5 ms·

So this was published a year before the company was sold to Novell for big bucks, AFTER this guy was canned. So there is an ax to grind, for one. Not to say the

So this was published a year before the company was sold to Novell for big bucks, AFTER this guy was canned. So there is an ax to grind, for one. Not to say the history isn't interesting, but this is one of those memoirs written from the perspective of the ousted dude (who wasn't even a founder) who is so sure he was the wronged party. It's still a good read. The book I would always like to read would be from Bruce Bastian, the co-founder that got Peterson (the author of this book) the job. Why? Because he was Peterson's brother-in-law. So Bastian is a really interesting guy. Peterson writes him off as being kind of a "dreamer" and downplays a lot of his brilliance, but others have noted the importance his smarts played with making WP good. Anyway, in 2000 or something, he came out of the closet, which is like a huge deal if you're like the pinnacle Mormon software company in Utah. IIRC, he was totally shunned by a lot of people from his former company, including his co-founder. He now gives money to charity, donated millions to equal rights causes and generally seems to be a good, decent man. Anyway, I'd really love to read about what it was like to be closeted in that type of environment in that period of time, while also building what was at one time, a massively successful software company.

bkirkby 12y ago
timeline isn't exactly accurate. i worked at wordperfect/novell from 1992-2000 as a system and then software consultant (WordPerfect SWAT then Novell Consulting) and bruce was already out of the closet when i started. i ran into him in the slc airport once when i came back from a business trip to sydney australia. my visit happened to coincide with sydney's gay and lesbian mardi gras. when i saw bruce i said "hi" (even though he had no idea who i was) and told him i had been to sydney on business. he said "i went to sydney for pleasure." didn't seem like he felt the need to be "closeted" or even shy about his sexuality then. iirc, this was around 1995. fwiw
- filmgirlcw 12y ago
  I trust you. I know he was still married and wasn't "out" when it sold to Novell (at lawyer, not publicly), but by '95 that could have changed. I last read up on this stuff (including Peterson and Ashton's hateful comments about him) seven years ago or so.
  - bkirkby 12y ago
    novell bought WP mid-1994 iirc. i went to work for WP late 1992. i don't know the details of when a divorce was final or any such thing so he might have technically been married then. i also have limited knowledge of the culture of outing and what criteria people use to say they are now "out" as opposed to "in", so i can't really speak to when the official outing was. all i know is that as early as late 1992 it was well known throughout the company that bruce was gay and that he had a boyfriend assistant working for him. in the office water coolers i was around (when i wasn't traveling) there seemed to be a lot more concern about perceived nepotism than perceived homosexuality.

bkirkby 12y ago

timeline isn't exactly accurate. i worked at wordperfect/novell from 1992-2000 as a system and then software consultant (WordPerfect SWAT then Novell Consulting) and bruce was already out of the closet when i started. i ran into him in the slc airport once when i came back from a business trip to sydney australia. my visit happened to coincide with sydney's gay and lesbian mardi gras. when i saw bruce i said "hi" (even though he had no idea who i was) and told him i had been to sydney on business. he said "i went to sydney for pleasure." didn't seem like he felt the need to be "closeted" or even shy about his sexuality then. iirc, this was around 1995. fwiw

filmgirlcw 12y ago
I trust you. I know he was still married and wasn't "out" when it sold to Novell (at lawyer, not publicly), but by '95 that could have changed. I last read up on this stuff (including Peterson and Ashton's hateful comments about him) seven years ago or so.
- bkirkby 12y ago
  novell bought WP mid-1994 iirc. i went to work for WP late 1992. i don't know the details of when a divorce was final or any such thing so he might have technically been married then. i also have limited knowledge of the culture of outing and what criteria people use to say they are now "out" as opposed to "in", so i can't really speak to when the official outing was. all i know is that as early as late 1992 it was well known throughout the company that bruce was gay and that he had a boyfriend assistant working for him. in the office water coolers i was around (when i wasn't traveling) there seemed to be a lot more concern about perceived nepotism than perceived homosexuality.