vendor boycotts, etc.

["Erik Walthinsen (Omega)" <omega@sequent.com>]

Reply-To: omega@omegacs.net

I am about to initiate as much of a boycott of Axent as I can.  They do
data security stuff, including the Defender package, which requires either
a hardware key (one-time pad system) or a software version thereof.  An
Axent representative has informed us (Linux users at Sequent) that they
will not be supporting Linux, only Slowlaris.

What I'm wondering is if we should find someone who would be willing to
coordinate a section of the web site, a list, etc., to maintain a list of
companies, both software and hardware, that refuse either actively or
passively to support Linux, and act as a center for boycott and
'letter-writing campaigns' in order to attempt to get these companies to
support Linux.

One part of this could be setting up a group of people who would be
willing to provide help to companies in order to port their software to
Linux.  Some could be volunteer, some might be hirable, some via e-mail,
some onsite, etc.  That would remove one more barrier that these companies
can put in front of us.  Who can refuse free help??? (don't answer...)

I think this would be a very useful part of SEUL, and that it fits well
into our goals (we have to have commercial applications available before
the public will buy into Linux on an end-user basis).  Any comments?

        Erik Walthinsen - Programmer, webmaster, 3D artist, etc.   __
  __                                                              / /\
 /  \           omega@sequent.com         Work: (503)578-5314    / /  \
|    | M E G A  omega@aracnet.com         Home: (503)281-4281   / / /\ \
_\  /_          psu12113@odin.cc.pdx.edu  Majoring in CS       / / /\ \ \
                                                              / /_/__\ \ \
Omega Station: http://www.aracnet.com/~omega/                /________\ \ \
     Info on Linux, Graphics, Descent, Laptops, etc.         \___________\/


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