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Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj
Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 12:01 AM EDT

We made it. A decade of Groklaw as of today. Who'd a thunk it?

Not I.

When I started, I thought I'd do a little fiddling around for a couple of months to learn how to blog. But then all you guys showed up and taught me some important things that I didn't know, and vice versa I hope, and here we are, on our 10th anniversary, still going strong, together on a very different path than I originally imagined. The important moment for me was when I realized the potential we had as a group and decided to try to surf this incredible wave all of you created by contributing your skills and time. I saw we could work as a group, explain technology to the legal world so lawyers and judges could make better decisions, and explain the legal process to techies, so they could avoid troubles and also could be enabled to work effectively to defend Free and Open Source Software from cynical "Intellectual Property" attacks from the proprietary world.

And it worked! That's the amazing part. It actually worked. So far, so good.

If I take three things away from our experience, it's this:

1.) Education is never a waste,
2.) All of us together are smarter and more powerful than any one of us alone, and
3) FUD withers in sunlight. It only works when people lack accurate information.
Group dynamics are awesome. Whenever there is a new need, somehow the right people show up and fill it. Whether it was meticulously demolishing SCO's claims, one by one, or doing patent prior art searching, or explaining that software is mathematics and hence unpatentable subject matter, or noticing what the real game is in the patent smartphone wars, you came through with competence, donating your knowledge, research, and skills to the group effort. And you did it entirely as volunteers, as a free gift to the world.

Groklaw was attacked with venom, of course. But here we are, ten years later, still standing.

Here's the secret to survival (so far): stay carefully within the law at all times, don't get discouraged when your good name is being dragged through the mud unjustly, trust the community but keep an eye out for submarine operatives working to damage from within, keep right on explaining and explaining, and don't sell out.

You know what else we proved? It is possible to have an open message board and still have standards upheld, even on the Internet, even allowing anonymous commenting. In fact, some of our best contributions were from anonymous commenters.

Happy anniversary, everyone! Thank you for sticking to the job for ten years without giving out, and for funding the necessary activities that make Groklaw Groklaw. We made a difference in this old world. It's an achievement we can tell our grandchildren about some day. Not everyone can say that, but we actually made a difference. And nobody can take that away from us. I'm really proud of Groklaw.

I'm proud of all of you who never quit, including me (because sometimes you feel like just kicking back and not working so hard), and I'm proud of those of you who volunteered for awful, boring tasks -- those thousands and thousands of Comes v. Microsoft exhibits! -- but who did them because someone had to, those who researched and those who patiently explained the tech to me so I could explain to the world, those who donated when you could barely afford it yourselves, those who attended hearings and trials for us, serving as our eyes and ears, those who send in articles for News Picks, those who did text versions of court documents and audio of hearings and teleconferences so everyone could easily search them, including those with handicaps. The result is that we have chronicled tech history for the last decade, particularly as it impacted FOSS.

Ten years. You guys changed my life, you know. And very much for the better. If the whole world were geeks, I believe it would be a much better world.

There's more work to do, particularly on the patent front. But the fact that we now see articles trying to argue that software is *not* mathematics means our educational effort is not in vain. When we started writing that, patent lawyers just laughed at us. They are not laughing now. Now they are feverishly trying to prove us wrong. They won't be able to, though, because it's true.

I don't want to overstate what we can accomplish, because the pressure from the monied patent lobby is real, but for sure we can be happy that what we *could* do, we did. We did what we could, and our message is now in the center of an important discussion.

Thanks to reddit, I have a pictorial message for all those who through the years thought they could destroy Groklaw with their smears and sneers:

I know. But I couldn't resist. I yam what I yam.

That's the other thing I'm so proud of, actually -- that we stayed ourselves. We never pretended to be anything but what we are, we stayed true to community values, told the truth as we found it, admitted when we goofed, and it's that authenticity that makes Groklaw trusted all over the world. I believe that, anyway.

The uncropped original of that delightful dog is here.

I love the pets on reddit. Love them. I love all the guys who find a stray kitten while out walking the golf range, and take it home in their hoodie pocket and keep it forever. When I get down-hearted, as we all do sometimes, I go to reddit and laugh a while, and then I feel better and can dig into work again. There are a lot of wonderful people in the world, it reminds me, decent, pleasant folks who care about things people are supposed to care about, and I see that God made the world funny and charming and beautiful. I see that in the animals' darling little faces and endearing ways, and it makes me happy to watch their antics. Exhibit A. You can't look at that and stay down-hearted. The world isn't *just* politicians and lobbyists and patent trolls. Sometimes it's good to be reminded.

