Aussie hack fights off "misquote" allegations

Computerworld Australia's senior reporter Julian Bajkowski has taken time out from filing copy to produce a spirited, lengthy, and amusing defence to claims by Sun's Simon Phipps that he was "misquoted" while touring Australia recently. Robert Scoble also referenced Phipps's post.

Simon first published his response to the Computerworld article on his blog, so (currently blogless) Julian took up my offer to use filtered as vehicle to respond in the blogosphere:

Say what you mean and mean what you say
By Julian Bajkowski

It's always rewarding to get feedback from those who you write about and last week has proved more rewarding than most.

This week, with the invaluable assistance of Sun and Microsoft, I have both invented a time machine and apparently rewritten the economic history of the first wave of the industrial revolution. And all because of one word: Luddite.

The fun started when a press release heralding the speaking talents of Sun's leading evangelist Simon Phipps landed in my in-box courtesy of the Distributed Systems Technology Centre (DTSC). I've seen Simon speak before and he is often as witty as he is candid when it comes to putting his ideas forward.

Simon's views can make a refreshing break from the acres of vendor sales drivel farmed out by their small army of publicists competing for column inches. He has a great mind, sharp wit and does not shy away from controversy.

Seeing as Simon was about to speak at a seminar hosted by DSTC in the glimmering metropolis of what locals call Bris-Vegas (Brisbane), I figured the collected thoughts of Mr Phipps may interest some of our readers. Subsequently, I made the call that it was better to get the story out sooner rather than later so that people could go and see Phipps if they wanted to.

In the media business, this is called currency. There is little point in telling people that they missed something worth seeing. This is why organizations, including DSTC, issue media releases.

The release plugging Simon's tour de force for the next couple of days so I filed the yarn that afternoon whilst he was en-route to Brisbane. In such circumstances, you run with what you have and update or follow up as necessary.

A copy of the DSTC Media Release is here.

[Note: I've selected a few choice quotes below - MJ]

Brisbane, Australia, 22 March 2004, for immediate release. According to Simon Phipps, Chief Technical Technology Evangelist for Sun Microsystems, the trend to open source methodology is an inevitable consequence of societal changes wrought by the Internet.

"The luddites fighting the move to open source are certain to be defeated," says Phipps. "Sure, different parts of the software market may move to open source at different speeds but the move is an inevitable societal trend."

...

"Sun is probably doing more with open source software than any other major computer company" says Phipps.

"In fact Sun used an open source-like model for business success when it was founded in the 1980s, and is still pioneering with the introduction of the Java Desktop System, a desktop environment that combines Linux and the best of open source software to deliver a full featured low cost alternative to the current market leader."

...

Now to me this looks like, smells like, and walks like the good old fashioned, tub-thumping fire and brimstone marketing we used to get before everything was sanitized by the PR industry. It also comes from one of Sun's renowned performers - the sort who hugs his commercial nemesis on stage to add colour, life and a little mischief to tech heavy shindigs like DSTC conferences. So I figure Simon's having some fun - he's a fun guy.

While no vendor names other than Sun are mentioned, for all intents and purposes the release resembles what those of us in the press refer too as a "pot stirrer". We journos love pot stirrers because they give our readers something interesting and colourful to read about. And this doozey comes from one of the industry's finest.

Nowhere does the release carry any reference to the term "Luddite" in its context as purely reference to saboteurs of centuries past, nor any reference to guild halls. Rather we have: "The luddites fighting the move to open source are certain to be defeated.”

Hmmmm, one wonders who that could possibly be? IBM…nuh. Novell…nuh. Perhaps PeopleSoft or Oracle… doesn't quite fit. Now I wonder who has a vested interest in fighting Open Source and Linux?

Now at this stage I readily admit to making a pre-supposition. It looks like Phipps and Sun are blatantly goading their competition. There are not that many major IT vendors openly bagging open source, so I call obvious suspect Microsoft and try to get a rise out of them. Sorry, I call to allow them to have a right of reply.

This is actually far harder than it sounds as Microsoft has for many years subscribed to having a singular message and that message only, otherwise it's no comment.

They give me a modified version of the single message: more metrics on TCO and less rhetoric, much in-line with their current Linux cum Open Source counter offensive. Just another day I think and curse that Phipps is in Brisbane and I'm in Sydney and I am so strapped for time.

Soon after, a colleague at a competing publication sends me this and Simon's blog:
"Hi julian, not sure if you saw this but seems like phipps was unaware of the dstc release. Cheers"

I read Simon's blog and discover I've got it all horribly wrong and he's actually not goading the opposition but lecturing on technology and its context in economic history. He's also upset about the state of the time and space continuum.

"If only the journalist in question had come to the lecture instead of just citing the quotation from his invitation…"

Sorry mate, it was press release selling your appearance in person, issued and written up ahead of time to alert people of your impending arrival in the antipodes.

"…(the story seems to have been filed before I started speaking and when I asked if there were journalists present no-one identified themselves, so it's a fair guess these stones have been thrown from safe isolation)…"

What can I say? We hacks are practitioners of the dark arts and move time through black magic.

"…he would have found out that 'luddite' here was being used in the context of a historical discussion about means of production. "

I'm currently reviewing the SLA for our CrystalBall license. Its performance sometimes varies according to what it's fed. Note to self: always check the list of ingredients against what is contained in the packet even if guaranteed by manufacturer.

And then there was this post from Microsoft's Robert Scoble on his blog Scobleizer.

"Simon says he was misquoted Simon Phipps, evangelist at Sun Microsystems, shows why those of us who talk with the press need weblogs: he says he was misquoted. Actually, it's worse than that. He claims that the journalist who quoted him wasn't even in the room."

Well, not quite misquoted. Misinterpreted perhaps, even taken out of context. Nowhere does Phipps point the accusatory finger saying that I put words into his mouth that he never uttered. And in these days of real time video, pre-penned press release and the humble telephone you don't actually need to be in the same room to get the gist of what someone says – that's what technology does best.

I could say it's easy to shoot the messenger. I could say what I wrote was taken out of context. But let me extend my virtual tuck-shop arms across the globe, give you both a big group hug and propose a toast to those who are willing to share their views with the world without hiding behind their lawyers and PR minders.

Comments

[Simon Phipps]

Hug accepted - thanks!