ITBusiness Elsewhere is a collection of links to other technology news stories around the world.
MicroSCO conspiracy theory
Open Source Initiative
There are three
sides to every story, Al — yours, mine, and the truth. Wags at Open Source Initiative say Microsoft is financing SCO’s litigious Linux-bashing efforts under the table to the tune of $86 million. SCO says it’s all a big misunderstanding, like one of those old episodes of Three’s Company.
News.com: SCO dismisses Microsoft memo
You talkin’ to me?
News.com
Ever wonder what motivates virus writers? In the case of the authors of three recent, virulent strains, apparently, it’s contempt for each other. “”Vulgar messages”” in the text of MyDoom and Bagle variants attack the author of NetSky.
Flash mobs still cool
Baltimore Sun
Canada’s poet laureate Avril Lavigne organizes her promo tour by e-mail, although the fad played out last summer.
OK, maybe they’re not so cool after all
Boston Globe
What if they had a flash mob and nobody came? The City of Boston found out when it tried to organize a celebration of the 100th birthday of Dr. Seuss by e-mail. No, really.
<a href=http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,62500,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_2Can you own a fact?
Wired News
The Database and Collections of Information Misappropriation Act makes it a crime to copy and redistribute much of the data collected by commercial database companies and list publishers. Critics say that gives companies ownership of facts, including stock quotes, historical health data, sports scores and voter lists. Parlour game: Can you guess who the supporters and opponents are?
The upside? You know what Spam smells like
BBC
Telewest Broadband is testing a system to let people to send aromatic e-mails over the Internet, using a high-tech air freshener that plugs into a PC. Uh … right.
The Net enters its Carlsberg Years
Ananova
Hundreds of Britons are coughing up five pounds a month for an online service that matches them up with drinking buddies in their area. Suddenly, we don’t feel so pathetic.
Comment: [email protected]