Let's enjoy today, then. In fact, I've been almost speechless ever since the CLS Bank decision was published. Did you notice I just couldn't write anything much for a while? That's a Groklaw first. I see the progress so clearly in that decision, in the reactions too, and I ponder with real satisfaction the possibilities. I never thought the message would spread so quickly, so every time I'd have to edit another article about what software is, I'd be asking myself, how many more of these will I have to do? I thought I was condemned to years and years more of it before we'd get this far, to tell you the truth, if it would in fact ever be enough to matter.

: )

But here we are. So, let's enjoy a day off, and then tomorrow, it's back to work! The world also isn't just doggies and kittens and geeks and Groklaw. So there is still plenty more work to do.

Here's what I'm thinking about for what we could do next. I'm thinking our next step should be to do an amicus brief the next time an important case reaches the Federal Circuit or the US Supreme Court. It could even be CLS if there is a further appeal. We have Mark Webbink now as co-editor of Groklaw, so we can do things that we couldn't before we had a lawyer on board. We can spread our wings a bit now, so why not?

Keep your eyes open, then, for that right case, and we will too. And meanwhile, please make note of what pro-software-patent folks think are winning arguments. Really think about what their belief system is made up of and how to explain why it is off-base technically.

Somebody needs to explain to the judges what software is and what it is not. I see from the dissents in CLS Bank that some judges are a teensy bit confused, so someone should lend them a hand.

If not us, who?


  


Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj | 245 comments | Create New Account
Comments belong to whoever posts them. Please notify us of inappropriate comments.
kerrections hier----->corrections here
Authored by: webster on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 12:08 AM EDT
.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 12:08 AM EDT
I would love to write "First post", and then "Comes viene
aquí" (Gomes comes here), "Fuera de tema" (Off topic),
"Correcciones, por favor incluirlas en el título" (Corrections, please
state them on title", and the like, but as anonymous I think is not good.

Anyway, congratulations PJ, I am sure you have change lots of lives.

SALUDOS
ALVARO

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy Birthday Thread: Birthday Wishes Go Here --------->
Authored by: ewanp on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 12:31 AM EDT
Happy birthday to Groklaw.
Thanks to PJ and everyone else who have helped make this what
it is.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Off Topic
Authored by: nutmeg on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 01:26 AM EDT
Unbirthday posts go here, please.

---
perl < /dev/random # Try something new today

[ Reply to This | # ]

News Picks thread
Authored by: nutmeg on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 01:28 AM EDT
Please add clicky links so we know what you are posting about after the
news feed has moved on.

---
perl < /dev/random # Try something new today

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj
Authored by: rps on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 01:30 AM EDT
Wow! How incredibly proud you all must be. Thank you all, especially you, PJ,
for the education. I will hopefully continue to learn here on Groklaw and
continue to watch you all impact the world in this most positive way.
Congratulations!!

[ Reply to This | # ]

Comes thread
Authored by: nutmeg on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 01:30 AM EDT
Any Comes documents to go here, please

---
perl < /dev/random # Try something new today

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy Anniversary PJ and THANKS!
Authored by: T.H. on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 01:36 AM EDT
Wow, what a ride it's been. Groklaw is the first and only site
I've followed consistently for 10 years. It's taught me so
much.

PJ, your vision is an inspiration to all of us.

Thanks,
Thomas

[ Reply to This | # ]

Wow, Congratulations PJ!
Authored by: nutmeg on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 01:37 AM EDT
Thank you for your hard work in doing it, and for keeping it going all this
time.

---
perl < /dev/random # Try something new today

[ Reply to This | # ]

Hug.
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 01:43 AM EDT
That is all.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Enjoy your day(s) off PJ
Authored by: complex_number on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 01:58 AM EDT
you are correct in that we have come a long way this past Decade.

Sadly there are shyster Lawyers out there concocting even more nefarious schemes
to get $$$ from their victims.

Just look at the likes of

RightHaven
Lodsys
and the latest
PrendaLaw.

I will celebrate loudly when SCO finally bites the dust. I retire in 5 years.
Perhaps those events will coinside?


