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Date:      Thu, 21 Sep 2000 10:57:42 -0700
From:      David Johnson <djohnson@acuson.com>
To:        Joe Warner <jswarner@uswest.net>
Cc:        freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org, freebsd-newbies@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Just Imagine..
Message-ID:  <39CA4C16.FFB05634@acuson.com>
References:  <39C9F55E.E3D6917D@uswest.net>

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Joe Warner wrote:

> I guess the main question is, would the BSD community benefit from big
> corporate
> backing?  If so or not, why?

I would guess it comes down to whose doing the backing. IBM for Linux
was a good deal because IBM has always been a service business, with
their hardware and software systems merely tools for their service.
They're perfectly content to "use" open source software instead of
"taking" it. From what I've heard, they are exemplary members of the
Apache Group.

A Microsoft, on the other hand, views partners as competitors. They
would not be content with funding FreeBSD and getting no lock on
something in return. I would see them doing it only as a way to get into
the Unix market, then proceeding to embrace/extend Unix.

To me, the size or wealth of the corporations are meaningless. IBM is
still bigger than Microsoft. Rather, it's their "world view". Some
corporations see competitors, partners, allies, and customers. Others
just see competitors. Some see %100 market share as an unrealistic
impossibility, while others see it as their sole mission. It's whether
you're out to sell your product or whether you're out to see your
competitor fail.

So, depending on whose doing the backing, I would say yes. I would have
no problem with Apple funding BSD to keep their Darwin base pumping
along. But I would be very leery of Microsoft.

David


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