From owner-freebsd-advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Apr 20 15:50:28 2007 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7618516A401 for ; Fri, 20 Apr 2007 15:50:28 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jhb@freebsd.org) Received: from server.baldwin.cx (66-23-211-162.clients.speedfactory.net [66.23.211.162]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0010213C459 for ; Fri, 20 Apr 2007 15:50:27 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jhb@freebsd.org) Received: from localhost.corp.yahoo.com (john@localhost [127.0.0.1]) (authenticated bits=0) by server.baldwin.cx (8.13.8/8.13.8) with ESMTP id l3KFoPZK019063; Fri, 20 Apr 2007 11:50:25 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from jhb@freebsd.org) From: John Baldwin To: freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2007 11:27:08 -0400 User-Agent: KMail/1.9.6 References: <937393.64429.qm@web57704.mail.re3.yahoo.com> In-Reply-To: <937393.64429.qm@web57704.mail.re3.yahoo.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Message-Id: <200704201127.09489.jhb@freebsd.org> X-Greylist: Sender succeeded SMTP AUTH authentication, not delayed by milter-greylist-2.0.2 (server.baldwin.cx [127.0.0.1]); Fri, 20 Apr 2007 11:50:25 -0400 (EDT) X-Virus-Scanned: ClamAV 0.88.3/3139/Fri Apr 20 10:18:00 2007 on server.baldwin.cx X-Virus-Status: Clean X-Spam-Status: No, score=-4.4 required=4.2 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.1.3 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.1.3 (2006-06-01) on server.baldwin.cx Cc: Tom Rhodes Subject: Re: The sorry state of open source today 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, 20 Apr 2007 15:50:28 -0000 On Friday 20 April 2007 04:08:05 am Radu-Cristian FOTESCU wrote: > --- Tom Rhodes wrote: > > What was it that you said then? I actually cannot remember. > > Page 7: "Except for the *BSD family, whose members are either _*_backed_*_ by > 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations like The FreeBSD Foundation or the NetBSD > Project, or the task of individuals like Theo de Raadt for OpenBSD and Matt > Dillon for DragonFly BSD (by the way, your donations to either of them are > appreciated), the 500+ Linux distributions fall roughly into two main > categories: the vast majority of the distributions are made by the > enthusiasts, for the enthusiasts, and a given number of them are mainstream > distros, supposed to be trustworthy and polished enough to satisfy both the > corporate-minded user and the home user." > > Backed != controlled. Hmm, I think even "backed" might be a bit strong in the case of FF. FF provides some assistance to FreeBSD such as sponsoring some development work (such as on Java) or travel vouchers for conferences, but they aren't the only ones doing that either. Many companies also provide similar support to the FreeBSD project by employing or contracting developers, submitting code back to the project, donating hardware and colo space, etc. I would still say that a significant chunk of work done on FreeBSD is done w/o any involvement from the FF at all (that is, not done on hardware donated to the FF by other parties, or sponsored by the FF, or done at conferences while being subsidized by FF travel grant, etc.). Arguably, FreeBSD was "backed" more by the old WC-CDROM folks than anyone, certainly more than what the FF currently has done to date. (Note: none of this is meant as a rip on the FF at all, just as observations of current practice.) -- John Baldwin