---
Ubuntu & 'apt-get' are not the answer to Life, The Universe & Everything which
is of course, "42" or is it 1.618?

[ Reply to This | # ]

Thanks PJ & Groklaw!
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 02:48 AM EDT
Groklaw, 10 years in the business of destroying FUD. Great work guys!

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 03:12 AM EDT
"And meanwhile, please make note of what pro-software-patent
folks
think are winning arguments. Really think about what their
belief
system is made up of and how to explain why it is off-base
technically."

I have been trying to do this recently, and I think it's
wonderful
advice. Much harder to do than to talk about doing, though.

They think software isn't math, due either to
misunderstanding what
math is (for example, thinking that anything that isn't a
number or an
equation isn't math), or to thinking that something (like a
reference
to the verb "to do" or a reference to electrons being
physical)
magically makes it not math. They seem to have several
possible
definitions of "abstract", which don't seem to match
standard
dictionary definitions. In reading some of their arguments,
I've
started wondering why they aren't in favor of patenting
books and
similar things.

That's where I'm at in understanding them; I'm not sure if
all of my
impressions are accurate, and if I tried arguing their case
right now,
I'd probably fail.

[ Reply to This | # ]

  • Fixed formatting - Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 03:19 AM EDT
Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 03:21 AM EDT

PJ said,

Let's enjoy today, then. In fact, I've been almost speechless ever since the CLS Bank decision was published. Did you notice I just couldn't write anything much for a while? That's a Groklaw first. I see the progress so clearly in that decision, in the reactions too, and I ponder with real satisfaction the possibilities. I never thought the message would spread so quickly, so every time I'd have to edit another article about what software is, I'd be asking myself, how many more of these will I have to do? I thought I was condemned to years and years more of it before we'd get this far, to tell you the truth, if it would in fact ever be enough to matter.

Here is the entire content of the CLS decision, quoted in full:

Upon consideration en banc, a majority of the court affirms the district court’s holding that the asserted method and computer- readable media claims are not directed to eligible subject matter under 35 U.S.C. § 101.

I know, I misread it too --- it was so easy to miss. But everything else is a concurrence, a concurrence-in-part, a dissent, a concurrence-in-part and a dissent-in-part, a dissent-in-part, or "additional reflections." And this "decision" only affirms the holding, not the reasoning. So I still agree with the EFF attorney whose statement you quoted a few articles ago, namely, this decision just doesn't provide any guidance whatsoever and just muddies the water further. So, at this time, I think your excitement is misplaced, and that the case may be sui generis.

Besides, Judge Richard Taranto, who just joined the court, did not participate in this case. Those of you who are not familiar with Judge Richard Taranto may remember someone else by the name of Lemelson, who may have been one of the most prolific patent trolls of all time. Lemelson's specialty was "submarine" patents on "computer vision" and bar code reading, and he kept patent applications secret in the USPTO by delaying their issuance and even public knowledge of their existence until he found a successful company to sue. Needless to say, most people were hopping mad at this tactic.

Mr. Taranto, before becoming a judge, represented the Lemelson Foundation on the losing side of SYMBOL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. v. LEMELSON MEDICAL, EDUCATION & RESEARCH FOUNDATION, LP, 422 F.3d 1378 United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit, September 9, 2005.

Now he is a Judge on that court. So I would wait for further developments before citing CLS as a breathtaking success or assessing the probable future direction of the court.

I do appreciate your reporting on the SCO cases, so that's worth celebrating. But break out your red dress and champaign for that and what it is -- not for CLS. Not yet.

[ Reply to This | # ]

10th Years! 10 YYYYYyeaaaaaaarrrrrs. - Wow.
Authored by: SilverWave on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 04:55 AM EDT
From Grosse Pointe Blank, and his autograph. ~*~ Martin: ... Ten years, man! Ten year--Ten years! Ten years! Ten! Ten years! Ten years

http://www.youtube.com/watch? feature=player_detailpage&v=21L RjYrWzK0#t=97s

Link

---
RMS: The 4 Freedoms
0 run the program for any purpose
1 study the source code and change it
2 make copies and distribute them
3 publish modified versions

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 06:52 AM EDT
Since May of 2013 I've moved three time, had four different jobs, lived in two different states, lost a lot more hair that turned increasingly silver, gained a number of wrinkles on my face, my glasses grew thicker, my waist grew thicker as well, got a couple of new tattoos, lost one pet and got another, lost some loved ones, made some new friends, read a lot of books, cried when Monk came to an end, started playing World of Warcraft, watched cell phones grow smaller and more powerful, and just totally gave in to all my nerd instincts.

