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Date:      Fri, 31 Dec 1999 13:25:17 -0700
From:      Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org>
To:        "Jesse Tilly" <jtilly@gw.total-web.net>, "Will Andrews" <andrews@TECHNOLOGIST.COM>, "Gorden Fischer" <gfish123@pacbell.net>
Cc:        <chat@FreeBSD.ORG>
Subject:   Re: If FreeBSD goes public (Was: Will FreeBSD ever goes public?)
Message-ID:  <4.2.0.58.19991231132328.0187cc50@localhost>
In-Reply-To: <01dc01bf53da$e2340860$0301a8c0@lothlorien.com>
References:  <XFMail.991230201155.andrews@TECHNOLOGIST.COM>

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At 03:03 PM 12/31/99 , Jesse Tilly wrote:
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>Everyone needs to remember that "going public" entails more than just
>offer stock.  Your books are open to the world and your business
>focus must always take into account shareholders.  Case in point, had
>UPS been public during its strike, it is unlikely it would have
>lasted long as its stock would've plummetted while FedEX and others
>would gain the financial support.  Public is rarely a good thing for
>a business with a philosophy.

It's actually even worse than that. By LAW, a publicly traded company
has one and only one legitimate goal: to make money for its stockholders.
That's it. Period. If this goal can be better served via the production
of lower quality software, or by shipping too quick, so be it; the
directors and executives are liable if they don't do it.

--Brett Glass



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