On 24/09/06, Anurag anurag@gnuer.org wrote:
No software comes with warranty. Free Software licenses merely mention that clearly in BOLD letters.
Anurag
well said anurag. and the flip side of the issue is that companies like redhat, IBM, Canonical etc are infact more keen on support. this is due to 2 major reasons. firstly, service (and support is the biggest one) istheir main source of earning. you are free to download rhl or ubuntu/kubuntu, so if they don't provide support, how will they earn? secondly,they are very much keen to prove their point that even linux servers anddesktops are well supported it is not that only windows or unix for that matter only give you supportpackage. never the less, I have come to the following conclusions after this long discussion and I think Anurag wont mind another 25 emails coming to add to my conclusion *smile*. 1. It is a truth that gnu/linux is best suited for servers and now even desktops. there is no harm or time waistage in using it. 2. unlike some gentelman surcastically said, that linux can only go on the grand mothers pc. and that it is developed and maintained just by a bunch of hackers, the reality, facts and figures all say a different story. it is indeed used for very critical business and for storing sensetive data. 3. if we want to market the product gnu/linux, we will have to show the advantage in terms of stability, security (virus free in bold letters) and that it is free of any license charges. 4. make customres understand that only softwares from enterprises providing free software will benifit them totally and in the long run. I will like few tips from jtd, dinesh, devdas and others on how to present this 4th point and point number 3. 5. make customer speak for himself. make him aware that he needs computer not for playing around with brans but for doing his work, and gnu/linux just like any other operating system does just that but in a more secured stable and efficient way. some how firstly we need to get customer himself agree that he uses computer for word processing, keeping his accounts in spreadsheets etc. which means use of windows or linux is not the brand reason for his use of computers. 6. remove 2 wrong notions about gnu/linux, first, linux is the tool of only scientists or programmers who can remember lot of commands etc. second, gnu/linux is just a time pass expriment. 7. some how raise fear uncertainty and doubt about m$ so that he will consider using some thing else which may be gnu/linux. regards. Krishnakant.