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Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!msunews!caen!usenet.coe.montana.edu!bsd.coe.montana.edu!nate From: nate@bsd.coe.montana.edu (Nate Williams) Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.misc Subject: Re: BSD CD-ROM : Walnet Creek or Infomagic ? Date: 4 Jan 1995 07:33:57 GMT Organization: Montana State University, Bozeman Montana Lines: 64 Message-ID: <3edj15$csp@pdq.coe.montana.edu> References: <3e8t0q$gnp@vishnu.jussieu.fr> <3e9v2i$cgh@xmission.xmission.com> <D1uoHw.IBr@indirect.com> <3edfnv$4i5@charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: bsd.coe.montana.edu In article <3edfnv$4i5@charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu>, Shawn Brown <shawnb@ecst.csuchico.edu> wrote: >In article <D1uoHw.IBr@indirect.com>, Barnacle Wes <wes@indirect.com> wrote: >> >>They do (support FreeBSD), and I did (buy the Walnut Creek CD-ROM). Come >>on, what's another five buck$? Give 'til it hurts! > >Well, the difference is a little more than $5. I just bought the Infomagic >disc for $18. Walnut Creek wants $35-$40? Get on the distribution system and they are quite a bit cheaper. >While I have been impressed with >Walnut Creek and their efforts to advocate the use and distribution of >free OS's, if they can't compete price-wise, they are going to be SOL with >a lot of people. My response to this is: "Penny-wise, pound foolish". Translation: Having been involved with these sorts of things for a long time, it very easy to get burnt out and see very good projects such as FreeBSD, NetBSD, XFree86, Linux, etc... die because the folks that do them get tired of working for nothing and/or lack of resources when one person can no longer provide the necessary resources for the project to continue. When companies such as WC sponsor a project, they provide stability to the project that allows it to weather the storm a bit better. Also, there have been projects that need to be done that WC has provided 'incentives' for people to get done. So, when you say things like "I'm going to save $20 by buying a cheaper CD" you are effectively making the statement that the process of making a better product isn't worth anything to you. When you buy from WC, a portion (??) of that money will be re-invested back into FreeBSD, thus making the next release a better product. The way FreeBSD is released *ANYONE* is free to do with is as they wish, and it's going to stay that way. BUT, IF you are going to spend some money on a distribution, I'd like to see that money benefit FreeBSD, and at this time WC is doing more than anyone else aside from the individual developers. (Heck, send them money if they'll accept it.) Note, I don't work for WC, nor do I plan on it anytime in the near future, so obviously I don't speak for them. I'm just one guy who wants to see FreeBSD succeed, and I've seen WC do some very good things for the FreeBSD project. Finally, this is NOT intended as a slam on any of the other CD places. They have their place in the market, and if you can't afford WC's price I'd rather see you get FreeBSD any way you can, so buy it from them or download it, or get a copy from a friend, or buy a tape of it, but just get it. :-) Nate -- nate@FreeBSD.org | FreeBSD core member and all around tech. nate@schizo.coe.montana.edu | weenie. work #: (406) 994-5980 | Got lots of offers for work, now I need to home #: (406) 586-0579 | decide which job to take. :)