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Date:      Fri, 02 Apr 1999 05:36:08 -0700
From:      Donald Wilde <dwilde1@thuntek.net>
To:        Licia <licia@o-o.org>
Cc:        freebsd-advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Is there a "how did you hear about us?" form on www.freebsd.org?
Message-ID:  <3704B9B8.5EE9E944@thuntek.net>
References:  <Pine.BSF.4.05.9904011753500.26145-100000@o-o.org>

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Licia wrote:
> 
> On Fri, 26 Mar 1999, Donald Wilde wrote:
> > Licia wrote:
> > >
> > > This sounds like a good idea but personally, I worry about the expense... if
> > > each premium were to cost 10 cents, and there were 200,000 registrations, then
> > > -just- the cost of the premiums would run $20,000... and I have a feeling
> > > there are a bit more than 200,000 people out there using FreeBSD ;)
> > >
> >
> > Yes, but the visibility of knowing that we have 200,000 CONFIRMED users
> > would drive enough vendors to our doorstep to double it... and so on.
> >
> 
> I agree, but would tend to prefer some way to 'accept a smaller profit on one
> item' method than 'here is a prize paid for out of pocket', as a way to
> minimize resource usage.  Personally I consider a free world class operating
> system to be one heck of a prize for registering :)
> 
Sure, but discounting destroys the market for the CD's. It's not wasting
resources to give a T-Shirt instead of an equivalent discount, it's
adding to the visibility of the "brand" FreeBSD. Business is in business
to do more, not less, and that's just as beneficial to the free users,
because we need visibility to get respect. We must grow FreeBSD as a way
to make money side-by-side with its free user base. Remember, FreeBSD is
_still_ free on the Internet, and it takes a noticeable fraction of a
megawatt and considerable support from Walnut Creek personnel (and the
mirrors) to keep it so. It's all well and good to talk about "treading
lightly", but we _need_ financial support just to stay where we are, let
alone quadrupling our user base. On top of that, Jordan and Bob give us
thousands of CD sets to give away.
-- 
Don Wilde                 "Bringing the Internet to everyone!"
Wilde Media
1380 Rio Rancho Blvd. SE #117  voice:      505-771-0709
Rio Rancho, New Mexico 87124   e-mail:     dwilde1@thuntek.net


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