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Date: Mon, 10 Jun 1996 11:37:26 -0400
From: Chris Lukas <chris@usa.nai.net>
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To: Jaye Mathisen <mrcpu@cdsnet.net>
CC: Paul Traina <pst@shockwave.com>, freebsd-current@FreeBSD.org,
        freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.org
Subject: Re: What about... was: Re: -Stable, credit card donations to FreeBSD, Inc. 
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Jaye Mathisen wrote:
> 
> 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.
> 
...
> 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.
...
> 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.
> 
I wholeheartedly agree.  I actually find it difficult to base my business
on a product that some is NOT making money on.  Who is going to run the
paid subscription list, and do the developers agree? (reverse order).

Chris Lukas