X-no-Archive:yes
I have to appreciate the spirit in which it is intended. It seems apparent
that the author knows a bit of MPE's history, and a couple of its features
(are there extant OSs without a file system?), but has no experience with
it.

I assume the author has sympathy for us, knowing and enjoying some years of
very positive experience with a great and robust system, which has received
less attention than it deserves. The author probably sees his system as a
safe haven for those whose fortunes at the hands of other operating systems
has been less than desirable, and whose future is in doubt. The author
probably has concerns about how the newly merged organization will treat its
heretofore marginalized customers, and would like to see the visibility of a
wonderful, venerable product greatly enhanced.

I think many of us can recognize the perspective from which the author
writes, and sympathize. But I am unwilling to suggest that his compatriots
jump ship, and question the wisdom of treating potential allies as refugees
with the offer of safe haven. Rather, I hope that both sides can find allies
in the other.

I know almost exactly nothing of the openness of OpenVMS. But I assume that
our own successes in porting open source software to our platform could
offer some small common ground. Perhaps together, we can challenge the
several definitions of openness that seem to mean leaving my platform to use
your "open" one, thereby offending free men with promises of independence
and liberty. Perhaps MPE/iX and OpenVMS can be named together in one breath
in the company of the OSS communities. Perhaps we can thereby and together
raise the visibility of both within Hewlett-Com-Packard, strengthening both
together rather than weakening both by either attempting to stand on the
other's corpse. And perhaps there are other opportunities for fraternity
that I have not even considered.

Greg Stigers
http://www.cgiusa.com
you have my permission to cross-post this back.

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