Just their word, and I also said I hoped they kept their word.

I'm just trying to be optimistic in this case, although I agree with how acquisitions always run into the ground regardless of the company, but something tells me IBM would think twice about doing something remotely like that to RH. For one thing, they contribute excellent work into the kernel and some of their senior engineers have had pivotal roles in adding components to the kernel which may have been a significant factor in improving it, and a minor testament that they care about the system as a whole. That doesn't guarantee anything but it is quite evident from their perspective that they are just looking to both increase their foothold in the industry and improve the base system.

There is little reason to compare IBM to Oracle, they have a very long history of their own acquisitions. I make no claim to understand what most of these are or how they have fared, but the list is public: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mergers_and_acquisitio...