The game Hattrick (www.hattrick.ws) is a free game where you could "support" the game by buying a little extra statistics and the ability to monitor other teams. It won't give you any advantages, but it's a way to show that you enjoy the game and want to support it.
Couldn't a similar model work for sf.net? I know I would pay a (modest) fee for the great service they provide.
That being said, I think that taking someones contributed code and put it into your own propriatary version and sell it is not very nice. It's profiting on someone elses work.
Hi.
I honestly don't think you suck at support and consultancy.
If you've written the software then you are more than qualified to answer questions about it, right.
And when someone who use the software wants it modified a bit, who should they call? You!
That's where you get money.
And besides, if you are a good developer then you can probably modify other OpenSource products too, with minimal effort.
You will get the money, you just won't get the money from selling the software.
I believe that one of the resons why MS-Windows is so widely used is that it's a decent gaming platform.
(Yeah, I know what you're going to say, it suxx...yadda yadda) The fact's still there. You buy a PC and mommy and daddy can do grown up stuff with it like paying bills and the kids can use it for gaming.
If you can put games on Linux (a lot) then a few more might switch.
"Hey, it does all that Windows does, Office, Internet and everything. And there's even games. Wohoo"
Support Loki, buy the game if you're even remotly interested in playing it. Prove that there is money in games for Linux. Prove that it's worthwile to invest in Linux and that it's not an "Unamerican" Hippie OS.
Ok, so it really doesn't have a plot.
And it's graphics suck.
But DAMN that's a fun game. A bunch of semiold players (semiclue++) telling all new players to go to hell and evict them from the game if at all possible. And a bunch of old players who don't really care.
My gf has to pull me out of the appartement by the ear to get me away from that game. Too bad the playerbase is getting smaller by the day.
I really have to agree with one of the first sentences of this article:
"Microsoft is trying to reduce diversity in computing. Java is one way to maintain the little that's left, and maybe grow it."
I know it's good business for MS to lock the users into whatever MS wants them to run, and I'm sure any company would do this, given a chance.
I really REALLY hope that both US and EU sides with the little guy (and I mean users, not SUN) to make sure we have a choice in the future too.
And no, there are no real alternatives to Windows on the desktop, not yet, not for the average user.
(No, I'm not trolling, I'm just observing people around me)
Here in Sweden we actually have laws to make sure you CAN keep a copy of whatever product you bought.
Key word here is "bought".
(Am I spelling this right?)
I might be off the deep end here, but it seems like European customers has a little more "rights" against companies than the average US'ian.
I seem to remember that some years ago SGI said that they wouldn't continue developing IRIX and that they would move away from MIPS technology.
Not surpriningly most managers who heard this backed away from a high price investment in SGI-machines. Why wouldn't they? Who in their right mind would spend a whole lot of money on a product which the company doesn't even believe in itself?
Also they lost a few good people from MIPS-tech when they claimed to move away from that architecture.
SGI is just picking up speed again with their new processors, 500MHz I believe are the latest.
The manager who said all these things "No MIPS, no IRIX" went over to become manager for Microsoft. I wonder if he'll do the same there? "No Windows, no x86, no.NET".
I'd also hate to see SGI go, but I wouldn't count them out just yet. They have a good technical solution and could make it, with enough good press. They are, after all, _outstanding_ when it comes to high-performance-computing.
Here a vendor is obligated to take back (refund) any device that fails. They give some kind of guarantee, most of the time it's about 1 year, but law actually regulates this to 2 years. Most ppl don't know this. After the first year you have to prove you haven't caused the malfunction yourself though.
My company spends about $4000/employee/year. We're a rather small consulting company. They seem to think that this is nessecary to keep our skills up to date so that we can be "sold" to those who need them.
These $4k are we free to spend as we see fit (as long as it has some relevance to what we do for a living) and should we need specific knowledge for a task we get extra funding for this.
I think that this is one of the best ways to keep your employees happy.
<management mode> It's a win-win situation. </management mode>
You increse the value of your employees and keep them happy at the same time.
I'm not a lawyer so I don't know how this would be seen but let's make a real world analogy.
