From: rahayden@news.weeg.uiowa.edu (R Andrew Hayden) Subject: Re: A New Linux Foundation Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1993 14:33:04 GMT
papresco@napier.uwaterloo.ca (Paul Prescod) writes:
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>2.What would the Linux Foundation do?
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>What it WOULD do:
>Anything else that would promote Linux.
>Some *POSSIBLE* ideas: organize databases of Linux developers, fund raise,
> develop pamphlets and marketing ideas, keep a
>database of current projects, promote corporate use of Linux etc. etc.
Here are some thoughts:
A) Maintain a database of "registered users". These are simply normal
linux users and developers who have supplied their internet and snail
addresses to the foundation. This database is available to individual and
corporate developers as an avenue of advertisement. Perhaps this list
could be either sold (with restrictions that it is in-house use only) or the
foundation could forward NET.advertisements for a small fee ($1 for GNU, $5
for shareware, $10 for commercial, for example).
B) Maintain a list of all "works in progress" along with their current
status (alpha, BETA, etc) along with their software type (GNU, shareware,
commercial-ware). This will allow users and developers to know what is
coming soon so that either they don't waste energy duplicating other
efforts or so that they can use anticipated new products as a springboard
for their own developments.
C) Maintain a list of all Linux available GNUware and Shareware along
with FTP sites to retrieve them. This list would be kept up to date so
that only the most current release is listed. It should also include a
short, up to 4 line, description of what the program actually does. This
file can become quite long (obviously) and should probably be broken up by
program type from the git-go.
D) Market the hell out of linux. Once 1.0 becomes a reality, Linux
should be pushed as much as possible on the net and in the real world as
an alternative to DOS/Windows, Windows NT, and OS/2. This could be
initially pushed through press releases to various PC and UNIX magazines.
This could lead to articles (which is, of course, the best advertising
there is. Just look at all the free ad space that Windows gets through
articles).
E) Encourage commercial software developers to write Linux software.
Obviously it is best to wait for 1.0 so that they would all have a commom
programming platform, but copies of Linux could be supplied to various
companies that would be interested in developing. Numbers garnered from
the "registered users list" could be used as a basis for the size of the
Linux population.
F) Conduct polls via the registered list of what future enhancements are
required and desired and pass those on to a list of registered developers
(both commercial and GNU/Shareware).
G) *possibly*, as a money-making idea, allow Linux programs to be
"registered" with the foundation. For, let's say, $5 or something, a
program could be placed on a list of "Foundation Select". Once placed on
this list, this program has the right to use this status as a marketing
device. Of course, any program, in addition to paying the required fee,
must be evaluated by several users to determine if it is "good" enough to
get the "Foundation Stamp". Those programs that don't get stamped, of
course, don't have to pay either. This is geared not so much towards GNU
developers, but more towards commercial and shareware writers. Face it,
having "Approved by the Linux Foundation" on the box becomes a selling point.
Comments :)
-- [> Robert Hayden <][> ____ <] Black Holes result from [> <][> \ /__ <] God dividing the universe [> rahayden@umaxc.weeg.uiowa.edu <][> \/ / <] by zero. [> aq650@slc4.INS.CWRU.Edu <][> \/ <] # include disclaimer.h