[LUAU] Open Source Pizza - October 18, 2005

[Jim Thompson]

On Oct 16, 2005, at 7:05 AM, Hawaii Linux Institute wrote:

> Angela Kahealani wrote:
>
>> so, what's YOUR experience with OS?
>>
>>
> Very "negative" (note the "minus one" ranking that I gave)--I will  
> try to discuss that in separate threads.  That's why I am asking  
> whether anyone here has a different experience.  I would very much  
> like to hear it.
>
> I compared OpenSolaris with Linux, b/c Sun's CEO Scott McNealy  
> declared that we should consider Solaris as a "variant of Linux".   
> Of course this was six months, his position might have changed.
>
> But it is probably not fair to compare OS with Linux, as OS was  
> debuted just four months ago.  That said, if Sun couldn't  quickly  
> get more developers/end-users interested in OS beyond the existing  
> Solaris community, I doubt anything will be different years from  
> now (& the migration to Linux will continue).

Please read "Worse is better" (http://dreamsongs.com/ 
WorseIsBetter.html) and note that Gabriel now works at Sun.

> In my brief adventure with OS, I also had the pleasure to encounter  
> quite a few very sincere, hard-working, and earnest Sun employees.   
> But there is also a huge (as I have sensed) internal politics.   
> "Too little, too late" may not be the only problem, internal  
> rigidity (which has been perceived as "arrogance") may be another.
>
> Since both you and Jim, among perhaps several others, are Sun  
> alumni, I apologize if I said something incorrect.  Wayne

"A" people only hire other "A" people.   Many startups erect "no  
bozo" rules, and other shenanigans in an effort to keep the employee  
base "pure".
Eventually, someone gets lazy, or sloppy, or for what may have been  
entirely good reasons at the time, hires a "B" performer.

These "B" performers tend to hire (or vet) only other "B" performers  
or "C"-level players.   They are threatened by anyone "better".

Since the "talent pool" has exponentially more "B" players than "A"  
players, and "C" players than "B" players, the cancer inside the  
company grows, especially while "Human Resources" (gack, I choke on  
that term every time) is attempting to keep pace with the company's   
"growth plans".  You don't get to survive long on Wall Street without  
meeting your "growth plan", either.

Thus, Sun went from hundreds, to a few thousand, to tens of thousands  
of employees, but could not retain the focus and brilliance that  
marked its first 10 years.

Its a lot like cancer.