Mon, 17 Mar 2008 8:21:45 PDT
NetBeans 6.1 Beta is out!
| NetBeans 6.1 is out, along with a contest. There's a lot to like about it, but my personal favorite is the MySQL support. It couldn't have come at a better time: just a couple of days ago I started a big-ish project using MySQL, and the new NB features have really helped. And if you haven't tried the Visual Web Designer yet, take it out for a spin.
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Mon, 17 Mar 2008 8:21:45 PDT
Have a little fun, bring a little peace
 If you've ever wanted to improve your understanding of conflict in the Middle East (or anywhere, really), there's a cool reality-based game called PeaceMaker that you should try. They've got some interesting videos on YouTube. Even though it's a Java game, it's only available for Windows and OS X - they use QuickTime for Java. (we're trying to get our cross-platform media story together, but it's tough... [codecs are easy, we've got piles of them: it's all about patent royalties on free software :-( ])
Mon, 17 Mar 2008 8:21:45 PDT
Hanging out in OZ
 The TechDays traveling circus is in
Sydney this week. Lucky me! I get to tag along. This is such a great town. If you're in Sydney and looking for a geek fest, come join in.
Mon, 17 Mar 2008 2:7:17 PDT
Software Freedom: More Than Copyright
 I was surprised last week to see a posting from Michael Tiemann, the President of the Open Source Initiative and a VP at Red Hat. Any posting with a subject of line of "Simon Phipps Was Right" is bound to catch my eye, but this one was especially unexpected because in the original discussion I had thought that Michael was largely right! Michael's posting graciously said:
Simon, I'm beginning to think that you were right and I was wrong. You said a standard's process is a crucial aspect of the standard's product, and a process that is not open cannot be trusted to produce a product that can be considered open. I maintained that I had seen and used many wonderful standards that took absolutely zero input from me, and therefore I didn't see my participation as a necessary prerequisite for assuring quality in the future. I believed that no matter what the process, a standard should be judged by the product. Watching the fallout settle from the [ISO ballot resolution meeting] in Geneva, I'm beginning to think that you were right and I was wrong.
I've been thinking about the posting for a week or so now and I've tried to respond thoughtfully. Here is the response I sent to Michael (still awaiting moderation):
Thank-you, Michael - it's not often I see a posting like this. Actually, when we spoke about this at OSCON I found I agreed with many of your arguments, even if that doesn't show in the on-list discussion. The problem is that standards are orthogonal to open source, and attempting to define them in a way that promotes and protects software freedom may be impossible. It's been said that when we create any system we create the game that plays it. The standards system is fully mature and as such is fully gamed, as the DIS29500 debacle you reference is proving.
Maybe a more productive approach going forward is to try to do for the other kinds of so-called intellectual property what the Open Source Definition (OSD) currently does for copyright licensing. Perhaps we need to rename OSD to "Open Source Copyright Definition" and then work on an "Open Source Patent Definition", so that we can avoid the kind of entrapment that software patents can threaten? And as you know I am convinced we need an "Open Source Trademark Definition" to help us as a community of communities to avoid the IceWeasel problem.
If these are interesting, I'd be pleased to spend time exploring them together. Let me know.
New Definitions
The current Open Source Definition doesn't actually define Open Source - rather, it defines a subset of the requirements that protect software freedom, in this case the copyright license. I actually think renaming it ("Open Source Copyright Definition"?) would be good since there's more to Open Source than just the copyright license. I then suggest we explore creating an "Open Source Patent Definition" and an "Open Source Trademark Definition".
What would be in these two new definitions? Both would need to define what promotes software freedom and how it can be protected. Both would need to be pragmatically principled.
- An Open Source Patent Definition would do for patents what the OS(C)D does for copyrights. I've posted a lot on this subject before, notably in Protecting Developers from Patents and Ten Reasons The World Needs Patent Covenants, so I'd go mining there for my contributions to the discussion. But it may also be that in addition there needs to be a call for patent law reform, maybe as I outlined in Seven Patent Reforms While We Wait For Nirvana.
