[Sussex] Giving something back

[Steve Dobson]

Geoff/Nik

Were I snip I agree.

On 06 November 2002 at 00:39 Geoff wrote:
<snip>
> Large companies horde wealth and eventually lead to fewer 
> people making a living.  This country will be economically 
> better off with twenty thousand small LINUX consultancies 
> than it would be with a few huge companies doing the same 
> job.  If these companies support open software (by giving 
> back rather than just using) they can ensure a market for 
> themselves in the future.  If, however, these companies 
> battle it out by extending their offerings with proprietary 
> code then eventually a few big players will come to dominate 
> the market and we'll be right back where we started from.

I think you're missing a big part of this process.  Big 
companies can lobby Parlement to pass laws in their favour.

But we as voters have a bigger power (on mass) we vote the
PMs into the house!  But do we do anything on mass?  Rally?
Write Letters? No!!!!!
<snip>

> > Long term aim of my involvement in Actus is to push 
> Opensource into Health and
> > Education and SMEs. Meanwhile ive managed to encourage and 
> move well over 60
> > sites to linux. Yes I am going to take on Microsoft and yes 
> I am going to move
> > them out of the south. thats my aim. 
> > 
> > now I understand many on this list and off call me unreal 
> and a dreamer
> > usually theie the ones who never get off the couch to get 
> the TV remote cause
> > theyd rather wait for something better to come along.
> 
> :)  I think the figures speak for themselves...

And I for one thing that you have an idea that will work, and 
provide a living.  I would like to follow you're lead, or jump
on your wagon.

> > So Im gonna get up and make a choice. If I make it loud and 
> clear and
> > effective having converted customers ( old ones like Reeves 
> independent
> > options ) to new ones like Maverick Media ( who watches the 
> Sci-fi channel ).
> > True im not doing work on the Kernel, Apps or Utils and I 
> make occasional
> > contributions to IPCOP and PHPGroupware/Helpdesk as well as 
> Docs. But I am
> > making it clear that this can be done.

But as the busness grows so you will be able to support developer
in those areas where it make sence.  Did RedHat start with a pool
of developers, or did they get them to add "power" to their sales.
"Look at use we have this may Linux Kernel Hackers!!!!"

> Yes, and you're making a contribution.  What we need, 
> however, is big companies supporting open source development 
> - achieveing their goals through the community and enriching 
> the shared toolset.  I have on several occasions developed 
> bespoke software which had no competitve or saleable value to 
> the company commisioning it, but which could benefit the 
> community as a whole and could have been acieved more 
> quickly, easily and effectively with community involvement.  
> These things are win/win.  American universities and industry 
> seen to be able to do it.  People involved in the W3C 
> generally can do it.  Large asian companies can do it.  
> Several French, German, Danish and Dutch companies do it - 
> but I cannot name one major UK company who are prepared to do it.

See my other posting - but I think that number is a small 
number over all.

> 
> I should appologise that the original points weren't made 
> clearly - there was a stream of conciousness thing going on ;)
>  
> > I guess I might wonder Geoff whats your real question... 
> you prepared to take
> > some real risks and chance ? Get off the Couch , see if 
> theres something
> > better on the other side ??
> 
> Well, in short, yes.  Steve and I actually talked about 
> setting an operation like yours up - we even met to talk 
> about it just days before we met up for the last LUG meet.  
> That is why Steve and I were so interested in what you said 
> about Actus.  Partially Actus's existance gives me heart - it 
> tells me that it can be done - and succesfully to.  
> Unfortunately the other thing it gives me is instant, 
> established competition - something I wasn't counting, I mean 
> if there was a cool LINUX company in the area I'd know about 
> it right *doh*.

<snip>

Agreed.  I haven't done it up to now because of my dependence on
a regular salary.  That's a big risk, and I'm aware that there
are far more that fail than succeed.

> > Note: posted late at night, whilst working on compiling 
> stuff and copying
> > stuff and watching Pulp Fiction.
> 
> Note: posted late at night (00:37 ish) after a long nights 
> Ruby hacking to get a job done for FreeRIDE... INSIDE should 
> get a look in this weekend all things being equal.

You think your up late (just past 02:00).

Steve