On Mon, 10 Nov 2003, Charles Steinkuehler wrote:

> Apparently, no one runs any php/mysql websites on RedHat systems,

That's rich. ;)

> or maybe they just like alienating their customer base (they've sure been 
> annoying me!

I completely agree. I started using Linux in the early '90s back when 
Slackware was about the only thing available. I toyed with other distros when 
someone in my office said, "Try Red Hat." I did and have never really used 
anything else for the last 7 years or so.

I don't understand what Red Hat is doing with their latest move. Do they not 
understand the concepts of "branding" and "goodwill?" When I first read the 
announcement that they where cancelling the freely avialable Red Hat 
distribution, I started thinking about what distro I would switch to though I 
am a paying subscriber to RHN.

Two days later, I rec'd an announcement from RH about Fedora and that it would 
be freely available via download and that it would be the basis of future 
RHWS, RHAS, RHES or whatever they are calling them, releases.

Huh? Let me get this straight, RH is pulling the plug on their well known, 
well respected self-titled (there's branding and goodwill) distro and telling 
people they are going to have to pay up if they want to continue using Red 
Hat.

However, they are basically going to continue providing a free version, but 
they are essentially changing the name to Fedora (I realize the Fedora project 
has been around for a while and that RH bought/acquired them not so long ago). 
So now when my boss comes by and says, "What's on that box?" I'll say, 
"Fedora," and he's going to look at me in a strange way and wonder what the 
hell that is (a loss of branding and goodwill).

He might ask, "Not using Red Hat anymore?" Then I'm going to have to explain 
everything to him, blah, blah, blah. You know what this situation reminds me 
of? New Coke.

-- 
Dave Hull
http://insipid.com

Fedora is to Red Hat what New Coke was to Coca-Cola, a multi-million dollar 
mistake.