Re: [e-smith-devinfo] Is this appropriate?

[Lars Johansson]

Since this devinfo-list more and more has taken the shape of an
"opinion-list" lately, here's my contibution:

I've closely followed the E-Smith project all the way since version 2 or
so, and I've used (and I still use!) the technology from E-Smith
professionally as well as privately, and yes I am a "customer" as well,
- if you equals that with "someone who pays his support fee".

There is of course no doubt about that the "E-Smith Concept" is a
winner! It's simply the best server system I've stumbled into for small
or meduim sized organisations!

I just want to express my sincere worries for the future of the E-Smith
concept as the roads seems to take maybe too sharp bends too suddenly.

One of (but of course far from the only!) the most apparent reasons for
a small or medium sized business to take a closer look at E-Smith used
to be the unbeatable price/performance factors.

Now this has suddenly changed very quickly, and I would find it hard to
convince someone to choose an E-Smith-based server for his new business.
The future feels too unsure, and if the customer would be in great need
of a STABLE long term support license (most of them are!), how would I
convince him that this is going to be a stable choice for quite some
future? What would convince him that this move isn't going to be
followed by another major price change in the future, - since Mitel
already has showed they're capable of doing it once they could of course
do it twice?


I also feel worried for where all "good guys" in the "E-Smith community"
will direct their contributions in the future.
It wouldn't surprise me if this recent move from Mitel clearly is going
to prove that "their" GPL-licensed products "live their own life".
What if "the community" would thart to develop and distribute the
E-Smith concept into some new direction, - ending up with the famous
"PHP-Nuke/Post-Nuke/My-Nuke/Your-Nuke"-syndrome? 



..Just an opinion, - no need to flame me......



//Lasse

> Jelmer Kuperus wrote:
> >
> > Ever heard of the phrase 'The customer is always right' :P
> >
> > Telling customers that they're clueless hmm what a novell ideam, got to pass
> > that on to the marketting dep.

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