On Sat, 2005-06-04 at 11:04 -0400, Chad Smith wrote: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > >On Sat, 2005-06-04 at 06:53 -0600, Colin Stewart wrote: > > > > > > > >>I'm quite frankly offended that you would ask for a FREE cd. If you > >>don't want to pay for it, go download it, and make your own. I don't > >>know about anybody else here, but I, for one, will NOT send you a free > >>cd. If you were asked for something for nothing, I'm sure YOU would not > >>be willing. So why ask the same of somebody else? > >> > >> > > > >To be fair, the guy might not be aware of how these thngs work and > >someone might have told him that you can get OOo free from the website > >and he ended up on the list. So while I agree with your sentiment that > >we ought to encourage people to pay for service, I think we need to be a > >bit diplomatic in dealing with newcomers. You don't know that his guy > >won't become our most valuable supporter if his first contact with the > >community is a good one :-) > > > > > > Seriously. I doubt Microcreft will promote OOo after hearing from Colin. > > As far as the whole "asking something for nothing" thing - that's what > OpenOffice.org and the whole open source movement is all about! Being > offended because someone asked you to burn a CD for free (which takes > all of 3 minutes - not an hour - so that would be $10 per 3 minutes, or > $200 an hour - *HARDLY* a "steal"), is ridiculus. I mean, we're giving > away the software, which took literally *hundreds* if not *thousands* of > man-hours, why shouldn't he expect the CD for free, too? > > The hardware for the CD cost all of $0.20 US - $0.33 if you don't shop > around - a dollar at most (if you buy it individually instead of a > multipack). Ok, so at $35 an hour - that's about $0.59 a minute (let's > say $0.60) - so by the time you burn the CD, put it in the case and the > case into the envelope, you've used all of, what, 5 minutes? So that's > $3.00. So you've got $3.20 - $4.00. $4 at most, and then shipping. > That's what, a $1? $3? Sending it to France may cost some cash. But if > we had someone in France do it, it would be cheaper. > > So you've got something that, at your quoted price, would be $10 - > (something at actually costs you less than a $1, and less than 5 minutes > of time) - but he's asking for a $10 thing, okay... And how much is the > software worth? Ten more dollars? $20? $300? According to Microsoft, > an office suite is worth $300 - $500. According to Corel, it's > somewhere between $100 - $300. Sun thinks it worth $50 - $80. Okay, > okay, so you get upset because he wants a $10 item from you, (and he > didn't ask *you* specifically - he sent an email to a list that is put > up on a website...) but you completely accept the fact that *you* and > he and everyone else can *FREELY* download and even *SELL* (like you do) > a software product that is worth $50 - $500!?!?!? Okay, that's stupid. > Don't get offended so easily. > > BTW, the *software* is what these companies think is so valuable - not > the CD, not the manuals, but the software. As proof, go to any of their > websites and try to download it. They are going to charge you the same > price as they would if you bought it on CD (less shipping, and shipping > is less than $10). Sun will let you download StarOffice for free - but > only if you are a student or teacher. Of course, anyone can download > OOo for free, which is hosted by Sun, so that's not a surprize. > > You don't want to send the guy a CD - then don't. But don't get all > bent out of shape about it. He wasn't asking for your kidney, he was > asking for a CD. The website has plastered all over it the word "FREE" > - and then he sees a button for CD - what's he supposed to believe? > And, besides that - he wasn't asking *you* he was asking a website. > > -Chad Smith
May I suggest that we close the issue please. Perhaps Colin was upset with something and hence wrote all this. After all, Colin was not asked for the CD. The request was sent to the list and it was rightly sent as per directions on the website. If Colin cannot met this request, he need not bother about it. If someone can give it free, he will do it. And if someone can give it at a price, he will offer that. The matter would and should end with that. Answering like Colin did, creates problems for the whole community and this should please be avoided. And if someone answers like Colin, let's not pounce on him but rather see if we can provide what is requested for. On behalf of Colin, I don't mind saying sorry to the new friend who has requested for the CD. If someone from somewhere can ship him a free CD, please do that, otherwise, he can surely d/load it from the openoffice site. In this case, since the matter has taken an unfortunate shape, let's send him a CD. I would have done that, but from India, the cost of shipping is exhorbitant. It will cost me US$ 20 to send it by speed-post (it will surely reach) or US$ 3 by ordinary post (never sure of reaching). Hence, that's unaffordable for me. Please someone help in this case. If required I can return the favour by shipping CDs to someone in India on your behalf free of cost. -- Peace, Force & Joy! Sudhir Gandotra. 98-101-20918 OpenLX Linux OS, Linux Training, Support, Services, Product Development Legal.Software @ Fractional Cost : http://kalculate.com http://openlx.com - International Alliance of LINUX companies You don't need violence to shake the world Treat Others As You Would Have Them Treat You www.humanistmovement.org --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
