From owner-freebsd-advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Feb 24 20:54:36 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: advocacy@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 178F316A420 for ; Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:54:36 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from miguel@anjos.strangled.net) Received: from mailrly05.isp.novis.pt (mailrly05.isp.novis.pt [195.23.133.215]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7EF9243D46 for ; Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:54:34 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from miguel@anjos.strangled.net) Received: (qmail 9866 invoked from network); 24 Feb 2006 20:54:32 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO mailfrt04.isp.novis.pt) ([195.23.133.196]) (envelope-sender ) by mailrly05.isp.novis.pt with compressed SMTP; 24 Feb 2006 20:54:32 -0000 Received: (qmail 30988 invoked from network); 24 Feb 2006 20:54:32 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO compaq.anjos.strangled.net) ([87.196.202.124]) (envelope-sender ) by mailfrt04.isp.novis.pt with SMTP; 24 Feb 2006 20:54:32 -0000 Received: from compaq.anjos.strangled.net (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by compaq.anjos.strangled.net (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k1OKsPZT006096; Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:54:26 GMT (envelope-from miguel@compaq.anjos.strangled.net) Received: (from miguel@localhost) by compaq.anjos.strangled.net (8.13.4/8.13.4/Submit) id k1OKsP3B006095; Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:54:25 GMT (envelope-from miguel) Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:54:25 GMT From: Miguel Lopes Santos Ramos Message-Id: <200602242054.k1OKsP3B006095@compaq.anjos.strangled.net> To: miguel@anjos.strangled.net, reed@reedmedia.net In-Reply-To: Cc: advocacy@freebsd.org Subject: Re: BSD Mall : to hell X-BeenThere: freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: FreeBSD Evangelism List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:54:36 -0000 > Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2006 12:12:14 -0800 (PST) > From: "Jeremy C. Reed" > To: Miguel Lopes Santos Ramos > cc: algould@datawok.com, advocacy@freebsd.org > Subject: Re: BSD Mall : to hell > > On Fri, 24 Feb 2006, Miguel Lopes Santos Ramos wrote: > > > > 3. Red Hat employs many open source developers, many of whom work on > > > projects other than Linux (postgresql, for example). > > > > I don't think this argument applies. It's a bit like saying that Bill Gates > > getting richer and richer is good, since he gives a third of his fortune to > > charity. > > Then your alternative is to pay the developers directly instead. > > Do you use gcc? > > Jeremy C. Reed ;-) So, I now understand that the real reason why RedHat is more expensive than Debian is because it gives more money to open source projects... I just keep not understanding why the price of CDs sold unofficially in many stores that don't contribute to the projects is the same of those that do contribute... However funny it might seem, perhaps funding directly projects of which one depends directly would be better... Fact is that RedHat is a profit-driven company, traded in the stock market. Like every company, it must increase its revenues as much as possible and reduce its expenses as much as possible. It is a good thing for RedHat that most of the its prime matter it's free. Of course, RedHat funds several projects, but if it is a rational economic agent it will only do so in the measure that: a) is absolutely required to keep a project evolving to meet its clients needs, and b) it allows it to continue publicizing that it funds open source projects. Let's take gcc for example, how much of RedHat's money goes to gcc? Well, gcc was there long before RedHat existed, and it has evolved to meet RedHat's clients needs long ago (why should the quality of the compiler matter to RedHat back when Microsoft's compiler was very bad comparatively?), so I don't think gcc receives a lot because of a), and because of b) I suspect it receives only a quota of a global amount given to FSF. I'm really convinced that gcc owes very little of its existance to RedHat or similar fundings. But I'm just guessing, perhaps RedHat is more into Philanthropy. Miguel