Date: Sat, 8 Jun 1996 15:11:58 -0700 (PDT) From: Jaye Mathisen <mrcpu@cdsnet.net> To: Paul Traina <pst@shockwave.com> Cc: chris@usa.nai.net, freebsd-current@FreeBSD.org, freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.org Subject: What about... was: Re: -Stable, credit card donations to FreeBSD, Inc. Message-ID: <Pine.NEB.3.92.960608150047.22584O-100000@schizo.cdsnet.net> In-Reply-To: <199606082043.NAA06854@precipice.shockwave.com>
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I think Paul's analysis vastly oversimplifies the issue. Anybody could take a CD, and offer it at a cheaper price. Doesn't mean they'll sell enough of them to dent walnut creek. Perhaps WC could stick a sticker on the box that says "Some amount of money from this sale goes to furthering development". Or a higher-priced subscription plan. Or how about selling access to an "exclusive" mailing list, that is shared with the developers? I would pay money if my technical issue questions, as opposed to generic "anybody seen a ...." questions were sent directly to the developers, and I *knew* that it was followed by the developers. Even if not acted upon. That's essentially what I get when I buy support from BSD/OS. I rarely actually get help now (don't need it), but the messages get filed away for "future reference", and occasionally, somebody like Chris or somebody else moderately famous in the BSD community, but whose name I can't remember, sends me a more detailed treatise. Too many times, I see the hardcore developers talk about avoiding reading the lists, because it consumes too much time... I'd pay to be on a list that they would always attempt to read... Or tie the mailing list in with a higher priced FreeBSD subscription plan. The bean-counters here have a hard time with "donation", but wouldn't blink 2x if it was called a "support list", or whatever. It would be no different than purchasing a Mickey Soft Developer Network subscription. I agree with the user that said this thing has real potential. I have converted my whole operation over to FreeBSD, except for 1 box which I won't reboot, because it's been up so long, and 1 box which requires a working 2940UW driver, which at the time I installed, there wasn't, and BSD/OS had it. Frankly, a paid subscription list may work better for the developers anyway. Somebody's paying money to be on the list, the implication being that they think enough of the product to pay for the list, so it would behoove a developer to at least take a gander at the issue/problem, in order to keep the $$$'s rolling in that would hopefully pay somebody else to do menial work that the developer is currently having to do, instead of hacking on FreeBSD. On Sat, 8 Jun 1996, Paul Traina wrote: > Because WC still has to COMPETE with the other CD rom guys who will sell > it for WC's old price. > > If WC raises their prices further, then the unenlightened public will go > elsewhere and WC will end up LOSING money. That's not a very nice "thank > you" message for all their help. > > What's the alternative? Restrict distribution of FreeBSD and it's > no longer is FREE. > > I, for one, would be very unhappy to see FreeBSD go the way of Red > Hat Linux, as an example. > > Let's leave WC out of this. Those guys are absolutely fantastic > and have done more for FreeBSD than any other company. If we can't > solve this problem on our own, then we should just let FreeBSD die. > > People are getting the best damn operating system available on the > market today, they're getting it for free. If they feel like saying > thank you for all the hard work and making more hard work possible, > then contribute either in time, equipment, or money. > > Hmm, why do I feel like a public television station? > > Paul >
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