PJ at Robert Pogson

“PJ” is the pseudonym of the host of the blog, GROKLAW, which has been a rallying point for the whole world of people concerned about the attack on Free Software headed by SCOG. Brian Proffitt has an excellent article, “SCO, Novell: Grokking Where Credit is Due“.

Pamela, with great admiration, I say “shush.”

Yes, Groklaw is a team effort, but every great team has a great coach. The efforts you have devoted to Groklaw have been staggering–physically, mentally, emotionally. Today Groklaw is more than a mere “SCO watcher”–it is one of the best legal watchdog sites in the world, with expanded coverage of all legal challenges to Linux, free software, and open source software.

I would to extend public congratulations from myself and (I suspect) quite a few members of the Linux and open source community for a job well done. You, your site, and the community that surrounds Groklaw demonstrates what it truly great about open source: that the positive collaboration of ideas and skills will always lead to something greater than its makers ever intended.

Amen. I remember, seven years later, the sick feeling I had in my stomach that any of the lies SCOG spread about GNU/Linux might be true or that SCOG could tax GNU/Linux which by then I was introducing into schools and classrooms on a regular basis. GNU/Linux was part of me and SCOG was putting forth that I had cancer. Well, I soon discovered GROKLAW and the free flow of good information there calmed my fears.

PJ is one of the good people on the web. There are many who are not. I have met the evil ones on my blog or in forums where freedom is not respected. She set out to make a repository of truth on the web and thousands rallied around her leadership. She worked tirelessly writing, transcribing PDF images from PACER, courts, and archives all over the web. She inspired people with personal knowledge of events and details to put their knowledge in writing so the history of UNIX, the evolution of operating systems, software, the law and particularly patents, standards and copyright would be there searchable on-line, forever.

No one quite knew how long the road would be and how dangerous. SCOG used every trick in the book of dirty tricks to fool the courts and to intimidate PJ, but she persisted. Evidence in the current trial of SCOG v Novell reveals what a thorn in their side she was. They apparently paid a writer to attack PJ to sully PJ’s reputation. The writer was unrepentant in the evidence presented, even resorting to name calling. She was accused of being a shill for IBM, too by SCOG’s CEO. Why the courts tolerated this evil to live so long is beside my understanding. They had not the slightest evidence to present in the case v IBM even after years of discovery. PJ could not be fooled as the courts were. She kept hammering on the truth into late nights to the point of exhaustion but still with a very high quality of work.

Thank you, PJ, for all your good deeds.