I don't think you two are disagreeing. op00to is just pointing out that being a public company (like taking VC money) has consequences that can't be avoided. T

I don't think you two are disagreeing. op00to is just pointing out that being a public company (like taking VC money) has consequences that can't be avoided. Those consequences include being acquired, if the offer is good enough. Everybody knew that IBM buying Red Hat was the end of the Red Hat that had existed up to that point. But accepting the buyout wasn't the decision; the decision was to go public in the first place. Which, of course, was Red Hat's decision. So everybody is correct.