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VA on Upside
wendell wrote in to send
us an interesting little article
about VA Linux Systems
and how the Linux companies are hiring major free software
developers.
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Read Geoffry Moore's book "Inside
...).
...
the Tornando", a Silicon Valley
staple. According to Geoffry, when
a market (in this case, the Linux
white-box market) reaches the
hypergrowth stage (the Tornado),
the most important thing is to add
as many new customers as quickly as
you can.
Even if you piss off 1 of 3 buyers in
the process, because you don't have
enough resources to make every customer
happy, its OK, because the two happy
customers have been "acquired" not for
one sale, but for possibly hundreds over
their lifetime.
Quality products and services come later --
once the growth tapers off. It has to
come soon enough so that all your
acquired customers don't get pissed off
and leave too.
Case study here is DBMS -- Oracle locked
in lots of customers and treated them
really badly in the process when the
DBMS Tornado happened. Some of their
competitors slowed down sales in order
to treat each customer better. Those
competitors are all dead and dying
(this was when IBM was mainframe only
and Microsoft wasn't a DB company
All I'm saying is, your experience is more
a byproduct of the hypergrowth than of VA
(or any of its competitors) being shoddy or
evil
Basically they know we give a fuck. Nice choice of words. Very professional image.
Your password has expired, please login to change it.
I talked to a VA salesman, formerly of Corel, who had sold us many Netwinders, and he told me about all the top engineers (San Mehat eg) from Corel who jumped to VA. He mentioned some secret hires, notably "a prominent Australian Linux guru", nuff said.
They like VA. So do I, especially when they get some laptops!
ira
This is off-topic except that it is related to this entire thread. As I write this, 1/3 of the comments have been down-graded to -1. Okay, some of these deserve it. And I suspect that this one may too fade away into obscurity.
/. for a while and I have enjoyed Holve's comments, especially those related to SGI (I use a SGI). He is not one to troll.
However, Mike Holve's posts concerning the late/absent delivery of equipment that he ordered from VA is not flame-bait. His tone could have been nicer, but he seems to have a legitimate complaint. A company can hire all the great programmers in the world, but if they neglect the customer, they will ultimately lose. This point is important! Fortunately, Chris D. has responded to Holve's in a very nice manner.
I been a reader at
One of the things we faced in growing was that people who were experts in manufacturing or such were perhaps not from the linux community, so we have had to have them drink our brand of kool aid.
A couple of them didn't get it at first, but they came around. It has been important to VA that as we grow that we hire a ton of linux people to keep the balance even, and we feel that we've done a great job.
Chris
--
Grant Chair, Linux Int.
VP, SVLUG
Co-Editor, Open Sources
Open Source Program Manager, Google, Inc.
Freaky. Look at the eyes! Actually, it's that the image was quashed down into a tiny color pallette with no dithering enabled.
This is what I think the scores should be:
-1: Totally inappropriate flamebait and useless crap. If it may be useful to someone give it a 0
0: Comments may be useful to some people but aren't exactly groundbreaking and relavant.
1: The vast majority of comments
2+: Comments that stand out from the crowd.
What I think has happened with the new system. Moderators now get a pull down menu and they then rate comments based on their view of them (flamebait, troll, insightful, etc) meaning that minor flamebait may quickly be moved down to -1 while only a slightly interesting article may make it up to 5 quickly when it deserved a 2.
TAKE NOTE: moderators please check the current score before moderating a post. If you agree the score is correct then *don't* select a moderation option as this will then alter the score either up or down depending on what you slect. I preferred the old method as it was clear that you were adding or deducting points from people this method just looks like a rating system by the people who don't check up on it.
--
A nice article overall... I just have some comments on Corporations...
I like the idea that all these powerplayers are getting totally immersed in linux development. That can only serve to better the community. However, I think these companies need to make sure that their employees work well together as a team. I don't think there needs to be a distinction between team players and superstars. A person can be both.
Also, I'm a tad bit skeptical on having total linux development go into the hands of a corporation. I suppose I'm a bit of a Stallmanist. I feel that Linux definately needs to remain a community oriented project. So far it's going well. But as we dawn a new era of Linux development, I feel it's key to remain non-corporate.
-----
"Be kind to your local milkman... you have his eyes." -Mother
That should NOT have been moderated down.
> Thats not saying that you can NOT pay a hacker a good salary though;
Well, you can't. You can probably make a reasonable wage working for VA, or Red Hat, but you'll always be able to get more money elsewhere. In the big corporate world, a good programmer will get six digits a year easily. Well into six digits.
> just that it's not the most important thing.
Yes, but money talks, and it what puts the food on the table. Until open source jobs pay the same as the rest of the industry, I'll just have to make do with hacking for a couple of hours each week. I would certainly jump at the chance to work on open source projects - Linux mainly. But, that's not going to happen, at least with the way things are right now.
