SCO courting Unix developers

SCO is apparently trying to coax Unix developers back to its fold, asking them to use its EdgeClick Mobile Solutions Platform to build mobile applications. As such, the company is offering $1,000 to developers who register for their EdgeClick developer training conference in Las Vegas this August (with a few caveats, like those developers have to stay in SCO's room block at the Mirage Hotel, and they'll only pay one developer from any given company.) In addition, the company is offering a BMW M5, $100,000 in cash, and other prizes to the winners of its "EdgeClick Developer Challenge," which runs from August to Feb. 2007.

SCO says they want to give smart phones and mobile devices "reliable and secure access to business system functionality." That's all well and good. But there's still the teensy, little problem of them having sued numerous big-name Linux users, claiming the open-source software they were using contains proprietary code written by the company.

Those claims left many in the open-source community with a bad taste in their mouths, to say the least. So if SCO hopes to ingratiate itself to independent developers, they've got their work cut out for them. And if early blogger response is any indication, they'll need all the incentives they can get.

Blog community response:

"Does SCO get it, or what? Yup. Money has always inspired UNIX developers. Not. Reaping what you sow is sometimes very painful. It turns out kicking Penguins in the heart isn't a very good business plan. Go figure."
--Groklaw

"Dear SCO: We don't like you. You don't play well with the other children on the playground. We think you're mean and we're not going to let you play dodgeball with us at recess. Besides that, your products are pretty awful."
--Vinn on Slashdot