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Linux Fund Loses MasterCard Funding Source
An anonymous reader writes "The Linux Fund was established in 1999 to provide grants to free and open source software projects from funds raised via a credit card featuring a picture of Tux, the Linux penguin. This credit card was offered through MBNA America Bank, which was purchased in 2006 by Bank of America. Last week, LinuxFund credit card holders received mail from Bank of America informing them that the LinuxFund card would be discontinued. Linux.com has a few details about the end of the credit card including statements from executive director David Mandel, assuring that the LinuxFund will look different but will continue. In the past, the LinuxFund provided one-time grants of $500-$1,000 USD to many projects including SDL, FilmGimp, Xiph.org Foundation, CrystalSpace, K12LTSP, and Kismet. The LinuxFund stagnated in 2003, and in 2005 it was revitalized by new leaders and by 2006 provided a stable $6,000 per year contribution to a number of larger projects including Wikipedia, Blender, Debian, Gentoo, and OpenSSH." Linux.com and Slashdot are both part of OSTG.
...why? Because the development of Linux up to this point, a point where Microsoft and other companies give it respect, has largely depended on volunteers. Linux will live on.
You can stop laughing now.
Fry tries to make a purchase in the future:
"Here's my Visa Card."
"Visa hasn't existed in over 400 years."
"Well, how about my MasterCard?"
"MasterCard hasn't existed in over 500 years."
"I have my Discover card."
(Pause) "Ooh, I'm sorry, we don't take Discover."
There's an Apple card, although it's not that distinctively Apple. NBC Universal/Sci-Fi has a Battlestar Galactica card, and there are the Yoda/Darth Vader cards. Anyone have any others?
So.. they made this decision right about the same time they decided to accounts and loans to illegal immigrants? Interesting...
Can you be Even More Awesome?!
In my experience, MBNA / Bank of America have not been that great for credit cards. I used to get a ton of crap from MBNA, and I can be pretty sure those people have infested BoA's credit division.
My best suggestion would be to work with HSBC. A properly set up programme with them would possibly enable same/similar card services globally. I've had no problems with HSBC's customer service, aside from the occasional glitch in a VoIP connection to a call centre.
Otherwise, I've had pretty good experience with GE Money Bank and Citibank (as far as credit cards go). Chase, though, I avoid like the plague. So, if LinuxFund gets a Chase card, well, forget me then.
Linux - because it doesn't leave that Steve Ballmer aftertaste.
I always liked the old LinuxFund's mission of giving many small grants to many small projects. Are there any other similar organizations that do that sort of thing? Google Summer of Code comes to mind, but that is limited to college students. There's always the Paypal links on project homepages or Sourceforge, but I wish there was something more visible.
LinuxFund's current "give a constant source of funding to some projects" is nice too, and donating to the LinuxFund will hopefully remain a convenient way to donate to a number of individual projects.
I am currently a LinuxFund card holder, and was disappointed when Bank of America bought out MBNA. I'll be switching to the card my credit union offers very soon.
I've had one of these for years. I work for Microsoft. It's mildly amusing to pay for stuff in the company store with the cards (though I probably wouldn't do that if Balmer or Gates was behind me in line, not that it's likely to happen...).
;-) )
(posting anonymoosely because, yes, I'm a coward...
Bank of America is is one of the worst commercial banks in the country, in my experience. Staying true to the OSS ideals, these guys really should look at getting a branded credit card from a non-profit credit union that serves its customers instead of the shareholders, anyway.
I don't respond to AC's.
I thoroughly hate credit cards and love OSS, seems to be a conflict of theories somewhere.
Under the influence of Post-Cyberpunk Gonzo Journalism
Deleted
And yet another example of how shitty BoA really is. If they're not finding ways to fuck their customers with fee's, they're finding ways to fuck over the community. Thanks a lot guys..
Perhaps it's time more OSS users show their appreciation by making donations. I definitely need to do this more. I imagine more generous donors also gain some clout for getting obscure bugs fixed or niche features added...
Prosperity is only an instrument to be used, not a deity to be worshipped. Calvin Coolidge
I too got one of these letters, and was disappointed that the Linux Fund program was dropped and converted to their lame "World Points" card. I've had 2 specialty cards that were previously MBNA (AOPA and Linux Fund), and both were changed somewhat with the BofA purchase. The AOPA card went from FBO rebates to double points @ FBO's, and now Linux Fund Card isn't supporting Linux and other F/OSS projects. Fortunately, for now, I still enjoy a 7.9% rate on the card which is the only reason I haven't canceled it (that and I enjoy the occasional remark on the Penguin logo on the card). When the card expires, I'll probably cancel it as there's no additional benefit and I hate the idea of letting BofA make money off of me.