The geeks have fun, some of the old-time VA guys are a bit miffed about all the Linux newbies, former executives from Sun & Apple & etc., taking all the plum positions, but in general things are as usual in the Silicon Valley -- lots of fun, lots of work, lots of things getting done. Expect more good things out of VA Linux Systems in the future. They'll never be competitive with Dell/Gateway/etc. because expenses are too high in the Valley and there is too much price competition in the hardware business, but at the high end they still have a chance if they grasp it and run with it. Which undoubtedly they plan to do.
Value Added.
When you buy a VA machine, you know you're getting components that run well with Linux (as vs. components that run well with NT, that might run crappy with Linux -- like the Dell that MindCraft used to out-benchmark Linux), and you know that you have access to big-name talent if you run into driver problems or something else of that nature. If you buy a Dell... well, Dell knows NT, but Dell doesn't know Linux.
This isn't enough to make VA a compelling buy at the low end, but for people wanting mission-critical Linux servers, they want to buy those from a company that has Linux expertise, not from Joe's Screwdriver Shop or Dell NT Systems.
Note: I don't work for VA or any Linux hardware vendor, and have no reason to hype VA (I'm now working for a software vendor as a database programmer and system administrator, my true love). That doesn't change the "facts on the ground", which is that when people want mission-critical Linux servers, they don't buy them from Bob's Screwdriver Shop.
Send mail here if you want to reach me.
are we seeing the first wave of oss devotees being hired by l*nux related companies? what a great irony, programers willing to do programming for free being employed.
peterrenshaw ~ Another Scrappy Startup
I left Digital Domain because I had the opportunity to do good work for Linux on something I cared about (3D support). That was my motivation.
I did my job hunting at Linux World. I picked a few key people and companies that I wanted to talk to and mentioned that I was thinking of moving on. The response I got was extremely positive.
I knew I could have my pick, so I took my time and decided what was important to me. I wasn't concerned about the money. I knew all the companies would offer me "enough." I was looking for where I could do the most good, and have the most fun doing it.
For what I wanted to do Precision Insight had the right mix. I get to work from home. They are leading the charge in 3D. It's a great group of people that would have been difficult to assemble in one place.
So, I'm very pleased with how it all worked out. I get what I want and Linux moves forward in the process.
- |Daryll
The word of mouth that matters during
:-),
the Tornado isn't "VA Research handled
my order well" vs. "I'm pissed off because
they screwed up my order."
It's "they've grown 6 fold in the last
year, and when the dust settles they
will be the gorilla. If we buy 100 rack
mounted servers from some other company
instead (let's call it Ingres-box
we're going to have a real service and
support problem when VA becomes the
gorilla and Ingres-box becomes a chimp."
"Even if in the short term, it seems
like we're getting better service
from Ingres-box, in the long run it will
cost us more."
That's the kind of logic that drives a
big purchase from a corporate IT dept.
Scary indeed .. Are you sure he's not an anamatronic or summat? :)
Pasty plastic skin too as well as glass-marble eyes.
Interesting to know what he thought of the photo/pic too.
Delphis
So listen up, if you really are a part of the 'Linux Revolution,' put aside the ego and the petty jealousy and take a civil tone when you write, especially if you are mad about something. A calm tone will get you much further than the cleverest irate rant will.
And writing better code will take you further than that.
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
jobs@va...
i think thats the default on the jobs page..basically i just clicked on it, wrote a brief note and stuck my CV as an ASCII attachment.
Try to buy a RAID system for linux from dell or compaq -- can't be done.
There still isn't enough of a margin to finance any more than the most basic kernel and desktop development because these are what bring in the revenue for a company like VAResearch. People don't buy VAResearch systems because it comes with a word processor. They buy VAResearch systems because of the low level kernel drivers and desktop managers built into it which they add applications to from someone else.
I've been waiting on a machine for about five weeks now. Gotten one excuse after another. I've had it with them, and will *never* order anything from them again. Stay tuned for a full review on the site (Everything Linux).
Matter of fact, the fourth or fifth "delivery date" (the latest one) was supposed to be today. It's after 5pm. I don't have my machine. AGAIN.
Have NONE of the moderators EVER watched star trek?
Matter of fact, the fourth or fifth "delivery date" (the latest one) was supposed to be today. It's after 5pm. I don't have my machine. AGAIN.
Okay, so Larry's eyes look super freaky in that picture in upside, he's actually quite normal looking. I assure you. Repeat after me: VA is not an organization run by aliens. One of us...One of us...
--
Grant Chair, Linux Int.
VP, SVLUG
Co-Editor, Open Sources
Open Source Program Manager, Google, Inc.
What, does that above comment really deserve a -1? Once again, get real.