- When it comes to an Open Source Trademark Definition, we would need to similarly define the signs that a developer or user needs to know whether software freedom is being promoted in a trademark policy. I've not written about this yet, but I do believe we need to collectively understand the bounds trademark law places on people who have responsibility for trademarks (read: all developers and open source communities as well as all vendors). We then need to construct a path that promotes software freedom without placing impossible demands on trademark owners to behave in ways that are contrary to their responsibilities.
This is not easy stuff. But I do believe that certain recent events between the open and proprietary software worlds mean that it's time for software freedom fighters to get together and work on these things. I'm ready to work on it. What do you say, Michael?
Mon, 17 Mar 2008 2:7:17 PDT
links for 2008-03-16
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Cool tip. Wish Apple would do it for real though.
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Australian view: "Microsoft now seems to have been too clever by half, to its own detriment and that of consumers."
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This looks like a pretty rational step. All the development of the code-base (and optionally the distros themselves) on OpenSolaris.org and all the user/sysadmin forums and downloads on opensolaris.com
Mon, 17 Mar 2008 2:7:17 PDT
OGB: Get The Vote Out
We're half-way through the voting for the new OpenSolaris Governing Board as I write there have been 74 votes cast. That means there are plenty of people (nearly 300) who have yet to vote.
If you've not seen them, I wrote some notes on why I encourage you to vote for both of the amendments I proposed. There's been some comments against them from certain community voices, so I'd like to clarify that both of those amendments are submitted by me as a community member in response to community comments and I have tried to incorporate all the feedback I received for both. I was not asked to submit them by any Sun management and they are not "official" Sun amendments.
In those notes I also listed some other candidates and endorsed them as people I would be pleased to work with on the future of OpenSolaris if I was elected. It was noted they are all Sun candidates, and while that reflects the significant presence of Sun employees in the OpenSolaris community, I'd like to make it clear that I would also be pleased to work with candidates like Michal Bielicki, Stephen Lau and Justin Erenkrantz, all of whom have shown the sort of constructive spirit we'll need to take OpenSolaris forward.
Ultimately we need an OGB that has the backing of all the Core Contributors. So if you have a vote please use it, whoever you vote for.
Java ナイトセミナーで JavaOne 2008 を先取りしましょう！
今週の水曜 3/19 (あさってですね) に恒例の Java Hot Topic セミナー 3月号を開催します！
