From owner-freebsd-chat  Fri Dec 31 13:54:31 1999
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Date: Fri, 31 Dec 1999 14:52:53 -0700
To: Jonathon McKitrick <jcm@dogma.freebsd-uk.eu.org>
From: Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org>
Subject: Re: If FreeBSD goes public (Was: Will FreeBSD ever goes 
  public?)
Cc: Jesse Tilly <jtilly@gw.total-web.net>,
	Will Andrews <andrews@TECHNOLOGIST.COM>,
	Gorden Fischer <gfish123@pacbell.net>, chat@FreeBSD.ORG
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At 01:58 PM 12/31/1999 , Jonathon McKitrick wrote:
   

>On Fri, 31 Dec 1999, Brett Glass wrote:
> >
> >It's actually even worse than that. By LAW, a publicly traded company
> >has one and only one legitimate goal: to make money for its stockholders.
> >That's it. Period. If this goal can be better served via the production
> >of lower quality software, or by shipping too quick, so be it; the
> >directors and executives are liable if they don't do it.
>
>Well, *i'm* convinced!  Stay private!  No question about it!
>-=> jm <=-

There is, however, another option that probably SHOULD be exercised: namely,
to incorporate as a non-profit organization. While a software development
group can't qualify as a 501(c)(3) (a public charity), it CAN qualify
as a 501(c)(4) (social group), a 501(c)(6) (trade association), or a 
501(c)12 (miscellaneous mutual benefit society). All such groups can
act on principle rather than to maximize profit.

--Brett



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