a professional effort. The use of botnets makes it possible for PR firms to hide the origin of their work, but any evidence that can be collected should be. Shareholders, customers and fellow Novell employees deserve to know how the company is wasting their money. The rest of the world should know how reliable various comments are by the pattern of posts. Reputations are earned things and are a good resource when used properly.
It is ironic that one of the sites’s former editors would not see the truth of the above arguments. One of the goals of the astroturfers is to ruin the credibility of the site and the reputation of its participants. You can see this in their constant complaints about inconsequential factual errors and continuous namecalling and other personal attacks against Roy. Finally, Shane, you must be aware of childish smear sites, such as linux idiots, that have been set up to attack Roy personally. Do not confuse Roy attempts to unmask organized attacks with the libel that has been dumped on Roy, Boycott Novell and people like me.