[nycbug-talk] OpenBSD and funding

[Raúl Cuza]

Sent without help from A.I. | ' L ' | 

> On Jan 15, 2014, at 15:28, George Rosamond <george at ceetonetechnology.com> wrote:
> 
> Isaac (.ike) Levy:
>> 
>>> On January 15, 2014 11:21:56 AM EST, Dan Cross <crossd at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> On Wed, Jan 15, 2014 at 2:44 AM, Brian Callahan <bcallah at devio.us> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> For those of you not subscribed to the OpenBSD misc@ list, here's a
>>>> thread you should read, especially if you use OpenBSD:
>>>> http://marc.info/?l=openbsd-misc&m=138730448307723&w=2
>>>> 
>>>> Please read the whole thread.
>>> 
>>> I read the whole thing.  I will not be donating.
>>> 
>>> Theo really comes off in poor form, throwing sarcasm and dismissal at
>>> most
>>> of the suggestions ("How dare you suggest we take our precious
>>> developers'
>>> time to do something to save our precious project!  Don't we do enough?"
>>> No, clearly you don't, otherwise you wouldn't be in this boat.)
>>> 
>>> Some good points were raised about architecture support; other
>>> suggestions
>>> were made.  Theo's snarky responses, appeal to authority
>>> justifications and
>>> total unwillingness to even consider changes convinced me not to donate.
>>> 
>>> If you're using OpenBSD, or using one of our sub-projects (which you all
>>>> are), please think long and hard before dismissing that thread. We
>>>> really
>>>> do need the funding.
>>> 
>>> If you really need the funding, perhaps you could convince the project
>>> leader not to be such a jerk?  At least not in public?  You may find
>>> money
>>> is more forthcoming then.
>>> 
>>> If you work in or know someone in a company that uses OpenBSD (or any
>>>> subprojects) or just one that likes to toss some money the way of open
>>>> source projects, please send that thread their way as well.
>>> 
>>> I'll be frank: a subset of the sub-projects are what is important, not
>>> OpenBSD itself.  OpenBSD seems to slide further and further from overall
>>> relevance with each release.  If OpenBSD fails, then the communities that
>>> care about the sub-projects will pick them up and carry them forward.  Or
>>> not; but for OpenBSD itself?  Well, nobody mourns the death of PR1ME.
>>> 
>>> Everything helps.
>>> 
>>> I wonder if they've ever stopped to wonder WHY funding seems to be
>>> shrinking.  Perhaps that would be step 1.  Step 2 would be to try and
>>> figure out how to mitigate some of the costs of the project.  Step 3
>>> would
>>> be to solicit funds.  But when one's hand is out holding one's hat,
>>> insulting the very people one is seeking assistance from is unlikely
>>> to be
>>> profitable.
>>> 
>>>        - Dan C.
>> 
>> Your opinion and stance feels pretty rational Dan, if the project were
>> truly a community run effort.
>> 
>> Regarding "insulting" users?  I feel you there.  But, if that is
>> unacceptable, then OpenBSD dev lists aren't for you :)  I haven't been
>> on misc@ in a decade, but that post is nothing, comparied to what I
>> remember.
>> 
>> OpenBSD is not run by the users.
>> 
>> We all may feel invested in it, but at the end of the day, it's not our
>> decision what to do.  I for one am grateful for this stance: years ago,
>> some issues in OpenBSD land, (binary blobs), I used to waffle on- and
>> critized the project for being so hard about.  Over the years, I changed
>> my tune- and this year, thanks to S n o w d e n, it's apparent that *no*
>> project is taking issues like binary blobs far enough :)
>> So, I find Theo's hard stance here refreshing.  Things like which
>> architectures to support, or other technical and organizational issues
>> are just not a "user community" decision.
>> 
>> I think Theo should even be lauded for his directness here- "Here's what
>> we're doing, we're looking for help from people who like what we're
>> doing, and btw the world can all have/fork/do whatever you want with our
>> work"
>> 
>> And, regarding funding drying up- this happens over the years for
>> *every* open source project, and it's certainly happened to all the
>> *BSD's in this young century.  I'm not sure it's a sign that they need
>> to change much in the project itself :)
>> 
>> -- 
>> With that, as a primarily FreeBSD user, I'm proud to make a contribution
>> today.
> 
> So glad this didn't turn into an online slugfest...
> 
> I'm confused by the post though, Dan.  Most open source devs were not
> trained in marketing, publicity, whatever.
> 
> But I disagree with Ike... it is very typical of community-run efforts.
> They are not driven by share prices and "packaging."
> 
> To expect them to have a fully polished operation, which asks money for
> the same reasons, essentially, in a different way, is a bit naive.
> 
> If you want to "give" money to operations directly or indirectly which
> ask nicely and do, er, messed up things with it, as opposed to giving
> money to people who ask for it in more crude ways but do things you
> like, then I think you may be confusing form and substance.
> 
> And long live substance, IMO.
> 
> g
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It looks like someone saved the day. 

http://www.thedrinkingrecord.com/2014/01/19/romanian-billionaire-saves-openbsd/ (I did not check the veracity of this page.)
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