Depend what you want to achieve... [LWN.net]

Depend what you want to achieve...

Posted Jan 16, 2003 14:10 UTC (Thu) by gproux (guest, #8286)
In reply to: The WRONG thing to do. period. by guybar
Parent article: MandrakeSoft enters bankruptcy

... Actually Mandrake should get reborn as a 1901 Law association (basically a non-profit association in France).
I never want again to see stupid investors believe they should get any "return" from a free software project. The Mandrake Club would be much better if you would actually pay for a project that is made not for profit but only to the benefit of the club members.

Of course, it would mean the end of stock options and crazy salary for developers but it would allow the association to really invest all the money it has only for its users.

Another company should be set up,independant of the non-profit association, that would take over all the support contracts for the big customers of Mandrake.

seems like a good idea to me.

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Depend what you want to achieve...

Posted Jan 16, 2003 15:08 UTC (Thu) by NAR (subscriber, #1313) [Link]

I never want again to see stupid investors believe they should get any "return" from a free software project.

I don't think any investors can be called stupid because they are expecting revenue from their investments. Those, who do not expect revenue, are not investors, but members of the Salvation Army or are called Mother Theresa, or something else.

it would allow the association to really invest all the money it has only for its users

If I remember well, LWN.net needs about 3000-4000 subscribers to sustain its 3 member staff. I'm not sure, how much staff are needed to produce a decent distribution, but let's make it 15. It means, that (if they would follow LWN's example) they would need 15000-20000 subscribers paying 2.5-10 USD/month. Do you really think it's feasible?

Bye,NAR

Feasible?

Posted Jan 16, 2003 16:51 UTC (Thu) by gproux (guest, #8286) [Link]

Have you heard about a little known project called Debian?

Feasible?

Posted Jan 17, 2003 11:54 UTC (Fri) by NAR (subscriber, #1313) [Link]

Yes. They are a project, not a company. They do not rent offices, pay secretaries, accountants, taxes, etc. Do they have any employees, who are payed by the project?

Bye,NAR

Feasible?

Posted Jan 19, 2003 7:03 UTC (Sun) by gproux (guest, #8286) [Link]

It seems I was not the only to think in the same line as what is proposed up there, have a look at ben reser homepage. Clearly a community take-over of Mandrake would be better for all Mandrake Linux end-users.