Jon_P wrote:

Also, don't forget that most hardcore geeks in the
Philippines dabble in Linux. The extent of familiarity with MS
technologies you will see in local programmers are relegated to VB
programming, which is nowhere near the level of sophistication needed
to contribute to a project like David.

Wrt to SpecOps' hype, I initially had a similar reaction as you
expressed above when I saw their first generation web copy, but
closely scrutinizing a succeeding version, they actually made a small
bit of effort to explain some technical details behind what would
possibly make David an improvement over WINE. Still far too little
though, and now such details are gone again.

I don't think that hardcore geeks in the Philippines are just limited
to Linux. I know a fair number of .NET-wielding and C++ hacking
Windows geeks. ;) Although Microsoft doesn't really do development in
the Philippines, there's still a lively developer community. I
remember joining a well-attended Microsoft DevStock convention in
Manila.

So yes, there are hardcore Windows programmers. In fact, they're quite
cool.

They'd have no reason to work with SpecOps, though. Why bother?

With regard to SpecOps' hype: explanations of technical details
are just handwaving until they show us a product, not a rigged demo of
someone else's code. Considering that they were supposed to have a
working demo last year—or was that two years ago?—then they _really_
should have something to show for all their time, money, and hype
about contracts here and agreements there.

Too little, too late.

I don't know how they managed to get people mixed up in it. I'm _so_
curious about SpecOps now. I want to know the whole story. For
example, Caslon Chua's name has been liberally splashed over the story
from the beginning. I've been wondering why he hasn't backed out of
it, given that he's with DLSU. I always thought teachers needed better
BS detection filters than most people, or else students would have a
far too easy time with their subjects. I think he's probably bought
into it big, and he can't afford to discredit them or pull out because
he'd lose his investment. What's up with Turbolinux, too?

I have very good reasons to believe that SpecOps name-drops more
than it should, which is one of the reasons why I don't like them. I
find it difficult to trust a company that's so… well… “trying
hard.”

Still, maybe they're on to something.

Riight. More likely that they're on something.

Sheesh.

Samuel 17:40? More like Jeremiah 9:3.

(By the way, I'm ordinarily a very nice person. But SpecOps insulted the talent in my country and made a laughingstock of us on Slashdot not just once, but every time they've made it there. I get along with business people, but I want business to be backed by substance.)