Re: Future Debian CD plans
On Jan 20, winni@xpilot.org (Winfried Truemper) wrote:
> On Sun, 19 Jan 1997, Bruce Perens wrote:
> > If you are threatened by the premise of us selling a $2 CD because
> > we'd be commerical, look at what FSF wants for tapes.
>
> The FSF wants US$ 5000 for their Deluxe Distribution and $60 for the
> "source distribution". You can get the same thing for under US$ 20 from a
> vendor who calls his CD "official gnu archive". It's a matter of freedom,
> not price.
Exactly. And the same files, in fact the same isofs image, would be
available for "free" (+connect time).
> For me it's perfectly clear that the FSF wants symbolic sponsoring of
> their project by buying _their_ overpriced CD. This way they keep the
> freedom they promise through the GPL and encourage to widespread their
> sources. By billing US$ 2 you disorte the free competition among the
> vendors.
So it's OK if Debian sells an official CD, but not if someone else
does? We're not requiring that vendors sell official CDs. If a
vendor believes that the $2 fee makes them uncompetitive, then they
don't have to use the artwork. They can still sell a Debian CD,
with everything on the CD that would be on the official CD, right?
In fact, I think it is *Better* that anybody can make an *official*
CD, not just one particular vendor we choose to bless.
> > I am sure that we can ad a petty cash budget to the project without
> > alienating people. Ian Murdock got paid $10,000 to work on Debian, nobody
> > got upset.
>
> He got earnings which were not based on the work of the other Debian
> developers, that's the crucial difference.
Are you under the impression that Bruce is somehow going to make
money from this? I didn't see that implied at all.
> The problem is: before the project's problems are not solved, your policy
> decision will introduce even more problems than solving the current ones.
I disagree. The fact is that you cannot run a organization, even
a non-commercial, volunteer organization like Debian, without funds.
I don't think it is reasonable to expect a few generous souls to
continue to fund the project out of their own pockets. I also don't
think that there is much chance of surviving purely on donations.
The CD thing seems to be a reasonable way to generate some income
without becoming a commercial organization.
I've put a relatively small amount of time into this project so
far, but I've enjoyed it, I think I've done something worthwhile,
and I'd hate to see go down the tubes. I don't think I can imagine
how some of the major contributors would feel if that happened.
Steve Greenland
--
The Mole - I think, therefore I scream
"You have heard me speak of Professor Moriarty?"
"The famous scientific criminal, as famous among
crooks as--"
"My blushes, Watson," Holmes murmured, in a
deprecating voice.
"I was about to say 'as he is unknown to the
public.'"
[Dr. John Watson, _The_Valley_of_Fear_]
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