Re: Google ads on debian.org

[Martin Schulze <joey@infodrom.org>]

Stephen Frost wrote:
> * Martin Schulze (joey@infodrom.org) wrote:
> > Stephen Frost wrote:
> > > > I startet to use Debian, because it was not commercial, it was entire
> > > > free, and I'm afraid, this will be the first step in the wrong
> > > > direction.  It will lower our principles, and it will become precedent
> > > > case for our future doing.
> > > 
> > > This gloom-and-doom prediction is really getting old.  No, it wouldn't
> > > become a precedent, no, it wouldn't lower our principles, no, it's not a
> > > step towards making Debian no longer free.  It's a couple ads on our web
> > > page to bring in a (probably small) revenue stream.  There are a number
> > > of other open source and free software websites which do this, it's not
> > > anything new and it certainly doesn't make you look like a commercial
> > > website, if anything it makes you look like *less* commercial.
> > 
> > I'm interested in the rationales basing your assertions.
> 
> Everyday observation of other projects which have done this.  Funny, do
> you have examples of where the gloom-and-doom scenario has happened to
> an open source project?

Please read what I said:

 . When we put commercial adverts on our web pages our sponsors may
   have to decline their offer.  Take (German) universities for
   example.  These would have to be replaced, probably by actually
   renting rackspace.  Is the income higher than the costs for this?

 . When we are supposed to generate income with the web page it is a
   commercial web page.

 . Several developers would declike their work on the web pages if
   they should be turned into commercial ones.  So far you'd loose
   both Joeys for the web pages work.

 . Several developers agreed to work on Debian and within the Debian
   project because it produces Free Software, adheres to a very strict
   freedom policy and the social contract and has no commercial
   interests.  If I would want to work for commercial bodies, I could
   go to Red Hat, SuSE or Ubuntu.

Additionally, SF.net became more and more commercial and is more and
more hated by their users, who become more happy to move their
projects to Savannah, Alioth, SPI or other services.

Regards,

	Joey

-- 
Every use of Linux is a proper use of Linux.  -- Jon 'maddog' Hall