Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 18:46:58 -0800 (PST) From: Mark Diekhans <markd@Grizzly.COM> To: brett@lariat.org Cc: advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Netscape browser Message-ID: <199903200246.SAA23502@osprey.grizzly.com> In-Reply-To: <4.1.19990319171820.00c28ed0@localhost> (message from Brett Glass on Fri, 19 Mar 1999 17:26:53 -0700) References: <4.1.19990319134858.03fd24e0@localhost> <4.1.19990319114734.00b794b0@localhost> <4.1.19990319103804.00a8ec60@localhost> <4.1.19990319114734.00b794b0@localhost> <4.1.19990319134858.03fd24e0@localhost> <4.1.19990319171820.00c28ed0@localhost>
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>From: Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org> >At 01:34 PM 3/19/99 -0800, Mark Diekhans wrote: ... >Non sequitur. The publisher of each distribution would only test his >distribution. No, none of this is a non sequitur; my point has been missed. Unless the majority of installed Linux systems have the emulator *already* installed, an app vendor is going to have to include it and do additional testing on Linux. Now if the emulator is always available, it alters the cost picture significantly to an app developer (although they still need to test to ensure its going to run on Linux). So how is this going to happen? >You claim to write software. I do write software, commercial, free and research. Right now, I sometimes do all three in the same day. > But have you ever marketed it? I make no claims to be a marketing expert, but I have participated in many engineering decisions based around marketing, software distrubtions, etc. >Are you >aware of what tactics have actually succeeded out there in the cold, hard, >real world? I have at least 1/2 a clue. > I'd venture to say that you're refusing to learn from history >and hence are doomed to repeat it. FreeBSD == the OS/2 of the free software >world. By turning insulting, you detract from the credibity of this argument. If IBM can't convince vendors to port to a platform with a minor market share, how can FreeBSD, Inc? >And since the FreeBSD version will sell fewer copies than the Linux version, >SOMEONE will get the bright idea of dropping the FreeBSD one. Sorry, but >the binary must be for FreeBSD and ONLY for FreeBSD, or it's a net loss. So far, you haven't made a case that has convinced me, or it appears very many others, that this will happen. >It's not good for the platform. The only thing that ultimately benefits the >platform is sales of apps compiled specifically for that platform. So its better to just let people run Linux since the apps they need are not there *now*? Since most of the people that I have assisted are not running high-end servers, there will be little reason for them to switch once they have started down one path unless the tables completely turn in the app world. >That's the problem: you've been doing development, not marketing or sales. >And you haven't followed the economics of the software industry, as I have >for 20 years. Doing development does not make me being complete ignorant of related areas, where did that conclusion come from? Having certain knowledge of some areas does make one an expert and I claim no expertise in these fields. But claiming expertise is not enough to buttress a weak proposal with a lot of holes. Fill in the gaps with the details. Create a site outline a formal marketing and engnieering planning for getting an emulator in place and making it economically advantageous to vendors. >I hate to be the voice of pragmatism here, but the strategy >you're suggesting is not a winning one. If you really want people to get behind your proposal as being a pragmatism strategy, you are going to have have to lay out a much more detailed proposal on the various problems people see in actually having it succeed. I don't think anyone would argue that having tons of native FreeBSD ports would be great, but until there is a method to make that happen. You are making the proposal for an alternative strategy, its up to you to make a convincing case. A much better use of your time than arguing with me. After all, I might just be some high school visual basic programmer who is posting this because I can get a friday night date. Mark To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-advocacy" in the body of the message
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