If (or I should say when) BofA changes that single lasting benefit of having one of the lowest non-promotional non annual fee consumer credit card rates around, I'll drop the card. In the mean time, I too look forward to a new Linux Fund (or similar) branded CC from someone else, provided it has reasonable terms and rates.
$ man woman *
-bash:
The credit union would get a new subscriber base, more accounts, and would be able to advertise
their advocacy of open source.
When they were bought, my interest rate went from a respectable 7.99% to 20%.
Why?
"It's an APR card, we can fuck around with it any way we want so long as we notify you in writing!"
I really doubt it made any significant contributions after the buyout. My card sits in a safe helping my credit rating while not seeing the light of day. They refused to lower the APR, so I simply stopped using it.
Nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Chase had a nasty habit of counting early payments as late for the previous billing cycle.
--
im not sure that would even be remotely legal if a payment was tendered for that month ie starting with a current account
pay in april for april
pay in april for may
pay in may for june
should get you some sort of reward not an extra fee
Any person using FTFY or editing my postings agrees to a US$50.00 charge
The Linux Mastercard was dead to me a long time ago, MBNA was a horrible bank to deal with. It's one thing to support a cause, it's another to pay retarded fees to a goddamned bank. I hate banks, and I especially hated MBNA so while I miss the cute penguin card, I was quite happy to terminate that account.
There are better ways to support free software than to partner with the devil. Hey why not strike a deal with Thailand where 5% of all prostitution income goes to the EFF ?
-Billco, Fnarg.com
What about a picture of said card??
Were that I say, pancakes?
"Nobody is "illegal", fascist."
I didn't write the laws. We either enforce the laws or change them, but not ignore them. 98% of all illegal entries into the USA are unprosecuted and mostly "catch and release". We are a nation of laws and "the useless laws weaken the necessary one."
The American Indians found out what happens when you don't control immigration. In any case, Yes, BOA is giving credit cards to people violating US law by being here illegally.
and promptly canceled the card.
Actually I haven't used the card in some time because the terms concerning late payments, etc changed radically about a year ago. I always pay my credit card bills in full every month and don't ever recall making a late payment, but they changed the terms so that past history of prompt payments made no difference. They decreased the time to make a payment and increased the late fee to something like $40.
Personally I think Linux cutting ties with a company that practices usury is a good thing.
"Yes, BOA is giving credit cards to people violating US law by being here illegally."
Thats better, its (in)action, not existence that is legal/illegal.
Bruce
Bruce Perens.
I've been a LinuxFund cardholder ever since it was first announced here on slashdot. I stuck with the card since the Bank of America/MBNA merger. I stuck with the card after it was announced that nobody had managed the LinuxFund's assets for almost 2 years.
Many of the other countless posts here add little to the conversation other than "MBNA/Bank of America sucks". The biggest question on my mind, and perhaps even other loyal cardholders is if another bank will be picking up the LinuxFund card? Personally, and I can only speak for myself, I've frequently used the card for both business and personal expenses over the years. I even nominated one of the groups who are currently receiving much needed financial support for development. I would rather "give" in this way, than trade this sort of community funding for George Forman grills, and $10 Applebees or Starbucks gift cards.
So is there any official word or news from the LinuxFund account managers?
/^([Ss]ame [Bb]at (time, |channel.)){2}$/
Lame.
We are talking about aliens who are not here legally. Hence they are not legal aliens. Their alien status is that of illegal, hence the term illegal aliens.
They are not illegal people, but as aliens, they are illegal.
Avoiding using legal terms and engaging in politically correct usages results in, what I find as somebody who is handicapped, or disabled, awfully insulting. Call me physically challenged to my face, and I'll be sure to show you what DOES work, as you fall on your ass.
Linux - because it doesn't leave that Steve Ballmer aftertaste.
About 20 years ago I had an account with BofA and they didn't seem so bad. Around that time they jacked up their fees on everything and changed their terms so as to make it much more likely to collect those fees. I left them pretty quickly. Since then they have bought a number of financial institutions I was using. Every time they have changed the terms and thoroughly destroyed good companies. It has happened again with MBNA. I just closed two credit cards I had with them. I find it hard to believe that anyone stays with them. There are so many better options. Anyone who is still doing business with BofA, I encourage you to make the effort to get out Now. Trust me, you will be much happier.
-Dan
I once had an ARRL MBNA card which suffered the same fate. MBNA seems to have perfected this marketing scam: They offer the cards with attractive terms which claim to benefit the named non-profit organization; then a year or two later they sever the ties with the organization but allow all the card holders to remain as customers (from which all fees and profits now go directly to MBNA).
I haven't had any dealings with them since I cancelled that card over 15 years ago.
What kind of reward?
It should get you less of a finance charge, but that's the only reward you should get for paying earlier.
