[Cooker] Saving Mandrake - a Users Perspective

[Jason]

Hi to all those at Mandrake,

I have been a Mandrake user (both Vanilla and Cooker versions) for quite some time now and have been on the mailing lists as well. I have seen the banter regarding the financial malaise Mandrake currently finds itself in and it seems increasingly likely that Mandrake either will cease to exist or cease to exist as we know it. Already it seems many developers have been laid off, with a concurrent slowdown in some areas of Mandrakes development.

Before (and I hope it doesn't) Mandrake goes out of business I would like to offer my .0002c worth regarding how I feel about Mandrakes revenue model and business plan.

First, I am not a Mandrake club member (though my father is, and he is the one who downloads the ISO's for me). I am not because the lowest tier still costs $60 USD/Yr. I am in New Zealand and that is over $120 NZD/yr. A lot by some peoples standards. I would like to suggest Mandrake add some lower tiers to the club. Say a $10 or $20USD/yr. tier. I know many people cannot afford $60 USD/Yr. but I think most users (no matter what currency they own) can afford $10 or $20/yr.

Ok you say, but then what should they get for this fee?? I say nothing more than the availability to get ISO downloads as they are released. It seems to me (after reading in the press and on the lists) that the biggest problem is freeloaders downloading ISO's. This cuts the feet out from under the commercial distro's viability, especially when the ISO's hit the mirrors BEFORE the boxed sets hit store shelves. I suggest a "cooling off period" of say 1 month. This would mean that current ISO downloads would not be available until 1 month after the boxed sets hit store shelves. The newly created (if you choose to go this route) lower tiered members of the club would still get (via a password or whatever) immediate access to ISO's via the mirrors. I LOVE the fact that Mandrake allows ftp downloads of it's ISO's (and cooker packages) and I think if this was eliminated then many users would swith to a distro that allows ISO downloads (like RedHat) but if Mandrake went the way I suggest then I think most users would either a) join a lower tier of the club to get the downloads as they are released or b) buy a boxed set or wait the 1 month to download the free ISO. Either way, this tightens up the ISO policy just enough to hopefully help Mandrake significantly while still staying true to the ideals of free software in general.

Mandrake may say, yeah but we need help NOW. Ok, I agree, create the lower tiers to the club today (and tell the Linux press and media outlets ASAP) and I will join today. Me along with several other users I have helped convert to Mandrake here in New Zealand (and hopefully millions of users the world over). Mandrake doesn't need handouts, it needs to refine its business model. The availability of ISO downloads before boxed set arrival not only reduces potential sales (and possibly club membership sales) but it also is a double edged sword that ensures your mirrors get hosed driving up the bandwidth costs for Mandrake and the mirror owners.

I hope this does not sound like drivel but this is how it is "in the trenches" and as Mandrake is fond of saying, it is OUR (the users) distro. I am trying to tell Mandrake how I WOULD pay for it if they would let me ;)

I know I could "donate" but I think most users would rather feel like they are part of their distro rather than giving hand outs to it.

As I said, just my .0002c worth.

All the best and long live Mandrake from a grateful user,

Jason Greenwood