[Discuss] Fwd: Hey FCC, Don't Lock Down Our Wi-Fi Routers | WIRED

[Jack Coats]

I've heard that for years from 'consultants' and small software companies.

The idea to make money is to sell equipment and services, not the software.
The marketing problem I have seen is people 'want' to buy software,
and bosses/lawyers
have trouble with 'software anyone could download'.  Where the
'special sauce' is
the configuration and making all the glue parts make it run easily.  But many
customers purchasing authorities see it that way so they aren't willing to pay
what it really takes.

I worked for a small company that 'sold' white box VOIP phone systems.
I heard one
customer say they are not going to pay for the 'free software'.  The
boss tried to help
him understand.  Under 2 weeks later we pulled out the phones and server with a
customer that said we were 'ripping him off' with selling free software.

Some sales are not meant to be.

Most reasonable clients are wanting reliable, maintainable equipment
and service to
help them solve their problem.  Many that only want a 'quality'
solution won't talk
to small vendors to start with.

Selling service to help them with a solution for their problem for a
reasonable price
is all we cared to do.

Selling solutions using OSS software is not easy.  It can be done but
it seems to take extra effort.


On Mon, Nov 9, 2015 at 10:30 AM, Rich Pieri <richard.pieri at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 11/9/2015 8:40 AM, Thompson, David wrote:
>>>
>>> Lots of reasons that I've previously enumerated but here's another one:
>>> you
>>> can't turn a profit trying to sell GPL software.
>>
>>
>> The level of dishonest anti-GPL rhetoric in this thread is very
>> surprising.
>
>
> I'll bite: what's dishonest about my statement?
>
> --
> Rich P.
> _______________________________________________
> Discuss mailing list
> Discuss at blu.org
> http://lists.blu.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss



-- 
><> ... Jack

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