OSF, etc. -- some facts, some rumors

[John Mashey]

In article <846 at fig.bbn.com> rsalz at bbn.com (Rich Salz) writes:
>Last time I posted something about OSF, I closed with an offer to forward
>along any facts or rumors people heard that they didn't want associated
>with their name.  This article is a summary -- I no longer have the mail I
>got.

>It was kind of interesting, being net.gossip-columnist.  Almost everything
>I quote below I heard from at least two different sources, and I tend to
>believe it all.  I don't advise you to do that, tho:  just treat this as
>possibly-accurate rumor.  There are some facts at the end.
...

>ATT was invited to join, and knew about OSF a few weeks before the
>announcement.
At least a week....

>The idea for OSF came about when someone (Mashey?) tossed off the idea
>during a Usenix discussion in a hallway.
Wrong, and not me.
The idea came up in the original Hamilton Group meeting, 1/7/88, as one of
the list of alternatives, not particularly high on the list of preferences,
i.e., "only if necessary".  My notes list it as
	"* Develop our own, alternative consortium."

Be very, very careful on what you think on all of this last 6 months
in this business.  I know *I* don't have all the information, but I at least
have: a) SVR2 and SVR3 licenses, b) Proposed ABI contracts with AT&T,
c) Meeting notes from several Hamilton Group meetings that I attended,
d) A lot of information from private conversations with people from
half a dozen of the most relevant companies [incl. AT&T & Sun], and
e) A bunch of information gained from prospects regarding what's
really going on in sales situations, not what's happening in the press.

Most of what's being printed and said about all of this is WRONG,
even though it is presented as gospel truth;
a small hunk is right; and a noticable hunk I know I don't know enough about.
-- 
-john mashey	DISCLAIMER: <generic disclaimer, I speak for me only, etc>
UUCP: 	{ames,decwrl,prls,pyramid}!mips!mash  OR  mash at mips.com
DDD:  	408-991-0253 or 408-720-1700, x253
USPS: 	MIPS Computer Systems, 930 E. Arques, Sunnyvale, CA 94086