Through all of that, I read Groklaw nearly every day. The mission has always been the same: oppose injustice, fight tyranny, and reveal the facts. I admire PJ and the Groklaw tribe more than I can express.

I can't wait to see what I write in ten more years.

CHEERS!

- RDH

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj
Authored by: Gringo_ on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 08:28 AM EDT

I have been here just under half that time now. I never came here to "learn about the Law". I must have come here to learn about SCO at that time, got caught up it it, and never left. Before I arrived, I had only ever read one or two legal briefs in my entire long life. Since then, I must have read a thousand by now here on Groklaw, and my knowledge of the Law has increased in proportion without even willing or realizing it.

Mostly I have learned that the Law is too important to leave up to the Lawyers and Law Makers, who often have self interests that override any concern for the Common Good. They are all too human, and often surrounded by corrupting sources of Power and Wealth. They face temptations most of us mere mortals rarely run into. The forces pulling them towards the Dark Side must be overwhelming at times. They need all the help we can give them to keep them honest. At a minimum, PJ shines a light on them and we see them with theirs hands caught in the cookie jar. Being human, they must be ashamed when spotlighted by PJ, though they would never admit it - not even to themselves.

PJ has found an unique niche and filled it admirably, always presenting us with the facts so that we may check them for ourselves and weigh her arguments. When checking the facts, it is astonishing how much I end up finding myself in agreement with PJ and the others here - maybe as much as 99% of the time.

Thank you PJ for your perseverance and hard work. You are making this world a better place.

[ Reply to This | # ]

NO DAYS OFF .... I NEED MY GROKLAW FIX ...
Authored by: jsoulejr on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 09:08 AM EDT
NOW!!!

[ Reply to This | # ]

Congratulations PJ
Authored by: rsteinmetz70112 on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 09:53 AM EDT
Without your tireless work this could not have happened.

Thank You!

Member since Tuesday, February 17 2004 @ 08:58 AM EST

---
Rsteinmetz - IANAL therefore my opinions are illegal.

"I could be wrong now, but I don't think so."
Randy Newman - The Title Theme from Monk

[ Reply to This | # ]

If the whole world were geeks
Authored by: DannyB on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 10:53 AM EDT
I don't think it would be good if the whole world were geeks. I might have once
thought that.

Diversity is good. We need humanities majors too. Art. Literature. Music.
Poetry. Philosophy. But I'm happy to let other people do those things.

Maybe the world would be a better place if the everyone were honest and had
integrity. Geeks and non geeks alike.


OT Opinion: There would be peace because there will be peace in the hearts.
This cannot happen in this present fallen world. But one day I believe.

---
The price of freedom is eternal litigation.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 10:59 AM EDT
Over the years Groklaw has been a singular ray of hope and inspiration, when
many of us thought we were doomed to be ruled for the rest of all eternity by
the Over-lords of the (nose-)rings from the land of Mordor, ehrm ... Redmond,
called MicroSoft, and all those trying to emulate them.

Thank you Groklaw.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Sung to the tune played on the Hot Piano of 88 Fingers
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 11:29 AM EDT

Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary.....

RAS

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj
Authored by: albert on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 11:47 AM EDT
It's hard to believe - 10 years!

I can't remember when I first stumbled into Groklaw, but I'm glad I did. Until
that day, all I had for legal/software information was the Mass Media, and
worse, fanboi blogs and media shills.

I think I may be a little less cynical now. Are those glimmers of hope I see?


Research is arduous and time consuming. So is vetting sources. The truth is the
best noise filter.

Thanks PJ, and all of you, for your hard work.

Keep on fighting the fine fight!

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj
Authored by: boarder8925 on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 12:27 PM EDT
Happy ten years! Keep fighting the good fight.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Amicus Brief - suggest Oracle v. Google
Authored by: macliam on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 12:56 PM EDT

PJ wrote:

Here's what I'm thinking about for what we could do next. I'm thinking our next step should be to do an amicus brief the next time an important case reaches the Federal Circuit or the US Supreme Court. It could even be CLS if there is a further appeal. We have Mark Webbink now as co-editor of Groklaw, so we can do things that we couldn't before we had a lawyer on board. We can spread our wings a bit now, so why not?