私は「JavaOne 2008 勝手に大予想」と題して、5 月に行われる JavaOne の楽しみ方を
紹介します♪ ほかにも OpenDS、Java SE 6 Update N、Java スキルアップ講座、と小粒ながらも
楽しめるトピックを用意しています。
開催概要
2008年03月19日（水） 18:00 開場 18:30-20:30 (予定)
サン・マイクロシステムズ株式会社 用賀本社27階
http://jp.sun.com/company/events/2008/000153.html
まだ参加したことのない方のためにちょっと紹介を。
この Java Hot Topic セミナーは、「セミナー」と書いてはいますが、そんな堅っ苦しいものではなく、
とってもリラックスできる Java ファンの集い(?)です。
毎回 Java パズラーなどのクイズの時間もあり、全問正解者には豪華景品が！
参加者の方の気合が入る、人気コーナーです。
また、夕方からということでおなかがすいてくるみなさまのために、ドリンクとお菓子を用意しています。
ポリポリお菓子をつまみながらご参加くださいませ。
たくさんのご登録をお待ちしてます！
http://jp.sun.com/company/events/2008/000153.html
「今月の２時間で学ぶJava Hot Topic」ナイトセミナー3月号は今週水曜日です
サンの Java エバンジェリストが、毎月ホットな話題を選んでお届けするミニナイトセミナー「今月の２時間で学ぶ
Java Hot Topic (３月号)」は今週の水曜日 3 月 19 日です。今回は OpenDS, Java SE 6
Update N, JavaOne 2008 情報などなど盛りだくさんです。まだ若干お席に余裕があるようです。登録ページよりお申し込みのうえ、是非ご参加下さい。
1) Sun のオープンソース暮らしの手帖 - OpenDS 編
Java エバンジェリスト
塩田 智則（しおだ とものり）
Sun はこれまで Solaris, Java, NetBeans, OpenOffice.org, GlassFish
などの重要な基盤技術をオープンソースにしてきました。これらの中には、あまり有名じゃないけど、実は重要なプロジェクト OpenDS
があります。「OpenDS って何？」という方は、ぜひこのセッションを。なお、このプロジェクトは某有名メーカのゲーム機とは関係ありません。
2) Java SE 6 Update N
Java エバンジェリスト
荻布 真也（おぎの しんや)
昨年の JavaOne でアナウンス時に大きな反響のあった Consumer JRE が、Update N
という名前で登場しました。まだベータ版の段階ですが、クライアント Java
にうれしい機能が盛りだくさんです。このセッションではデモを交えながら何がどう変わるのかについて紹介します。
3) JavaOne 2008−勝手に大予想
Java エバンジェリスト
大渕雅子 (おおふち まさこ)
年に1度の Java デベロッパーの祭典 JavaOne が 5 月 6
日からサンフランシスコで開催されます。そこで、このセッションは「JavaOne 2008 勝手に大予想」と題し、テクニカルセッションから
BOF やハンズオンラボ、パビリオンまで一足早い JavaOne 2008 情報を独断と偏見でお届けします。一緒に JavaOne
前のワクワク感を体感しましょう！
4) デキるエンジニアのための Java トレーニング/認定資格活用法
ラーニングサービス本部
新しい技術を習得するための近道の一つはトレーニングと認定資格を上手に活用することです。サンでは基礎的な Java
のトレーニングに始まり、より実践的なトラブルシューティングまでの様々なコースを用意しています。このセッションではこれらのコースと Java
の認定資格を上手に活用することで、確実にステップアップする方法を紹介します。
今月の２時間で学ぶ Java Hot Topic (3月号)
サンの Java エバンジェリストが、毎月ホットな話題を選んでお届けするミニナイトセミナー「今月の２時間で学ぶ Java Hot Topic」は来週の水曜日 3 月 19 日です。今回はいつもと趣向を変えて、ちょっと軽めのトピックを懐石風にアレンジしました。いつものように楽しいパズルのコーナーも用意しています。皆さん、お誘い合わせの上、気軽にお越しください。 無料セミナーですが事前登録制となっております。登録ページよりお申し込み下さい。
1) Sun のオープンソース暮らしの手帖 - OpenDS 編
Java エバンジェリスト
塩田 智則（しおだ とものり）
Sun はこれまで Solaris, Java, NetBeans, OpenOffice.org, GlassFish などの重要な基盤技術をオープンソースにしてきました。これらの中には、あまり有名じゃないけど、実は重要なプロジェクト OpenDS があります。「OpenDS って何？」という方は、ぜひこのセッションを。なお、このプロジェクトは某有名メーカのゲーム機とは関係ありません。
2) Java SE 6 Update N
Java エバンジェリスト
荻布 真也（おぎの しんや)
昨年の JavaOne でアナウンス時に大きな反響のあった Consumer JRE が、Update N という名前で登場しました。まだベータ版の段階ですが、クライアント Java にうれしい機能が盛りだくさんです。このセッションではデモを交えながら何がどう変わるのかについて紹介します。
3) JavaOne 2008−勝手に大予想
Java エバンジェリスト
大渕雅子 (おおふち まさこ)
年に1度の Java デベロッパーの祭典 JavaOne が 5 月 6 日からサンフランシスコで開催されます。そこで、このセッションは「JavaOne 2008 勝手に大予想」と題し、テクニカルセッションから BOF やハンズオンラボ、パビリオンまで一足早い JavaOne 2008 情報を独断と偏見でお届けします。一緒に JavaOne 前のワクワク感を体感しましょう！
4) デキるエンジニアのための Java トレーニング/認定資格活用法
ラーニングサービス本部
新しい技術を習得するための近道の一つはトレーニングと認定資格を上手に活用することです。サンでは基礎的な Java のトレーニングに始まり、より実践的なトラブルシューティングまでの様々なコースを用意しています。このセッションではこれらのコースと Java の認定資格を上手に活用することで、確実にステップアップする方法を紹介します。
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