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Date:      Sun, 25 Mar 2001 17:39:20 -0500
From:      Garance A Drosihn <drosih@rpi.edu>
To:        Dan Feldman <protozoa@ghs.ssd.k12.wa.us>, Rich Morin <rdm@cfcl.com>
Cc:        freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: so where is our press-release about MacOS X ?
Message-ID:  <p05010406b6e41f084db7@[128.113.24.47]>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.4.21.0103242148060.89919-100000@localhost>
References:  <Pine.BSF.4.21.0103242148060.89919-100000@localhost>

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At 10:19 PM -0800 3/24/01, Dan Feldman wrote:
>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 1 Apr 2000
>
>SEATTLE - The FreeBSD Project, Inc. officially welcomed
>today the introduction of Apple Computer's Mac OS X. The
>next-generation operating system uses the TCP/IP stack
>of an obsolete version of FreeBSD's flagship product,
>and is otherwise completely unrelated.



>:)
>
>  - dan feldman
>    student, garfield high school, seattle

While this is a good attempt at humor, I think it is not
fair to Apple nor is it worthwhile to anyone.  Apple had
some people who contribute to freebsd directly (ie, they
have commit access).  Apple donated some hardware to help
encourage FreeBSD/PPC along.  Apple buys ads at several
of the BSD-specific web sites.  Apple has mentioned their
connection to BSD's in several press releases.  In short,
Apple has been doing a hell of a lot more for freebsd
(and all the BSD's, for that matter) then this little
april-fool's article.  And we're supposed to greet that
positive publicity with sarcasm?

At 11:18 PM -0800 3/24/01, Dan Feldman wrote:
>You're right, there's no need to pick fights. But I'm
>just pointing out that there's no reason FreeBSD should
>work particularly hard to create the appearance of an
>alliance with Apple, when all they've done is use the
>source of some kernel components and a number of
>utilities for a commercial product. After all, Microsoft
>is rumored to have done exactly the same thing at times
>and I have yet to see any press releases about a
>relationship with _them_.

You might want to think a bit more.  Microsoft rarely
admits that any of the BSD's even exist, whatever they
may have done with some of the code.  They do not donate
anything to any BSD project.  They do not sponsor BSD-
related activities or web sites.  At times they amuse
themselves by spreading FUD about the BSD's, as they do
with just about all open-source projects.

If you were following the darwin mailing lists, you would
know that Apple has plans to include more code from all the
other BSD's, while still maintaining their own operating
system.  All of this is good for freebsd.  Certainly I see
no reason to rain on their parade.  We CLAIM we want anyone
to use our code for whatever they see fit, but when someone
does that are we then going to give them a bunch of crap?

Furthermore, the point of a press release isn't to help
THEM, per se, it's to increase OUR visibility.  Your
suggested press release will increase our visibility in
a very negative way.  That is not the kind of visibility
we will benefit from.
-- 
Garance Alistair Drosehn            =   gad@eclipse.acs.rpi.edu
Senior Systems Programmer           or  gad@freebsd.org
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute    or  drosih@rpi.edu

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