Sung to the tune of Willie Nelson’s On the Road Again.  Feel free to make it hit at the next UDS.

To sprint again
Just can’t wait to get to a sprint again
The life I love is makin’ Ubuntu with my friends
And I can’t wait to get to a sprint again
To sprint again
Goin’ places that I’ve never been
Seein’ things that I may never see again,
And I can’t wait to get to a sprint again.

To sprint again
Like a band of gypsies we go down the jetway
We’re the best of friends
Insisting that the world be turnin’ our way
And our way
Is to sprint again
Just can’t wait to get to a sprint again
The life I love is makin’ Ubuntu with my friends
And I can’t wait to get to a sprint again

To sprint again
Like a band of gypsies we go down the jetway
We’re the best of friends
Insisting that the world be turnin’ our way
And our way
Is to sprint again

Just can’t wait to get to a sprint again
The life I love is makin’ Ubuntu with my friends
And I can’t wait to get to a sprint again
And I can’t wait to get to a sprint again

PARIS, France — Tuesday, September 22, 2009 — In a landmark ruling that will set legal precedent, the Paris Court of Appeals decided last week that the company Edu4 violated the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) when it distributed binary copies of the remote desktop access software VNC but denied users access to its corresponding source code. The suit was filed by Association pour la formation professionnelle des adultes (AFPA), a French education organization.

“This decision should raise awareness about free software licensing for everyone involved with it,” said Olivier Hugot, attorney of Free Software Foundation France. “Companies distributing the software have been given a strong reminder that the license’s terms are enforceable under French law. And users in France can rest assured that, if need be, they can avail themselves of the legal system to see violations addressed and their rights respected.”

The events of the case go back to early 2000, when Edu4 was hired to provide new computer equipment in AFPA’s classrooms. Shortly thereafter, AFPA discovered that VNC was distributed with this equipment. Despite repeated requests, with mediation from the Free Software Foundation France, Edu4 refused to provide AFPA with the source code to this version of VNC. Furthermore, FSF France later discovered that Edu4 had removed copyright and license notices in the software. All of these activities violate the terms of the GNU GPL. AFPA filed suit in 2002 to protect its rights and obtain the source code.

“We’ve long said the GNU GPL is enforceable, and of course we’re pleased to see another court reaffirm that fact,” said Loic Dachary, president of FSF France. “But what makes this ruling unique is the fact that the suit was filed by a user of the software, instead of a copyright holder. It’s a commonly held belief that only the copyright holder of a work can enforce the license’s terms – but that’s not true in France. People who received software under the GNU GPL can also request compliance, since the license grants them rights from the authors.”

The Court’s ruling is available on the web at http://fsffrance.org/news/arret-ca-paris-16.09.2009.pdf.

Read the announcement: http://blog.launchpad.net/general/launchpad-is-now-open-source

Join the fun: #launchpad-dev on freenode

Don’t have a Chumby? Go get one!

Steve had this great idea last week to start an Ubuntu Amateur Radio Club of sorts that also got into the programming and packaging arena. He discussed it with Hugh and me in person last week and we enthusiastically signed on. Come join the fun!

ps. We need a team graphic? Any ideas?

When you work for a traditional company where many of the employees are co-located, you often have a power structure at play which dictates to a large extent the culture. This culture usually involves some sort of dress code (often informal, peer driven) and at times the installation of utter fear and unapproachability of executives.  There is often an overlay of formalness, and some times rigidness, as well. You will often see bitter internal competition between managers and teams.

In Canonical we don’t have this. We replace all of that with a simple (unwritten) concept (or really, a culture): Brotherhood (or Fraternity if you prefer).  Everyone is your brother or sister. Everyone is approachable.  This feeling is so strong that we often hug each other in greeting and parting or at the very least give each other a two arm handshake, high five,  or a strong slap on the back.  If you thought this was the exclusive realm of Daniel Holbach, or something tied to romantic interests, think again. This is the only company I’ve worked for where I can meet the COO in the hallway and a spontaneous hug ensues, and likewise get bear hugged by one of my employees.  Even Mark, who is normally reserved, will walk up to you and give you a slap on your back and ask you have you have been.

You want proof? Scour the Internet for pictures from Canonical company events and Ubuntu UDS events. Or better yet, go to one of these yourself. Here are some pictures I took in passing last week:

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/josxko/3559684090/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/josxko/3541791323/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/josxko/3559662878/

Once you’ve worked in such a supportive and close-knit group it’s hard to imagine working anywhere else. The good news is that you don’t have to work for Canonical to gain access to this spirit. You can practice this at UDS and in your local Ubuntu teams. Some people may start refering to this concept as the “Church of Canonical” or some other weirdness but in fact it’s not. It’s Ubuntu. Remember, Ubuntu is an African concept of ‘humanity towards others’. It is ‘the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity’.  Canonical simply is “drinking the Ubuntu Kool-aid” and I for one am damn proud of it and to work here.

If you have photographic evidence of this culture, please post links in the comments to this post!  Maybe some cultural anthropologist Ph.D. candidate will want to examine this further.

One of the nice things about practicing and leading with kindness at work is that it makes your workplace a better, more enjoyable, and more productive place. One study suggests a 30% improvement in productivity.

Last night I saw a wonderful show on PBS called “Leading from Kindness”.  It’s based on the book “Leading with Kindness: How Good People Consistently Get Superior Results”. The show really resonated with me and what I’ve slowly been learning over my career.  I do believe that cultivating this style of leadership is essential in engaging and retaining superior employees as well as transforming organizations into very high performance teams.

I’ve had good luck practicing this style on my direct reports in Canonical.

The only caveat seems to be that folks who have never been in an organization that respects them as individuals can sometimes confuse kindess with weakness.  When you see this mistake being made, a gentle nudge seems to resolve it.

My hope is that others can benefit from this approach.