Say that I run a "service" that would allow users anonymously to leave contents at my firm, wrapped so I wouldn't know what it was (perhaps pictures of said 8-year-old) where others could pick this up, again anonymously.
Would that be illegal?
Then I could extend the service a bit more and start a few more offices and transfer packages between them if the customer wanted to.
Perhaps even distribute this package to end users.
Somehow it feels like someone has had this idea before....
There has been quite a lot of talking about mp3 here. The napster-trial is on the news and most record-companies here are screaming bloody murder about the net-distribution of music.
The most interesting point as I see it was a Recordlabel CEO that pointed out that what the recording industry was most afraid of was what he called "The lost generation" meaning that there is quite a large group of young kids who think that music is free. Us older geezers are used to paying for our music and use mp3 mostly for screening what we like and whats worth buying. The young don't have this behaviour and that could become a great problem for the industry.
So a lot of programs on radio and TV discuss this topic and so far noone has a solution.
/OSH
Swedish government has finally figured out that the "opt-out" scheme for spam is worthless. It's better than never I suppose.
You are joking, right? What about personal privacy? What about buissness secrets?
If this is allowed, why don't we just install video-cameras in all houses to make damn sure noone is breaking any laws there, heck why don't we put people in jail to make SURE they don't commit any crimes.
*I know I shouldn't bite on troll posts, I just can't help myself.*
Slashdot Mirror
The game Hattrick (www.hattrick.ws) is a free game where you could "support" the game by buying a little extra statistics and the ability to monitor other teams. It won't give you any advantages, but it's a way to show that you enjoy the game and want to support it.
Couldn't a similar model work for sf.net? I know I would pay a (modest) fee for the great service they provide.
That being said, I think that taking someones contributed code and put it into your own propriatary version and sell it is not very nice. It's profiting on someone elses work.
Haeger
Hi.
I honestly don't think you suck at support and consultancy.
If you've written the software then you are more than qualified to answer questions about it, right.
And when someone who use the software wants it modified a bit, who should they call? You!
That's where you get money.
And besides, if you are a good developer then you can probably modify other OpenSource products too, with minimal effort.
You will get the money, you just won't get the money from selling the software.
Regards
//Haeger
I believe that one of the resons why MS-Windows is so widely used is that it's a decent gaming platform.
(Yeah, I know what you're going to say, it suxx...yadda yadda) The fact's still there. You buy a PC and mommy and daddy can do grown up stuff with it like paying bills and the kids can use it for gaming.
If you can put games on Linux (a lot) then a few more might switch.
"Hey, it does all that Windows does, Office, Internet and everything. And there's even games. Wohoo"
Support Loki, buy the game if you're even remotly interested in playing it. Prove that there is money in games for Linux. Prove that it's worthwile to invest in Linux and that it's not an "Unamerican" Hippie OS.
But then again, what the hell do I know?
//H
You're right. There is nothing we can do to/with congressmen or lobby organisations that will change Microsofts monopoly.
There is one thing to do, but that's been said so many times on slashdot that I won't even repeat it.
You have cold dead fingers?
You probably should go see a doctor!
The problem with monopolies is that you actually HAVE to use them. There are no alternatives.
But this is getting old, and so am I.
Ok, so it really doesn't have a plot.
And it's graphics suck.
But DAMN that's a fun game. A bunch of semiold players (semiclue++) telling all new players to go to hell and evict them from the game if at all possible. And a bunch of old players who don't really care.
My gf has to pull me out of the appartement by the ear to get me away from that game. Too bad the playerbase is getting smaller by the day.
"Rc++ @ Ald!!!!"
Perhaps this proest will make Adobe split up their company?
Just trying to be funny.
But seriously, don't OpenSource come with a spelcheck?
And now I'm just trolling. Damn. It's too late for intelligent posts... *sigh*
I really have to agree with one of the first sentences of this article:
"Microsoft is trying to reduce diversity in computing. Java is one way to maintain the little that's left, and maybe grow it."
I know it's good business for MS to lock the users into whatever MS wants them to run, and I'm sure any company would do this, given a chance.
