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Date:      Sat, 3 Oct 1998 00:31:08 -0500
From:      Frank Pawlak <fpawlak@execpc.com>
To:        Mike Smith <mike@smith.net.au>
Cc:        freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Device Drivers for Linux and Intel's annoucement
Message-ID:  <19981003003108.A12411@execpc.com>
In-Reply-To: <199810030449.VAA00453@word.smith.net.au>; from Mike Smith on Fri, Oct 02, 1998 at 09:49:12PM -0700
References:  <4.1.19981002215535.040ed100@mail.lariat.org> <199810030449.VAA00453@word.smith.net.au>

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O, Oct 02, 1998 at 09:49:12PM -0700, Mike Smith wrote:
> > Frank and I are not the only people who perceive that FreeBSD is plagued by a
> > lack of investment in marketing. Walnut Creek doesn't seem willing to
> > make that investment.
> 
> As someone relatively impartial in this spittle-fest, I would just like 
> to point out that Walnut Creek are not "unwilling" to make any 
> investment in FreeBSD.
 
Never said or implied that you are not making efforts, and that what you
are doing is not appreciated.

> Quite the contrary in fact; most businesses wouldn't even dream of
> spending as much to promote and support the FreeBSD Project as WC does.  
> I doubt that any one organisation has spent, or continues to spend, 
> more money in direct support of any open-source operating system 
> project.
> 
> The "problem" is that they're effectively alone.  Apart from some (often
> generous) donations from other organisations, Walnut Creek are the only
> company spending money on FreeBSD as such.  We're spending about as 
> much as we can make right now, and investing more.
> 
> If you want an idea of the issues here, Walnut Creek has three employees
> working on FreeBSD fulltime.  RedHat have fifty.  We spend a lot of
> money on infrastructure (ftp.cdrom.com, the FreeBSD cluster, hardware
> donations to developers), while RedHat write manuals and put them in a
> pretty box.  That gives them a lot of time to write press releases.
> 
> Draw what "conclusions" you like from the situation.  Whatever you come 
> up with, don't think you can point the finger at us for not trying.  
> You're welcome to a slice of my ulcer.
> 

Know about ulcers.  Just had a business hit the rock myself.

You are apparently part of Walnut Creek CDROM, therefor I have just one
question.  I have seven major universities within an hour and a half
driving time from where I live and work.  This includes two of the top
engineering and three of the top business schools in the country.  Why is
FreeBSD not present in the bookstores along with Linux and other Open
Source Operating Systems?  I am of the impression that Walnut Creek user
the same wholesalers as does RedHat and Caldera.  That situation puzzles
the hell out of me.  If just that one situation were to be fixed, it
would mean a major step in the promotion of FreeSBD and start getting it
the recognition it so well deserves.
-- 
    --Frank

"At no time is the freedom of speech more precious then when a man hits
his thumb with a hammer."
   --Marshall Lumsden

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