On Mon, Apr 21, 2008 at 8:38 PM, Drew Hess <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Mon, Apr 21, 2008 at 5:15 PM, Kim Quirk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > OLPC has increased funding and resources in 2008 toward a continued > > commitment to helping kids in the least developed countries through > > deployment of XOs and Sugar. I don't think there is any shriveling or dying > > going on here. > > It's reassuring to hear that Sugar (and, presumably, GNU/Linux) is > part of the commitment for 2008, at least. > > Can someone from OLPC give a straightforward statement regarding > OLPC's longer-term commitments to deploying Sugar, GNU/Linux and free > software in general?
"So, OLPC is working very very hard to address this. But the management is keeping cards in its hands in case the ultimate *education* goals of OLPC will be better served by a different software stack. Obviously, there are many of us who feel that the free software alternative will be better in the long run. But we need to *show* this. OLPC is funding Sugar aggressively (more than doubling the number of in-house software developers this year, for example); but we're under the gun to actually *deliver*. All of you on the list can help us. If you care about free software on the XO, we need to continue to make it the *best* alternative." This lack of transperency is *exactly* the sort of behaviour that kills free software and other volunteer projects. People are not going to donate their own precious time to a project that may ultimately shaft them. The community that OLPC has built up is global, outstanding and committed on many, many levels. It would be almost impossible to find the people, let alone the money, to do what has been delivered by the community already, let alone what could be delivered in the future. You can't buy this community. You can only create it with an inspiring vision and outstanding people living the vision. It is not the least bit inspiring to be the spearhead of the latest MS and DELL sales pitch. Management would do everyone a grand favour by sticking with the original vision come what may because they have no hope without the community. Martin Sevior _______________________________________________ Sugar mailing list [email protected] http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/sugar
