[nycbug-talk] wasabi

[pete wright]

On 1/23/06, George Bourozikas <george at bourozikas.net> wrote:
> On Monday 23 January 2006 12:21 pm, Yusuke Shinyama wrote:
> > Sadly they're called "a new FUD angle" in LWN...
> > http://lwn.net/Articles/168497/
> >
> > (I think the LWN guys are too hostile.
> > It seems the site becomes increasingly more slashdottish recently.)
> >
> > Yusuke
> >
> > pete wright <nomadlogic at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > since we are throwing links around today:
> > >
> > > http://www.wasabisystems.com/gpl/index.html
> > >
> > > probably one of the best written explanations regarding GPL's impact
> > > from a business perspective IMO.
> > >
> > > -pete
>
> Quoting from the Wasabi website:
>
>    The GPL has achieved what it set out to achieve: it is virtually
>    impossible to make money selling Linux, since any Linux distribution
>    that is sold must also be made open source, enabling users and
>    competitors to obtain it for free.
>
> This flies in the face of empirical observation: RedHat and IBM come to
> mind and there are others.  Furthermore it does not explore the
> philosophical reasons behind teh GPL - some people may just object to
> mega-corporations using their software for profit and without
> attribution.


making money selling support services is much different than selling a
packaged GNU/Linux product.  RedHat makes thier money from consulting,
as does IBM.  I think that is one of the great point's of OSS: sell a
service, or add value to an existing idea.

we run centos, it's a free version of RHEL.  we get all the changes
and patches that redhat put into there.  it's perfectly kosher under
the GPL.  As an aside, RedHat does not get a dime from us for each of
our seats or from any support contracts.

>
> Don't get me wrong: there are valid philosophical and business reasons
> to choose the GPL, BSD or any of a number of licenses just as there are
> good reasons to use BSD over Linux and vice versa, but this
> presentation is kind of FUD'ish.
>

I'm still missing the FUD.  Ok, that's not %100 true ;)  Although I
would not put this on the same level as the SCO law suit, and I do
think it makes some pretty good points that people often over look
when they start basing products/decisions and what ever great "Linux
wiz bang buzz word" they find on google....

-p


--
~~o0OO0o~~
Pete Wright
www.nycbug.org
NYC's *BSD User Group