[nflug] community GNU/Linux education - thank you

[Mike Canzoneri]

Peter,
I thought that since you are not buying Ken's reasoning I would add my 
two cent and try to sell you mine.

> I don't buy that reasoning at all. When M$ wants to put some 
> competition out of business, they are more than willing to jump into 
> bed with others to do so. I'm sure if they really wanted to, they 
> could strike a deal with a hardware company to provide all the 
> necessary stuff to schools and the needy. With all the glut of 
> hardware around and I'm sure I only see a fraction of it, this is not 
> a terribly huge request. 

I would argue that suppling every needy school and person with a 
computer and necessary OS is an enormous request.  But lets say for a 
minute that we do go and give all this stuff away to a bunch of 
schools.  Then we will proceed to get crushed from needing to provide 
support for all that free equipment and software.  Lets not forget that 
you would be effectively dumping all of this technology into a place 
where there is most likely no support structure at all.  Who is going to 
maintain all of these machines that are being used by the students?  
Then again, even if we had that, can we say that a school that needs 
this sort of help has the space to put computers or maybe even the money 
to pay for the power consumption?  This reasoning stands regardless of 
the OS or hardware manufacturer. 

> At M$ defense (and I don't come here often), they have made many 
> donations but from what I have seen they are almost always self 
> serving in some way. 

...and why on earth wouldn't they be if they are providing their 
software and support services for free?

> As a business man, I don't think there is anything wrong with that but 
> I also don't think they go nearly far enough. Linux vendors like 
> Ubuntu, Fedora Project, Mandriva are all showing just how much can be 
> done and when you put their efforts in comparison to M$ efforts, 
> knowing the $ that M$ has to work with, it makes it very pale in 
> comparison. 

I think the part you are missing here is that entities such as Ubuntu, 
Fedora Project, and Mandriva have different and business goals and 
organizational visions than those such as Microsoft.  As a publicly 
traded company the goal of an entity such as Microsoft is to make 
money.  Thats it. For Microsoft the act of course is not merely one of 
charity.  If they provide a school with computers and software they help 
guarantee another generation people who will use their software.  This 
contrasts strongly against the vision and best interests of the groups 
that support Ubuntu, Fedora Project, and Mandriva.  They give a lot back 
to the community because that is the principle on which they are based 
not because of eventual monetary gain.

> Linux vendors are showing just how modern companies can evolve in 
> todays market with very innovative ideas. Whenever I see M$ doing 
> something that is suppose to be for the benefit of others, it just 
> seems like a glutton throwing a dog a crumb and keeping an ever 
> watchful eye on the pantry door.

You are absolutely right that Linux is doing a great job of helping 
companies evolve however that does not give them the resources necessary 
to provide something along the lines of a complete technology 
infrastructure to schools that are in need of it.  This was of course 
what I felt was the pillar of Ken's point which, as we spoke about 
before, you do not buy.  So now I need to ask a question.  How does any 
entity such as the ones mentioned go about providing a complete 
technology solution to a school in need and have it provide any sort of 
return other than some small publicity?

Oh and before I forget.  I'm trying to be informative too.  There.  Now 
no one needs to ask.

Mike Canzoneri

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