From owner-freebsd-current Tue Mar 3 16:36:43 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) id QAA02652 for freebsd-current-outgoing; Tue, 3 Mar 1998 16:36:43 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: from sendero.simon-shapiro.org (sendero-fxp0.Simon-Shapiro.ORG [206.190.148.34]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) with SMTP id QAA02507 for ; Tue, 3 Mar 1998 16:36:17 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from shimon@sendero-fxp0.simon-shapiro.org) Received: (qmail 20520 invoked by uid 1000); 4 Mar 1998 00:42:56 -0000 Message-ID: X-Mailer: XFMail 1.3-alpha-021598 [p0] on FreeBSD X-Priority: 3 (Normal) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: <19980303171106.18217@urh.uiuc.edu> Date: Tue, 03 Mar 1998 16:42:56 -0800 (PST) Reply-To: shimon@simon-shapiro.org Organization: The Simon Shapiro Foundation From: Simon Shapiro To: dannyman Subject: RE: FreeBSD Fund Cc: "Jordan K.Hubbard" , Poul-Henning Kamp , "John S.Dyson" , Mikael Karpberg , current@FreeBSD.ORG, Eivind Eklund , Shawn Leas Sender: owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG On 03-Mar-98 dannyman wrote: ... > given that Windows95 costs like $80 or something at the store, i would > expect > better educated people who are more heavily in to computers would think > FreeBSD is worth a little more than $10. If this argument had any validity, DOS would have disapeared in 1985 and Bill Gates would have either been selling used cars, running for Congress, or both. > I'm thinking $50, but that's because I'm a poor college student. Too much money. My military monthly salary was $27.50. I would like the ``donate as much as you like'' approach, but that will not be too effective. Esablish a scale: 10-20-30-50-corporate-contributor-lifetime or some such list. Another idea: ``Round-Up'' In addition, and in parallel with any other program: Any one who sellls FreeBSD stuff (WC?) estabishes a round-up program. When you buy a CD for 29.95 (is this the price? I have no clue), you can tell the order taker (or enter into the web form, whatever) to round up your order to cost+N. N goes directly to FreeBSD. A bit more of book-keeping but the vendor gets to display a special logo, the user is caught with his/her hand literally in their pocket (cannot say ``I do not have it'' :-), and FreeBSD gets more money. > Reluctant, lazy and indifferent is not yet our userbase. While an option > in > sysinstall that promises tote bags and plush demons would be ideal, I > think > a lot of us would at least for the time being be content with an SSL web > form > where we plug in our credit card number. I beg to differ. In any social group, there is a small active minority, a large passive majority, and (in most cultures) a minor disruptive fringe group. I bet you not all half million FreeBSD users contribute code, purchase CDs, report bugs, or do anything except take what is offered for free and use it. > Let's get the walking down before we start running flat out on this eh? >:) Of course. We need: a. Ownership/Board-of-Directors decision that this is what they want to do. b. Control structure; Who collects the money, who supervises the money, who disburses the money. c. Guidelines; What we will not do, what we will not accept, what we will. d. Collection Plan: This is what we are going to do to get the money e. Disbursement Plan: Here is how we will spend the money f. Imlepemntation g. Activation and feedback analysis h. Enahancements Since this is getting serious: a. Is this list the best forum for this discussion? b. I have a list of reservations about the whole thing. Not to say I oppose it, but there are issues that should be surfaced. ---------- Sincerely Yours, Simon Shapiro Shimon@Simon-Shapiro.ORG Voice: 503.799.2313 To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-current" in the body of the message