Triplesourced

Al Gore might be greener than green but news that he has banned press from attending his keynote speech at this year’s RSA Conference, a big US IT show, raises questions over whether he’s whiter than white.

Wired.com and our colleagues at CNET News.com
are reporting that journalists won’t be allowed in to hear the Gore-meister hold forth and “"Video recordings, broadcasts and photography are also prohibited.".

Actually rather than having anything to hide, Gore is probably just trying to make sure that no one else reproduces his speech in any format – the more he is able to protect his live performances, the more he’s probably able to charge the likes of RSA for his appearances. After all, An Inconvenient Truth, the movie that put him front and centre again, was little more than a filmed lecture so it’s not surprising that he wants to retain “artistic control” of his output.

Then again, he might actually be paranoid that some journo in the audience is going to hurl some hard questions his way about how much he really walks the green walk.

Oh and if you are wondering what Al “hessian underwear” Gore is doing at an IT security conference anyway, it’s because he apparently created the internet.

Novell’s Brainshare conference is underway this week in Salt Lake City Utah. The 5000 attendees have plenty of information to absorb with the hundreds of tutorials and seminars – not to mention keynote sessions from Novell’s management such as chief executive Ron Hovsepian (pictured below).



However Novell also provides plenty of down-time opportunities from pool tables, and huge TV screens showing episodes of the US version of The Office.





Attendees can even, if they choose, wind down with a special techie version of the US game show jeopardy – where contestants have to supply the question to a given answer.



There is also the obligatory show shop resplendent with random Novell merchandise – the kind of stuff that journalists are used to getting for free but it seems that some people will actually pay for a branded base-ball cap.

Speaking at the company's annual user conference Brainshare, Novell's CTO Jeff Jaffe has announced the company's new technology strategy which it has rather curiously decided to name after an endangered relative of the mongoose - the Madagascan Fossa.

Despite keeping references to open source and Linux to a minimum, in this morning's keynote speeches, the Fossa is obviously a play on Free and Open Source Software with the 'A' standing for agility. Novell claims that its going to revolutionise the IT world by focusing on creating "agile infrastructure".

The strategy itself according to Jaffe is based around trends of high capacity computing, policy engines, orchestration, convergence and mobility. The specifics are still to come out but Jaffe is adamant that "aside from being a vision it also real". So that's ok then.

The Fossa animal itself - is a cat-like creature which is the largest carnivore on the small island of Madagascar. Unfortunately due to the creatures rather slow maturity rate - it only reaches breeding age at four years old - it has been declared endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Interestingly Novell is celebrating its 25th year anniversary this year - having been incorporated in 1983. Although that makes it one of the older tech companies - you could argue that like the Fossa, Novell is taking its time reaching maturity. It's been struggling to work out who it is (or at least communicate that to anyone else) for as long as I can remember, having gone through multiple leadership changes - like a troubled teen wrestling with angst and confusion. Great products but shame about the marketing - is the long term diagnosis for Novell's inability to really reach the same level as long-term rival, and more recent ally, Microsoft.

Interestingly, the real-life Fossa has also suffered from having its habitat destroyed - slashed and burned - something that Novell can sympathise with after seeing Microsoft slowly eat away its Netware and directory NDS businesses following the introduction of Windows NT and Active Directory.

That's probably enough analogy fun for now - the press conference is kicking off - I wonder if they will have a Fossa available for questions?

Yep - it's Brainshare time again in Salt Lake City. I am over here listening to the keynote by Novell chief executive Ron Hovsepian who has managed to stay clear of saying anything interesting so far. Former CEO Jack Messman was always good for some anti-Microsoft banter but this is Hovsepian seems to be playing it a lot more carefully - which I guess is why he was chosen to take over from Messman when the former chief was sacked two years ago.

There are a lot of mines for Hovsepian to steer around - the relationship with Microsoft, Novell's reputation amongst other open source players, the companies financial health, patents - but I guess they will have to wait till the press conference and my one to one with him this afternoon.