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By Eric S. Raymond

In a November 10th Yahoo-UK story http://uk.news.yahoo.com/991110/22/ax8w.html, the government of Communist China is alleged to have said that Linux will be adopted by that country as its official OS and that "There is a strong identification between communist China and the open-source free OS" Authority for this statement is traced to a press release by GraphOn www.graphon.com.

This story appears to be untrue. The only GraphOn press release I can find that mentions China is http://www.graphon.com/News/pr-china991102.html from 2 Nov. This is a routine announcement of a partnership with a private firm in Hainan. There is no mention of any Chinese government sponsorship or action to make Linux "official".

In the past, I have avoided presuming to speak for the whole Linux community. This time, however, I think I may safely say that this news will come as a vast relief to all of us. Insofar as it has politics at all, the open-source movement promotes freedom, increased choice, and *voluntary* cooperation. Any "identification" between the values of the open-source community and the repressive practices of Communism is nothing but a a vicious and cynical fraud.

There are a few of us who have a soft spot for the theoretical Communist ideal of "from each according to his ability, to his each according to his need"; but I am certain that even that minority would not care to be associated with the totalitarian and murderous government of Communist China -- unrepentant perpetrators of numerous atrocities against its own people.

It may be too much to hope that this statement will head off a flurry of snide opinion pieces divagating about "open-source communism"; the clumsy rhetoric of some of our past ambassadors may have made that outcome inevitable. But the prospect of being "identified" with the bloody-handed gerontocrats behind the Tianamen Square massacre would be, I believe, genuinely revolting and insulting to all of us.

No matter that such official Chinese government sponsorship might add a quarter of the planet's population to our user base; if this is "world domination", we'll want none of it.

--
Eric S. Raymond

Related Stories:
ZDNET UK: Linux to become official OS of communist China (Nov 10, 1999)
Linux.Net.CN: Richard Stallman in China (Nov 06, 1999)
BW: GraphOn...to Offer Chinese Private Enterprise, Government & Education...Migration to Linux.... (Nov 02, 1999)