500GB of disk, 5TB of transfer, $5.95/mo
I have a CC with my credit union. 12 & 1/2 percent APR.
May I respectfuly sugges that the Linux Foundation consider approaching credit unions with this
type of arrangement.
I think that many of us would be more comfortable with a separation between the Linux Fund and the large
CC issuers who are not allways the most Holy in their dealings.
Luv & Hugs
Cleara
"And by aliens, you mean people, right ?"
The term alien refers to a classification. Kinda like terrorist. Or missionary. Or student.
If one is forbidden by law from being in that status, then one is considered illegal in that class. Illegal terrorists may in their own country or others be considered legal. There are both legal and illegal missionaries in many countries worldwide. In some places in this world, being a student may well be illegal by ethnicity, religion, or gender.
Just because the term alien has been used more recently to refer to extraterrestrials, its original meaning as extranational or foreigner.
"Let me guess, you voted for bush."
But, really underlining the lack of any argument, you have chosen to attack my politics. Which means you didn't even both to click to my website to know who I am at all. In the last election I contributed money to the Kerry campaign, which, had Kerry been managed right, might well have won. Looking to the next election, right now I like both Obama and Edwards. Clinton is a panderer, but apparently that raises money, as we can see with Mitt Romney, whom, if the Republican candidate, will get to hear about flip-flopping candidates from Massachusetts.
But politics is another category. And real issues are not for cowards.
Linux - because it doesn't leave that Steve Ballmer aftertaste.
I'm sorry to hear that you've had a bad experience.
HSBC is not simply a British bank, no more than Citibank is an American bank. Both operate globally, and thus call centres may be located anywhere. Last time I checked, globally, collections people are often obnoxious and arrogant.
The way to get a corporation to stop calling is as follows (for future reference, and so you don't have to block numbers).
At this point, you now have sufficient documented ground for suing for harassment. Should a call happen again, contacting the headquarters of whatever company and notifying them that they have now entered into harassment and should consider that every time they contact hereafter is yet another instance and they are currently easily subject to a lawsuit, should end it. If not, go to court.
I work for a Fortune 500 company myself. The best part, in my experience, is the idiot who dials again and again, failing to understand that numbers were transposed. I have, on occasion, managed to look up the number for the person in question (realising that likelihood). When I get the right number, the calls stop, too.
Linux - because it doesn't leave that Steve Ballmer aftertaste.
Wrong. I've got one in my wallet right now, ant it is, in fact, a MasterCard.
Karma: Chameleon - mostly influenced by bad '80s New Wave music
Credit Union members are required to have a "common bond". I'm not sure if being a Linux/OSS user is sufficient. Also, the family of CU members are also usually eligible for membership.
This would be much better than the current program, since all of the profits of the "OSS Users Credit Union" could be designated for OSS projects, and a variety of credit cards could be issued with Tux Penguins, FreeBSD devils, etc.
Plus, this credit union would not be evil.
I volunteer to be the (paid) president of this credit union!
Is there a way to just donate money directly to
Linux Fund? I don't see it on their web site.
For all the bad flack I've heard about MBNA, my treatment from Linux Fund has been absolutely amazing, reflecting not one bit of MBNA's bad press. I have been more satisfied with the service and benefits of this card than any of my others (and there is a LONG list). This started as a 0% APR promotion, but after the promotion ended and I paid off my debt, I started using it as a real card ... I've used this card as my primary ever since, and now my APR is quite reasonably below prime and my available credit is enough to buy a car on. To top that off, I'm currently in a 1.99% APR promotional period.
I have been very very happy with this card ... and that's even ignoring the fact that my use of this card has helped F/OSS AND has been a part of the WorldPoints program (I'm almost qualified for a cheap vacation...). Naturally, when I saw the letter, I decided to keep my membership with the Linux Fund card as long as possible and then request transition to a different WorldPoints program in May. ... though the articles linked here seem to indicate that this won't help the Linux Fund charity any (is that even legal?).
There are other WorldPoints programs out there, but BofA doesn't list any of the cooler ones on their All Cards page. A quick search for worldpoints "bank of america" pulls up a very raw list showing that there are tons of them out there, though mostly for groups I am neither affiliated with nor care about (like the various alumni programs). The only promising one was their upcoming WorldPoints Rewards for the Environment card, which is slated for release later this year (I'm not sure if this will be before June).
To the Linux Fund folks: If you jump on the Mastercard/Visa bandwagon with another major bank, I will happily take up your new card. I wouldn't go with Chase, CapitalOne, or other bad-rep banks, but good bank with a Free Software fund would be my card of choice (and while rewards stuff is enticing, I operate under the assumption that it might get me some free stationary at some point).
Use my userscript to add story images to Slashdot. There's no going back.