Keep your eyes open, then, for that right case, and we will too. And meanwhile, please make note of what pro-software-patent folks think are winning arguments. Really think about what their belief system is made up of and how to explain why it is off-base technically.

Not a patent case now but...

Remember Oracle v. Google, before Judge Alsup. The appeal comes to the Federal Circuit (because patent issues were before the district court, though apparently the jury verdicts are not being appealed). Oracle submitted their amicus brief last February. According to a Reuters news article, “Google's reply brief is due in May.”. Thus Google's reply brief must therefore appear any day now.

The issue under appeal: Oracle of course claims that APIs (and specifically the Java API) should be copyrightable. There are amici briefs from the usual suspects (e.g., Microsoft), and, in particular, an amicus brief from Gene Spafford, Zhi Ding and Lee Hollaar supporting Oracle. Many points made in these briefs need to be refuted.

I suggest that Groklaw might consider submitting an amicus brief, explaining the importance of matching the specification of APIs, method signatures and the like to ensure interoperability. And such a brief would do well to emphasize that the interoperability requirement is for interoperability with relevant source code and byte code written by third parties in the Java language to perform functions that are relevant to smartphones, not a requirement for ‘interoperability’ with whatever Oracle chooses to describe as ‘Java’.

Could one even make some sort of sense of such a notion of ‘interoperability.’ with Oracle's ‘Java’? If Dalvik were to implement all classes that Oracle chooses to classify as Java, why would a Dalvik or Apache Harmony class ever need to interoperate with any of Oracle's Java classes? A Dalvik class surely should not need to call an Oracle class to implement functionality that was already implemented within Dalvik itself.

And a belated ‘Happy Birthday’ to Groklaw.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj
Authored by: wood gnome on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 01:30 PM EDT
Controlling and steering a mob is not easy. This here mob has shown itself to
mirror the (tongue in cheek here) chief's standards. It has been, and hopefully
will continue to be, a treasure trove of information and hilarious off-topic
discussions. One can only hope that, in the near future, enough software savvy
judges will rise to the US Supreme Court to free the World.

Keep it up, PJ and
thanks.

Wood Gnome





[ Reply to This | # ]

They are not laughing now
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 01:41 PM EDT
Happy 10th Anniversary PJ! Thank you, and thanks to all of the Groklaw community for your great spirit and your contributions!

PJ wrote:

There's more work to do, particularly on the patent front. But the fact that we now see articles trying to argue that software is *not* mathematics means our educational effort is not in vain. When we started writing that, patent lawyers just laughed at us. They are not laughing now. Now they are feverishly trying to prove us wrong. They won't be able to, though, because it's true.

Which recalls, of course, the famous Mahatma Ghandi quote:

First they ignore you,
Then they laugh at you,
Then they fight you,
Then you win.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy 10th Anniversary, and Thank You
Authored by: mvs_tomm on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 01:54 PM EDT
That tear in my eye as I read this story is a tear of joy.

Congratulations, PJ. Thank you for all that you have taught me over the years.

Tom Marchant

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy 10th Anniversary: blame PJ
Authored by: overshoot on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 03:12 PM EDT
Hard to forget this, PJ. As it happens, you're responsible for the situation
I'm in now.

You see, ten years ago my (now long ex-) wife of 24 years had left a few months
earlier and the divorce was ... exasperating. When you started GrokLaw, I ended
up spending a fair bit of time discussing the latest issues you covered with a
casual friend.

Well, one thing led to another and here we are, still quite happy together and
planning to stay that way for the rest of our lives. So we know who to blame.

I suspect that you weren't expecting that. Neither were we. Take a bow, PJ.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj
Authored by: deck2 on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 03:16 PM EDT

Thanks PJ for creating Groklaw. It has been quite an educational experience as much as anything for the last 10 years most of which I have been an avid reader. However, the thrill of seeing some slimy folks get their just deserts has also played a part in the enjoyment of Groklaw.

