User group liaison

[Colin McGregor]

<cbbrowne-HInyCGIudOg at public.gmane.org> on Sunday, September 19, 2004 6:18 PM wrote:


> > My interest is not to promote Novell or SUSE but rather Linux and
> > TorontoNUI.ca as an education club and resource. No one has a problem
> > seeing IBM everywhere. See NUI, Novell Users International,
> > http://www.nuinet.com . Why would I pay you more than I receive?
>
> IBM has traditionally been donating real estate usage, which is worth
> rather a lot.  NewTLUG has long met up at their location at Victoria
> Park and Steeles.
>
> On the flip side: What do you mean about "seeing IBM everywhere?"  IBM
> gets mentioned a lot because they are a big player in the computing
> market.  They are particularly interesting, of late, to people
> interested in Linux, because of their key role in the SCO lawsuits.
>
> On the gripping hand, I don't see people cutting IBM any extra "slack;"
> if they want to have someone present, promoting themselves, it's as
> needful for them to pay the would-be marketer as it is for Novell to do
> so.  William raises a good point.  If Novell, or IBM, or whomever, wants
> to have an advocate at every meeting, it seems strange that they
> wouldn't be prepared to pay for that.  I don't see why anyone would
> imagine it sensible for someone to be expected to represent them for
> free.

What is the problem here? We have come to Linux because it is a solution to
one or more problems (cheaper, and/or more reliable and/or faster and/or
etc.). If Novell is offering solutions to problems I am all for it. Will the
Novell material tell me how I can solve an office networking problem that I
have to deal with, great I want a copy. If it is a Novell promotional pen
that is comfortable to hold and writes well then I want (at least) one. As
long as this Novell stuff will solve one or more problems faced by TLUG
members then this is a good thing. A key element in TLUG in my books is
people helping other people solve problems.

I have already noted in private e-mail to Rick Tomaschuk I have no problem w
ith helping by bringing free stuff to TLUG meetings, as I have already done
that for several TLUG and NetTLUG meetings. Sure the stuff I have brought
may not solve problems for everyone (for example the posters promoting the
game "Unreal Tournament 2003" may only good for Linux game players with too
much empty wall space), but they are solutions to problems. If I do end up
bringing Novell stuff to TLUG meetings and I find that it doesn't solve
anyone's problems then I will stop, otherwise yes I am game to do this for
free (well, ok, I will be keeping for myself a copy of each item that solves
a problem that I face).

IBM has for the Linux community been a provider of solutions to problems
(offering free software to the community world-wide, offering free meeting
space locally). Novell is a late entrant to the whole solutions to problems
for the Linux community, and to the extent they offer solutions to problems
to the community they should be thanked. On the other hand Novell will get
judged in the same way IBM is getting judged, how good are their solutions
to problems.

Also the stuff about the SCO <--> IBM lawsuit is a bit of a red herring,
remember that SCO is also in a battle with Novell and Novell MAY end up
saving IBM's bacon (if Novell can prove they still own the copyright to
System V Unix then the IBM case become irrelevant as Novell has already
given their blessing to what IBM has done to date).

Colin McGregor

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