Weekly news wrapup

In the news this past week: Mozilla released a roadmap for its browser project. ZDNet called it a “bumpy road.”The roadmap itself is at Mozilla.org.

Red Hat prepares to release its 7.0 version this week. Maximum Linux offered a preview, saying increased security and ease of use would be among the big changes. The company also announced a new subscription-based service; eWeek, among others, reported. (See our own Jack Bryar‘s column, too.)

Maybe not a new release, but a new beginning? Corel got some much-needed help from an anonymous investor, to the tune of $56 million, reported Reuters. Yes, count ’em, that’s six zeros behind the 56.

Linux: The worldly OS

An interesting story from Wired.com: Africans are embracing Linux because of its cost. “The free software model makes sense for Africa. It puts Africa and the rest of the world on an equal level,” says software researcher Githogori wa Nyangara-Murage. “Under the proprietary software model, Africa is just investing in unattainable dreams because we cannot afford to pay all this money that the continent is paying proprietary software.” In a semi-related story, AllAfrica.com reported that the newly formed GNOME Foundation will have a large impact on the South African IT industry.

And now for something completely different. Salon.com takes readers through the “boring and obtuse” but important issue of Open Source licensing. Linux World supplied its own take on the issue: that programmers may soon need to hire lawyers just to get through the mess.

Who’s afraid of the big, bad RIAA?

Early in the week, the Recording Industry Association of America said that during the first half of 2000, it had notified more than 4,500 U.S. music Web sites that they were offering “illegal” downloads, reported Reuters. Several universities responded with a big yawn, refusing to ban the music download service Napster from student computers, reported IDG.net and others.

New at NewsForge this week