There seems little difference between IBM and Microsoft in the area that both try to dominate others and tell people what other should and should not do.

Steam rolling once way is not the ideology behind the open source community. What Sun does with its idea of contributing community is great. It maitains a standard as also gets contribution from the larger community as a whole.

Open sourcing java may just ruin this beautiful language by having it fragmented. Sure would not like to something like SUN java, IBM java and so on so forth going around the place. Choosing and studying the different version will just add on to the headache which the different distros would confuse by saying my dad is stronger than yours. Quit squabbling IBM and contribute further.

"Sun Microsystems Inc is open to relinquishing stewardship of Java to a neutral third party, but is apparently against releasing the language to open source under GPL."

Sun is not a ''steward'', or caretaker of Java, but it''s creater and owner! A party not in ownership of an asset has no right to decide or even sugest what should be done with the property. To suggest ohterwise is presumptuous at best, anarchistic at worst.

Perhaps you wold begin to understand if the guys working in the office down the street began to ''suggest you share'' your car with them, and on their terms! Then deride your ''stewarship'' if you decline!

Whatever Sun does with Java, it is their sole right to do so... with or without input from others.

That they seek the input of the community is commendable, but should in no way be interpreted as relinguishing ownershp.