knut-yrvin-on-miguel

Knut Yrvin 3 timer ago as reply to Jo-Erlend Schinstad

Miguel de ICA has an interesting career:

He established the e-mail client Evolution as a "competitor" to Outlook. Code quality was so poor that no Linux distributions would take the product.

In response to exclusion due to the quality requirements for different Linux distributions, Miguel made with friends a script to deploy static binary of Evolution. The scripts were collectively referred to Red Carpet, since they also sold in that they could install anything. The whole thing was organized in the company Ximian, and they got some investors. The purpose was to circumvent the repository for various Linux distributions, and the quality of work done by the Linux distributors.

Novell bought the story with the Ximian Red Carpet. Novell needed to upgrade their system for the deployment of software on different platforms. Novell also received money from IBM to acquire SuSE Linux. This was simply because SuSE Linux struggled financially in the early 2000's. IBM wanted two Linux distributions, to avoid that RedHat had de-facto monopoly. The acquisition of Ximian gave Miguel and another medgruner 100 million each.

Then engineers at Novell see what was so "wonderful" Red Carpet. They obviously had not checked what they had bought during the NDA, as is usual in the software industry. In practical testing showed that the scripts were of the same poor quality as Evolution, and was unsuitable for use with Novell's customers. Manager who bought Ximian was fired.

Meanwhile, Miguel de ICA evangelized how to throw out KDE in favor of Gnome from the European-based SuSE Linux, and that they should focus on Mono. Mixed into how the SuSE Linux was created, without expertise in the distro market. Top-ingniører with SuSE stopped.

IBM had spent 8 million to get through the rigorous testing of SUSE Linux with the KDE desktop for Munich. The city had thousands of functional requirements, and it must be quality assured. Then Novell, claiming that Munich was to switch to Gnome after all the tests were completed, and KDE approval. KDE had including several corporate solutions built, which simplified centralized operation. Munich found that Novell was just like Microsoft, where without consulting the customer changed their mind to go for something other than agreed, and customer testing. This in 13 hours. There was a local Debian company won the contract with Munich. One can just imagine what people from IBM reported back to management.

Miguel's evangelism, gave poorer product quality. Top people quit. Super-partner IBM's customer case with Munich was driven into the ditch. Novell all too late that they had bought a pup. The company spent 3-4 years to repair the damage they inflicted by Miguel, where they spent several years in recruiting top people back who had quit. SuSE Linux gave official support to KDE again, and won out in several other major deployments in Europe. There was talk of large industrial deployments.

After these fade late, was Miguel de ICA's parked in the Mono project, which was a key in Novell's collaboration with Microsoft. In the negotiations between Novell and Microsoft, and Microsoft to allow a patent clause in the last minute. This was 99% of the free developer communities to see red. Exceptions of loyal friends Miguel in Gnome. Throughout this period, the Free Software Foundation with the renewal of the GPL license. In rebellion against Novell's betrayal, the GPLv3 designed to kill the validity of the Microsoft contract with Novell.

While this was happening Miguel went to evangelical war in favor of OOXML / docx. It turns out that Novell had contracted support for OOXML with Microsoft. Miguel was good for the contradictory promise of standardization together with secret Microsoft-owned well in the format. This even if Novell's own testing showed that the testing of interaction with OOXML documents failed. Miguel was completely clear about this, but continued to evangelize Microsoft's technology. The fact that we now know that no one has implemented the ISO version of OOXML, it was completely clear to Miguel as soon as he saw the tests under standardization. He argued, however powerfully in favor of Microsoft. It smelled green. It smelled of dollars. Miguel had once before been sold things that only partially worked for 100 million to Novell. Microsoft was going to pay Novell billion to buy loyalty. Miquel is a declared supporter Microsoft, Novell said that everything would go well.

Today we know what Miguel de ICA's projects have cost Novell. He put the company Novell 3-4 years back in time to prevent the development of SuSE Linux. He went into the Novell lost track with Mono. Only 35 end-user application is made with the framework since its inception ten years ago. This is a great set of programs designed for system configuration, where only about 5 of the programs can be said to be intended for the general public. This is disastrous in terms of the hundreds of millions spent on Novell Mono. Microsoft agreement prevented a market-oriented development and sale of SuSE Linux. Rather than supplying the market with SuSE Linux is the best, the SuSE Linux used as a direct comparison with Windows. For those who know nothing about differentiation, so this was the opposite. Rather than sell Linux on their own merits, had to constantly compare Novell SuSE Linux via Mono vs. Net. Something that we know is impossible as long. Net is not open. It can not be copied, so Miguel has proven again and again.

With the injuries inflicted by Miguel de ICA, the SuSE Linux never a real competitor to Red Hat. So what was the goal of IBM's desire when they financed the purchase of Novell's SuSE Linux. Although Novell earned money on SuSE Linux, the company flew high and low with Microsoft copy the dreams of Miguel de ICA. This shaded a good SuSE Linux as well stood on its own without Mono. Novell then also provide virtually bankrupt on Microsoft fanaticism. There is no ambulatory people longer listen to Miquel in the software industry. Of course, Miguel manage to get some ivestor-million, and lure some financiers and economists in the lead several times, as the good Microsoft evangelist he is. But the reality is that the first Attachmate did after buying Novell, was to get rid of anything that smelled of Miguel de ICA. All the debris was washed out Mono. Now, Attachmate do much to rebuild SuSE Linux, which I think they are getting into. They have a good product and a great community manager who is closest to the water.

An important detail in this picture, since there are still some who believe Miguel de ICA may have a point. And he has a point, and it is to do the opposite of what he says. RedHat recently sprung a billion dollars in revenue [1], and this by doing the opposite of Microsoft advice of Miguel de ICA. Canonical is the company that has taken the role Novell could have taken, if they had done the opposite of listening to ICA. Rather, the Canonical-founder Mark Shuttleworth constantly warned against what Miguel de ICA recommends.

It is little wonder that IBM now has a caliber of entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth to give RedHat real competition. Ubuntu passed RedHat online servers until recently [2]. In short, anyone who thinks Miguel de ICA has a point, you should do the opposite of listening to the guy. Those who have heard the guy has either lost their job or had to sell out of business. Those who have done the opposite of listening to Miguel de ICA have both work experience and solid growth in the market.