On Tue, 9 Apr 2002, Kyle Moffett wrote:

> On Tuesday, April 9, 2002, at 09:55 PM, Chris Devers wrote:
>
> > Maybe something could be packaged as a throw-in disc for Yellow Dog
> > Linux. [snip snip snip]
> >
> > Does this sound feasible/appealing/worth pursuing?
>
> This is possible, but I think YDL would be a bad choice.

Ok, but why? I like the idea of being affiliated with a company that is
emphasizing the Free/Open aspects of this software. I don't have a problem
with partnering with OpenOSX, but from what I can see on their site it
looks like they want to bury this side of things as much as possible. They
admit it, but reluctantly (look at the smaller fonts, the brevity, etc)
and given that they're trying to sell subscriptions -- hey, isn't Fink
offering the same thing?? :) -- I don't know if they'd like the idea of
having everything available on SourceForge. Even though most of it already
*is* available from Sourceforge. </irony>

> Ideas:
> 1) They do marketing, packaging (Deciding on combos), selling, etc.

No objection to this, provided that they stop de-emphasizing that the
source for everything is available & mutable, as the user may wish.

> 2) We port the software and make stuff available on SourceForge.

No objection to this.

> 3) We stay in contact with them and get publicity too, but we don't have
>    to worry about the money (It's an open-source project after all)

Ahh, the money. :) What if a big profit comes in, sitting on the back of
the hard work of several Fink developers. Of course, the Fink folks are
*also* sitting on the backs of the hard work of hundreds or thousands of
Free Software developers </irony>, but then we're not trying to make any
money off the arrangement.

So if hypothetically OpenOSX makes a bundle off this and there's lots of
money to go around -- does the Fink group get a cut? Would the Fink group
not be obliged to turn around and pass some back upstream to other
projects?

A good way out there would be to shun the problem by putting any money
into the project itself -- bandwidth costs, hardware maintainence, that
sort of thing. Just make it pay for itself while everyone works their day
jobs. Alternatively, they could reasonably ask why we deserve a cut in the
first place -- I think we have a strong but not overwhelming case there.

In any case, the money questions are too big to gloss over here. :/

> 4) They put references to us in their CDs

And, more importantly to me, to all the other projects (they are uneven
about this now) and they make sources available, either on the discs [much
preferred] or by download from their site or Sourceforge. Just as I don't
want them taking credit for Fink's porting efforts, I don't want Fink
getting credit for the existence of the projects in the first place.



--
Chris Devers                                [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Apache / mod_perl / http://homepage.mac.com/chdevers/resume/

"More war soon. You know how it is."    -- mnftiu.cc


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