Ummm, moderator, I beleive this was a JOKE! Notice the :P at the end of his post. I'm not going to explain what :P means, because as a moderator, you should damn well already know.
Posted by FascDot Killed My Previous Use:
I'm not getting your cryptic reference. Who is "a prominent Australian Linux guru"?
--
"Please remember that how you say something is often more important than what you say." - Rob Malda
Chris DiBona
--
Grant Chair, Linux Int.
VP, SVLUG
Co-Editor, Open Sources
Open Source Program Manager, Google, Inc.
(+1, ontopic). Subject sez all...
What is the difference between VA and the thousands of computer assemblers all over the US. Anyone would rather buy a DELL or a SGA machine over something from VA
Chris DiBona
VA Linux Systems
--
Grant Chair, Linux Int.
VP, SVLUG
Co-Editor, Open Sources
Open Source Program Manager, Google, Inc.
Honestly, I think the article has a few flaws in that analogy...
To be successful in the Open Source community means you have to be a team player, IMHO. These people are probably as much superstars because they're great team players as they are because they're *damn good* at what they do. I'm sure MS has some really smart people - It just seems that no one there is very much of a team player, which is probably partly a function of their corporate environment, which seems to be driven by $$$ not only on a corporate level, but on and individual employee level, too.
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
"if money is seen as a reason for doing something, that task will suddenly become less interesting to do...it's not the most important thing."
Haven't you ever even thought about it? Getting paid ridiculous sums of money to persue your hobby in a professional environment where you have the budget for and access to equipment a hobbyist can only dream of? Maybe I'm just not a true hacker. But if being a hacker means doing what I do now and maybe not getting paid for it, you can have it. I'll stick to my business contracts and $130k annual income thank you.
I know I've posted this before, but you really should check out ``Studies Find Reward Often No Motivator''.
One of the conclusions of that article is that if money is seen as a reason for doing something, that task will suddenly become less interesting to do. I can't even remember the last time I did something for money; it's just too hard a struggle to become motivated to do something that doesn't interest you, even if the reward is money so you can live for another year.
Thats not saying that you can NOT pay a hacker a good salary though; just that it's not the most important thing. When it comes to money, the importance is that you get enough money so that you can pay your rent, food and buy some interesting toys to play with on your spare time (if you have any). Once that goal is reached, the next issue is about what kind of tasks that the work would involve. I tend to think that hackers are more agressive in this area because many of them often have a very well laid out idea of what they want to do and they'd rather be unemployed than be forced to go out of their way to fit into the company.
Hackers are an easy prey. If someone came to me and asked me if I'd like to for VA, I'm pretty sure I'd jump on that train. The reasons should be obvious; these companies create an athmosphere much like that of the Homebrew Computer Club and other similar organisations, such as all local Linux-based clubs. Being in such an athmosphere is in itself very motivating and interesting and I'd recommend it to anyone out there who gets the chance.
"Some of the hobby-related things don't get done as much as they used to," he says. "I don't spend as much time modifying my home system as I used to. Then again, I also get to play with a lot more expensive toys than when I was doing this as a hobby."
It's all about cool toys...
I think it's great that hackers are getting paid to do what they love. Another post mentioned that all the stuff they develop is licensed under GPL, BSD, etc, and released back into the community. So what you get is the badasses working full-time to make things better and everyone benefits. I think this is a good example of how an "open source business model" works. More on the side of how the model can work for the workers, not necesarrily the stockholders. It's worth enough to companies to keep developement going that they hire what are basically community programmers (not programming for the company, but for the community at large). It's also been (being) shown that a well-developed and supported BRAND NAME is worth investing in. And how is a brand supported...SERVICE. You reach a point, because of the minor cost of the product itself, that a large percentage of revenue is directed at the one thing that sets you apart from the competition..service.
Or maybe marketing, we'll have to wait and see
(although I think more people are realizing that being told what a great OS you have is not necessarily reflective how great your OS is)
+&x
done! lets hope it gets through.
-Ys-
Who'd you send it to?
--
Grant Chair, Linux Int.
VP, SVLUG
Co-Editor, Open Sources
Open Source Program Manager, Google, Inc.
Chris D. isn't a problem. The fact that every major executive at VA Research except for Larry is a Sun or Apple alumnus may be. Neither company has a sterling reputation for open source.
Pulling in the outsiders may be necessary to get the venture capital, but one hopes Larry retains enough control to keep VA open.
What kind of a work atmosphere is it there -- do you just give them a desk and whopping good PC and let 'em go totally unguided :-), or do you have a few specific goals, or ...
Just curiousity.
--
Infuriate left and right
chris@valinux.com Chris DiBona
VA Linux Systems
--
Grant Chair, Linux Int.
VP, SVLUG
Co-Editor, Open Sources
Open Source Program Manager, Google, Inc.