Again, Happy Birthday and Thanks!

deck/deck2

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 03:44 PM EDT
Hi Pamela, I have been an occasional reader and fan of
Groklaw; but I don't have an acccount. So first,
congratulation for Groklaw Anniversary. My post is
just to attract your attention (but maybe you are already
aware of this) to a theoretical result, which says that
software is definitly mathematics. For that, there is a very
intresting theorem in computer science and proof theory
called the "Curry Howard correspondance"

see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curry%E2%80%93Howard_correspond
ence

which says that every computer program is a proof of a
theorem. This is a theorical result which can't be denied

Khalid

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj
Authored by: seanlynch on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 04:04 PM EDT

Thank you for 10 great years!

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj
Authored by: archanoid on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 06:48 PM EDT
holla!

I'm not as much of a regular as I once was but I still visit
almost every day.

Keep up the good work!

[ Reply to This | # ]

Blessed are the geeks,
Authored by: charlie Turner on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 07:59 PM EDT
For they shall inherit the earth. :D
A cold beer and chocolate would be in order for today.
Thank you for the opporknockity to tune along! I have learned much, and greatly
enjoyed the opportunities to report. This December will be 10 years for me as a
member....
Wow, I would never have guessed........

[ Reply to This | # ]

Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj
Authored by: eggplant37 on Thursday, May 16 2013 @ 09:27 PM EDT
Wow -- 10 years ago I started reading Groklaw, got laid off
from my job, found myself with some time on my hands and in
close proximity to the hearings in Pontiac, MI re: SCO v
Daimler Chrysler, and tossed my viewpoint in, and then picked
up and transcribed what I could of the case paperwork. And 10
years later, I'm more observing how things play out, secure
in knowing that I did just a tiny part of a really great
thing. Cheers!

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For history buffs: search engines
Authored by: IMANAL_TOO on Friday, May 17 2013 @ 12:38 AM EDT
While both Google and Groklaw have excellent search features there have been others. Here are three reviews of them from a historical perspective, from even before Groklaw. Two of these links are dead, but available thanks to archive.org:

web.archive.org/web/20010813182326/http://www.searc henginewatch.com/sereport/01/02-theend.html
The End For Search Engines?

By Danny Sullivan
From The Search Engine Report
Feb. 6, 2001

The impending closure of Go only underscores the dramatic changes that have been taking place among the major search engines over the past few months. Money is tight; new revenue is being sought anywhere, and no one seems guaranteed a future. Will your favorite search engine be around tomorrow? For searchers, such losses could mean less diversity in search results. For web marketers, a consolidation could mean less likelihood of being found. It's scary sounding stuff, and no one knows the answers. However, a look back can provide us some perspective on how the future may unfold.

We've lost search engines before. The demise of Go is dramatic simply because old search engines are supposed to quietly fade away, not come to a screeching halt. Open Text is a good example of this. In 1995, Open Text was one of the big search engines people depended on. It was arguably bigger than Yahoo. For example, I remember being at Internet World in 1995 and stopping by the fairly large Open Text exhibit. It was big enough to graciously allow Yahoo a table within its confines, where none other than Jerry Yang was personally answering questions.
and

web.archive.org/web/20011106015917/http://searchenginewatch.com/l inks/major.html

The Major Search Engines

By SearchEngineWatch.com Staff
Updated: Oct. 22, 2001

Why are the services below considered to be the major search engines? They are all either well-known or well-used.

For webmasters, these services are the most important places to be listed, because they can potentially generate so much traffic.

For searchers, these well-known, commercially-backed search engines generally mean more dependable results. These search engines are more likely to be well-maintained and upgraded when necessary, to keep pace with the growing web.

Not all of the services below are "true" search engines that crawl the web. For instance, Yahoo and the Open Directory both are "directories" that depend on humans to compile their listings. In fact, most of the services below offer both search engine and directory information, though they will predominately feature one type of results over the other. See the How Search Engines Work page to understand more about the difference between search engines and directories.
and

searchenginewatch.com/article/2064954/Where-Are-They-Now- Search-Engines-Weve-Known-Loved
Where Are They Now? Search Engines We've Known & Loved
Danny Sullivan, March 3, 2003

AltaVista, the Google of its day, is now to be gobbled up by Overture. It's a famous name that's seen better days. But AltaVista's not the only major search player to have faded, as years have gone by. Come along and see the early search engines that have died, those that have been transformed, who's survived and how the "new" players that are no longer so young are doing.

