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Red Hat Reports (tiny) Loss, Revenue Slip
Futurepower(tm) was one of the first to write with the news Red Hat reports loss, revenue slips, via Infoworld. Szulik ? is right in his statement that compared to what's going on in the overall technology segment, RH is doing a good job.
They are giving a good name to Linux in a few ways. If we didnt have them, linux would still be here (even for the better some might say) but I am sure that it would take people some time to adjust. They need something to hold onto in their head as a sign of quality. Colors and shapes comprise good names, just like a logo that can be drawn in the sand is constant reminder of how it (a company name) sticks with us. Redhat might not be the best (or perhaps you think they are) but they are doing something with Gnu/Linux that might have taken years to do. Thank them for that.
"Not my manner of thinking but the manner of thinking of others has been the source of my unhappiness." - M
Before getting carried away:
Red Hat's second-quarter net loss was $55.3 million, on revenues of $21 million.
Granted, they've got PR speak down, and slashdot falls over itself reporting these "breakevens". But they've systematically excluded items in almost every quarter they have reported results, and the number slashdot reports are pretty bogus. Most other sites AT LEAST report generally accepted number (GAAP) along with the PR numbers which exclude all losses.
So let's hope they do well, but please for the love of god lets stick to numbers that are not simply pulled from a hat. And despite what folks like to say about how this gives insight into their business, these numbers are by and large bogus.
I feel really uncomfortable when people wonder whether open source software can have a profitable business model.
My company makes plenty of money by supporting the computer operations of businesses. My company provides the software at cost, without profit. The cost of the software is small compared to the support costs for training, hardware and software glitches, and specialized programs.
Open source software is more reliable, but support is still needed.
Red Hat, and other companies that provide support for open source software, are unbelieveably terrible at marketing. They just have no clue. That's part of the reason they have trouble making money.
If Microsoft were as bad as Red Hat at marketing, Microsoft would still be trying to sell Microsoft Basic. What's worse, Red Hat is better than most of the others at marketing.
When I look at most open source projects, I can't even understand the home page! Even the home pages are written with the idea that you work on the project, so you already know everything.
If you have a project involving GNU/free software, and need help with communicating to your prospective users, I may be able to help, as a volunteer. Send me email. Even when software is free, there is still a need for marketing communication.
Want to understand the situation in the middle east? Read What Should be the Response to Violence? . Most important lesson? Understanding the corruption in the secret agencies of the U.S. government. They have a conflict of interest; they are supposed to help prevent trouble, but they get more money if there is more trouble.
Bush's education improvements were