Folks:
I've been asked to forward this message to you from David Meyer,
formerly of SLUG, most recently co-founder of FLALUG.
Paul M. Foster
President
Suncoast Linux Users Group (SLUG)
----- Forwarded message from "David R. Meyer" <david.meyer07@ca.com> -----
From: "David R. Meyer" <david.meyer07@ca.com>
Date: 17 Jul 2003 18:49:15 -0400
To: paulf@quillandmouse.com
Subject: A note to SLUG
Message-Id: <1058482155.984.0.camel@localhost.localdomain>
X-Mailer: Ximian Evolution 1.4.3
Good Morning,
I am writing you all today to do something I didn't think I would need
to do...admit that I was wrong in the past, and to offer an apology to
SLUG for the stances I took. During several different exchanges I was
told "you just don't get it" to which I responded, rather firmly at
times, that I did. I was wrong.
On Tuesday I had the unique opportunity to spend the day, and evening
with Linus Torvalds, Maddog Hall and Larry Augustin at CA World in Las
Vegas. Because I work with the Linux group I was afforded time to speak
with them because they were our guests for Linux Day.
Linus was presented the Humanitarian Award for Software for his Linux
development and continued work. Maddog then got up and gave a tribute
to him in which he gave example after example of what Open Source
solutions have done for the world. One of his examples really hit
me...the fact that 7000 African families now have clean water for the
first time thanks to Open Source being used in the cleaning of the
water. And so many more examples...too many to list here. It was a
very touching moment to hear just a sample of the humanitarian things
that Linux and Open Source have done for people around the world.
And then it finally hit me...Linux is more than the Operating System.
Open Source is more than free software that one can hack at will. The
School Project was more than free software...it was a community
involvement...the Open Source community. SLUG is a great part of the
community, as are other LUGs. I never intended for things to go as they
had in the past. But after Tuesday I understand what many of you tried
to tell me.
To that end, I apologize to SLUG for not having an open mind to what you
were trying to explain to me. Had I have known then what I know now,
those flame-fests would not have occurred. I hope that you will allow
those to be in the past, and that I can rejoin the ranks of SLUG as a
productive member...because I get it now. My only regret...that I
didn't get it sooner.
Sincerely,
David Meyer
-- David R. Meyer Storage Consultant - CA Technology Services Computer Assocaites International, Inc. Phone: 813-612-7394 Email: david.meyer07@ca.com Pager: 888-BEEP-CAI----- End forwarded message -----
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