I really REALLY hope that both US and EU sides with the little guy (and I mean users, not SUN) to make sure we have a choice in the future too.
And no, there are no real alternatives to Windows on the desktop, not yet, not for the average user.
(No, I'm not trolling, I'm just observing people around me)
"I've left that out to make it harder for script kiddies"
... wrong.... ... HEAD"
As if the script-kiddies would know what to do with that string.
The whole thing is availible on bugtraq anyway and if they are scriptkiddies they've seen everything they need there about 2 days ago.
"I can think on my feet you... you...
Here in Sweden we actually have laws to make sure you CAN keep a copy of whatever product you bought.
Key word here is "bought".
(Am I spelling this right?)
I might be off the deep end here, but it seems like European customers has a little more "rights" against companies than the average US'ian.
Slashdot has been around for quite some time I reckon?
"Easy does it!
This comment has been submitted already, 276534 hours , 42 minutes ago. No need to try again."
Ahh, I remember the good old days, when we carved our posts into stone and sent them via Dinosaur-mail to the moderators.
I seem to remember that some years ago SGI said that they wouldn't continue developing IRIX and that they would move away from MIPS technology.
.NET".
Not surpriningly most managers who heard this backed away from a high price investment in SGI-machines. Why wouldn't they? Who in their right mind would spend a whole lot of money on a product which the company doesn't even believe in itself?
Also they lost a few good people from MIPS-tech when they claimed to move away from that architecture.
SGI is just picking up speed again with their new processors, 500MHz I believe are the latest.
The manager who said all these things "No MIPS, no IRIX" went over to become manager for Microsoft. I wonder if he'll do the same there? "No Windows, no x86, no
I'd also hate to see SGI go, but I wouldn't count them out just yet. They have a good technical solution and could make it, with enough good press. They are, after all, _outstanding_ when it comes to high-performance-computing.
Here a vendor is obligated to take back (refund) any device that fails. They give some kind of guarantee, most of the time it's about 1 year, but law actually regulates this to 2 years. Most ppl don't know this. After the first year you have to prove you haven't caused the malfunction yourself though.
//H
My company spends about $4000/employee/year. We're a rather small consulting company. They seem to think that this is nessecary to keep our skills up to date so that we can be "sold" to those who need them.
These $4k are we free to spend as we see fit (as long as it has some relevance to what we do for a living) and should we need specific knowledge for a task we get extra funding for this.
I think that this is one of the best ways to keep your employees happy.
<management mode> It's a win-win situation. </management mode>
You increse the value of your employees and keep them happy at the same time.
I'm not a lawyer so I don't know how this would be seen but let's make a real world analogy. Say that I run a "service" that would allow users anonymously to leave contents at my firm, wrapped so I wouldn't know what it was (perhaps pictures of said 8-year-old) where others could pick this up, again anonymously.
Would that be illegal?
Then I could extend the service a bit more and start a few more offices and transfer packages between them if the customer wanted to. Perhaps even distribute this package to end users.
Somehow it feels like someone has had this idea before....
...going to say something about this but I don't remember what.
//OSH
A life is only for those who don't understand netrek.
There has been quite a lot of talking about mp3 here. The napster-trial is on the news and most record-companies here are screaming bloody murder about the net-distribution of music.
The most interesting point as I see it was a Recordlabel CEO that pointed out that what the recording industry was most afraid of was what he called "The lost generation" meaning that there is quite a large group of young kids who think that music is free. Us older geezers are used to paying for our music and use mp3 mostly for screening what we like and whats worth buying. The young don't have this behaviour and that could become a great problem for the industry.
So a lot of programs on radio and TV discuss this topic and so far noone has a solution.
/OSH
Swedish government has finally figured out that the "opt-out" scheme for spam is worthless. It's better than never I suppose.
You are joking, right?
What about personal privacy? What about buissness secrets?
If this is allowed, why don't we just install video-cameras in all houses to make damn sure noone is breaking any laws there, heck why don't we put people in jail to make SURE they don't commit any crimes.
*I know I shouldn't bite on troll posts, I just can't help myself.*
//Somewhat anonymous coward.