Index Mode   |   Flat Mode   |   Thread Mode   |   Thread Flat     Talkback(s) Name  and Date   This article speaks volumes    Dave Cole Nov 11, 1999, 04:22:49     Uh, Dave...    Robert Crawford Nov 11, 1999, 04:34:13     Good things are for human    S. Rabet Nov 11, 1999, 04:35:25     What if?    Eric Nov 11, 1999, 04:39:41     While China is chaning, you can't afford to st    Xiong Jiang Nov 11, 1999, 04:49:04     Dave, you missed the point...    Digital Wokan Nov 11, 1999, 04:49:54     Fact 1: TurboLinux Chinese version addons was deve    Xiong Jiang Nov 11, 1999, 04:52:30     Re: This article speaks volumes    Codifex Maximus Nov 11, 1999, 04:55:43     Doesn't speak for me    Devin Carraway Nov 11, 1999, 04:58:33     What are you smoking?    Karl Morgan Nov 11, 1999, 04:59:04     He must speak only for himself!    MiguelE Nov 11, 1999, 05:01:03     This is ZDNet carried by yahoo    bjc Nov 11, 1999, 05:06:18     Thank you ESR    Brian Nov 11, 1999, 05:08:30     Do you disagree with his viewpoint?    Bryan Seigneur Nov 11, 1999, 05:19:16     sensationalism    Anthony Christopher Nov 11, 1999, 05:22:35     Gratitutious China Bashing    Karl Juhnke Nov 11, 1999, 05:33:11     Linux undermines communism    Darrel Yurychuk Nov 11, 1999, 05:37:28     I OPPOSE FRANCE FROM ASSOCIATING WITH OPEN SOURCE    Anonymous Coward Nov 11, 1999, 05:39:31     what the heck    shad0w Nov 11, 1999, 05:52:50     Shame On You Eric    Jianmang Li Nov 11, 1999, 06:17:29     ESR, get a clue!    Jose Estrada Nov 11, 1999, 06:37:20     Please Eric... get your foot out of my mouth.    John Eikenbery Nov 11, 1999, 06:42:43     ESR is right!    Chip Nov 11, 1999, 06:50:25     Re: Fact 1: TurboLinux Chinese version addons was    Matt Dezern Nov 11, 1999, 06:52:55     ESR is missing the point    Eugene Koontz Nov 11, 1999, 06:59:08     All of you have missed the point!    Matt Perry Nov 11, 1999, 07:09:06     Would be a WONDERFUL thing!    Cyberfox Nov 11, 1999, 07:09:17     Why hate anybody    Anindya Biswas Nov 11, 1999, 07:17:52     Eric vs the FSF    Sleepy Nov 11, 1999, 07:25:25     Don't speak for me    Roger Irwin Nov 11, 1999, 07:37:55     Will China fork Linux?    Shaun Savage Nov 11, 1999, 07:54:02     ESR - The world is black and white but all I see i    Chinese Linux User Nov 11, 1999, 08:12:06     re: Will China fork Linux?    Jose Estrada Nov 11, 1999, 08:30:21     Linux IS consistent with communist principles...    Dave H. Nov 11, 1999, 08:33:47     Consider this.    Carl Beaudry Nov 11, 1999, 09:07:41     Totally disappointed...    Kelvin Nov 11, 1999, 09:23:46     Re: ESR - The world is black and white but all I s    Michele Baldessari Nov 11, 1999, 10:03:10     Re: Will China fork Linux?    Roger Irwin Nov 11, 1999, 10:14:21     What seems to be the problem here...?    Luka Nov 11, 1999, 10:19:56     Keep coding, stop talking so much    Arty Nov 11, 1999, 10:38:56     Right wing Linux ?    jgs Nov 11, 1999, 10:43:01     Re: Thank you ESR    Roger Irwin Nov 11, 1999, 10:54:14     Roger Irwin, You are a fake    hsiao Nov 11, 1999, 11:04:06     Communist Mass Murder    Raymond Moyers Nov 11, 1999, 12:33:42     Just plain illogic    Julian Morrison Nov 11, 1999, 12:41:16     dont speak for me    scud Nov 11, 1999, 13:24:09     exploitable weakness by FUDders    Steve Poling Nov 11, 1999, 13:25:31     Linux in China    Mick Voase Nov 11, 1999, 13:25:58     That bigot doesn't speak for me.    Christian Nov 11, 1999, 13:38:49     Speak for who?    Daniel Nov 11, 1999, 13:43:59     History and Culture    Yurj Nov 11, 1999, 14:09:41     Evidence    Evidence Nov 11, 1999, 14:16:57     You're way off here.    Doug Nov 11, 1999, 14:22:31     Political Linkage? Not!    Joe Kaplenk Nov 11, 1999, 14:30:25     China: Government & People    Art Smith Nov 11, 1999, 14:30:25     The McCarthy syndrom    J. Sun Nov 11, 1999, 14:31:36     Actually, please dont talk to me    Miles Thompson Nov 11, 1999, 14:41:08     Free Software may however save the (pirat) CD Indu    Johnix Nov 11, 1999, 14:47:03     The Crux of the Matter    borg Nov 11, 1999, 15:00:43     Chip: right, but don't forget to include...    Jerry Kreps Nov 11, 1999, 15:35:53     Free as a Speech, not as Free Beer    Adriano Manuel Galano Diez Nov 11, 1999, 15:36:05     Open Source != Crapitalism    Crapitalist Nov 11, 1999, 15:41:50     Freedom?    