Of interest to history buffs will also be my The End For Search Engines? article, written at the beginning of 2001, when many assumed search engines were a dying breed (I argued differently). Also, see the Major Search Engines page for links to some of the services mentioned below and additional history.


All those searches done here and elsewhere were made by unsung heroes.




---
______
IMANAL


.

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Some remembering.....
Authored by: brindafella on Friday, May 17 2013 @ 01:27 AM EDT

I was not there at the beginning, but not long after (when looking back 10 years.) Member Since: Thursday, August 12 2004 -- so that means that my "nom de plume" is also at least that old.

I can (barely) remember those early years, when every week there would be something to see when I looked at, and later logged in to, the groklaw website. Occasionally, something every day during the perishingly painful trials.

Then, there was the snanning or reading then transcribing and submitting of myriad of M$ emails and other docs. And, that effort is not done, yet. Give us strength.

---
This username is a nom de plume of a real person who lives in Australia.

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Wow. That means it's been ten years of SCO suing over Linux, too -- half of Linux's history!
Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, May 17 2013 @ 01:55 AM EDT
Slightly over ten years, according to the timeline; March of 2003 was the
original complaint.

Linux was first publicly mentioned in 1991; the first standalone install was
around October 1992.

Which means that SCO has been suing over Linux for approximately half the time
that Linux has existed. Certainly for more than half the time that Linux has
existed as a commercially-relevant operating system.

That is sort of astounding, when you think about it.

Also sort of astounding, when you look at where Linux was in 2003, and where it
is today. They certainly did not succeed is slowing it down. Just as an
example: I was looking at an exhibition of electric cars earlier today, and the
two best in-vehicle "infotainment" systems (in the Cadillac ELR and
the Tesla Model S) in those cars were both built on GNU/Linux. We wouldn't have
even imagined that in 2003. A very significant fraction of the world's
cellphones run a Linux kernel. And so on.

(It's also been almost ten years and I still haven't bothered to get a login
account. Huh.)

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Education is never a waste,
Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, May 17 2013 @ 06:44 AM EDT
It is if the subject taught is fraudulent, and if your object not is to expose
it.

Happy Anniversary PJ. Well done!




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One of the experts
Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, May 17 2013 @ 12:55 PM EDT
References attribute this to Earl Nightingale:

“One hour per day of study will put you at the top of your field within three
years. Within five years you’ll be a national authority. In seven years, you can
be one of the best people in the world at what you do.”

After ten years, where does that put PJ? The evidence at hand suggests she has
put in 16-20 hours per day at times, with only an occasional day off.

Thank you PJ, for caring and sharing your love for the rule of law.

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A small Anniversary note
Authored by: studog on Friday, May 17 2013 @ 05:32 PM EDT
Happy Anniversary Groklaw! It's been quite a ride. Many thanks to PJ for all her
hard work over the years. I hope that Groklaw continues to do great work for a
long long time.

On this momentous occasion, I have a small note to make to the saga that is The
SCO Group (TSG). A footnote, really. It turns out TSG was correct: there is
identical, copied code in Linux and OpenServer. I know this for a fact. I wrote
it.

It turns out of course that TSG was wrong: the code was copied first into Linux
and then into OpenServer, not the other way around as TSG asserted/hoped. I know
this for a fact. I copied it.

I never mentioned it because it seems that one isn't supposed to comment on
lawsuits in progress, and I thought that I might one day be involved. However,
it seems that TSG is nearly all the way dead and the chances of my involvement
are largely zero.

I bring it up now not to defend TSG but to make the point that it is
understandable how a cursory analysis could have come to the conclusion that
code had been copied. It would have taken a careful check of where the code in
OpenServer came from and when, vs the same history of the code in Linux. I
suspect such a check was never performed.

Which is both a shame and a blessing. A shame because if a careful analysis had
been performed the whole mess could have been avoided saving tons of time, money
and reputation. A blessing because without the lawsuit, we might not have the
jewel that is Groklaw today.

So again I say, Happy Anniversary! Keep Calm and Grok On. :-)

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Happy 10th Anniversary, Dear Groklaw! Happy 10th Anniversary to Us! ~pj
Authored by: sjvn on Monday, May 20 2013 @ 07:22 PM EDT
Wowser! Has it really been that long!

Hurrah for you! Hurrah for Groklaw! And, hurrah for its
victories over the year.

Steven

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