Robin Johansson Nov 11, 1999, 15:48:18     Don't Speak For Me, Eric    Bryant Durrell Nov 11, 1999, 16:06:01     Re: Open Source != Crapitalism    Fatboy Nov 11, 1999, 16:07:22     The most stupid argument I have seen from Eric!    Oliver Nov 11, 1999, 16:30:26     Goverment is the real problem.    Christopher Smith Nov 11, 1999, 16:40:14     Linux effects on PRC    zenray Nov 11, 1999, 16:48:48     Two of Cuba    Communist Nov 11, 1999, 16:55:03     Give him a break!    Chad Lauritsen Nov 11, 1999, 17:02:31     In defense of ESR    Rahul Sinha Nov 11, 1999, 17:04:23     WRT Idiocy here    Eric the .5b Nov 11, 1999, 17:04:56     Re: ESR, get a clue!    PieceMaker Nov 11, 1999, 17:07:35     First, Aim!    Howard B. Golden Nov 11, 1999, 17:12:33     I can't believe it.........    Nov 11, 1999, 17:19:06     Don't thrust your views on others    seawood Nov 11, 1999, 17:20:15     This is a Good Thing(tm)    Someone Nov 11, 1999, 17:29:01     Re: Roger Irwin, You are a fake    Michael A. Hobson Nov 11, 1999, 17:34:13     Re: Give him a break!    Daniel Nov 11, 1999, 17:35:23     Re: WRT Idiocy here    Daniel Nov 11, 1999, 17:38:03     pot...kettle...black    Brian Strand Nov 11, 1999, 17:40:51     Chinese, Indians, Mexicans, etc    James Lee Nov 11, 1999, 17:54:12     You are missing the point...    Carlos Betancourt Nov 11, 1999, 17:59:12     Be consistent, ESR    Brian Gue Nov 11, 1999, 18:03:06     veiled criticism of RMS?    seawood Nov 11, 1999, 18:27:19     This Article is Unfortunate    Bruce Perens Nov 11, 1999, 18:28:37     Pathetic!    Scared Nov 11, 1999, 18:37:22     open source != capitalism?    Ivo Nov 11, 1999, 19:02:23     'From each according to his ability...'    PieceMaker Nov 11, 1999, 19:03:08     Don't speak for me, ESR    Kragen Sitaker Nov 11, 1999, 19:04:23     Capitalism versus communism    David Johnson Nov 11, 1999, 19:13:15     Did any of you actually read the letter?    David Johnson Nov 11, 1999, 19:31:23     MS Venus vs. Nuwa and Linux etc.    Pasty Drone Nov 11, 1999, 19:39:02     Re: Capitalism versus communism    PieceMaker Nov 11, 1999, 20:15:48     Who cares...    Xunil Ung Nov 11, 1999, 21:45:01     To me, Linux's association with right-wing pin    David Horacek Nov 11, 1999, 22:15:25     Political communism, not so much economic    JCA Nov 11, 1999, 22:20:09     Long Live the FSF!    Louis Aragon Nov 11, 1999, 22:28:23     linux in china and the communist government    John Nov 12, 1999, 03:42:10     Agreed    Alex Bedworth Nov 12, 1999, 04:25:38     Sigh.....    Henri Schlereth Nov 12, 1999, 06:16:38     Software is not Political    SHI wenjiang Nov 12, 1999, 13:59:57     Irrelevant Arguments for FUD    Carlos Vermejo Nov 12, 1999, 17:48:12     DO YOU PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU READ??&#    Alex L Nov 12, 1999, 18:01:19     Freedom    Mark Dickie Nov 12, 1999, 22:31:08     Re Alex L: DO YOU ETC.    Hans Arp Nov 13, 1999, 01:21:57     And so it goes....    Henri Schlereth Nov 13, 1999, 06:03:21     China government regard FREE as no need to pay onl    Shih Nov 13, 1999, 17:44:45     Eric S. Raymond -- Communist China adopts Linux    s chung Nov 14, 1999, 15:15:54     Utterly useless and worthless arguments    Rishi Nov 14, 1999, 16:21:54     Linux and China    anonymous Nov 14, 1999, 19:38:40     The first communists    James Nov 14, 1999, 23:33:14     ESR speaks for who?    James Henstridge Nov 15, 1999, 01:02:11     Ever heard of P.R.?    Low Rider Nov 15, 1999, 02:26:00     China is changing, so hold your flames    bgonza Nov 15, 1999, 05:22:02     How much do you really know about China?    George Finch Nov 15, 1999, 18:55:08     china & linux    Nov 15, 1999, 23:04:00     The People's OS    John Tucker Nov 16, 1999, 03:31:12     The Arrogance of ESR    North Nov 16, 1999, 12:07:52     China adopts Linux    M.J.Medjeral Nov 16, 1999, 14:27:01     Re: Fact 1: TurboLinux Chinese version addons was    Mike Battle Nov 16, 1999, 14:33:07     Re: China government regard FREE as no need to pay    Mike Battle Nov 16, 1999, 14:57:08     Linux is Communist in the Genuine Sense of the Wor    Emil Vaughan Nov 17, 1999, 23:42:16     foreign politics (US and China) and internal polit    claudio Nov 18, 1999, 01:56:08