On Tuesday, December 24, 2002, at 03:22 PM, Lyvim Xaphir wrote: [...]
I agree. We lost some extremely valuable people due to the restructuring, and no one was happy about it. Unfortunately, it was either lose them or lose everyone; there was no choice.The fact of the matter is that TOO much fat was trimmed. The muscle wasAnd just what do you think we've been doing over the last few months? =)I'd say a lot of fat has been trimmed. The machine is *really* lean right now... thus the increase of capital. This is required for Mandrake to remain any kind of machine. The end result will be a lean machine (not too lean, mind you... can't put out a distro with only 10 people!).
getting sliced. There were good people that were laid off that should
have never had to go because they were productives, but yet were forced
to because of the clueless "venture capitalists".
Trust me, no one would like to see this more than MandrakeSoft itself. =) When MandrakeSoft is at a position where we make a continuous profit, beyond the break even point, then everyone will know that the distribution is receiving full attention. It's unfortunate that we've been unable to do that... keeping the company afloat and trying to raise some money has made people spend more time thinking about the company than what the company produces, which is understandable. However, I think everyone will be happier when we can focus our full attention on the distribution and creating new and exciting services and products because worrying about money will be a thing of the past.We need to get Mandrake back to the point where they can start hiring again and bring some folks back on board.
That goal is exactly what we've been striving for for months. This isn't something we started doing yesterday, or last month, or even in the last two months. This has been an ongoing struggle to keep Mandrake Linux alive.
Lyvim, that is *so* appreciated, and I will personally thank you (and everyone else who shows their support in this manner) for doing so. It means so much to me, and I think everyone at MandrakeSoft, to see and hear users doing this. It not only illustrates to us that you care, but that you have a vested interest in the future of MandrakeSoft, which means we're not doing all of this for nothing.Bottom line is this: It's time for people to step up to the plate and walk the walk, not just talk the talk. We've done what we had to do, and very painfully at times, to get MandrakeSoft where it is right now... we had a *lot* to recover from, which civileme touched on. We've done that. But for us to continue, the community has to show a little support.Amen. I've transferred funds out of savings for this, and when they become available after Christmas, I'm upgrading to silver. Even though technically I can't afford it right now. But I'm going to feel some personal pain in order to get this done, because that's how much I believe in this company and what they do.
I can tell you now that the MandrakeSoft employees have made a lot of sacrifices to keep things going this long. I also know that many of us go far beyond what would be expected of us in any other job. To see that all of the extra time and effort given by the MandrakeSoft staff is of value to you (enough value that you are willing to pay for it), is highly encouraging.
Somewhat deviating from the topic, but why not start one? I can't believe you're the only person using Linux wherever you live... =)If there was a Lug started here, I'd be pushing Mandrake for all it is worth.
I know what I want to be doing next Christmas.. playing with Mandrake 9.2. The question is, what do you want to be doing next Christmas? Also playing with Mandrake 9.2 or being frustrated at having to use a lesser distribution? Or another OS entirely?Excellent point.For those who feel similar sentiments (ie. "Long Live Mandrake" and "I hope it stays around"), I would sincerely ask you to put your money where your mouth is. It's one thing to say you would like Mandrake to be around forever and how much you love it, it's an entirely different story to support the cause financially. I would also recommend that, despite some problems a few people have had, people purchase their boxed sets of Mandrake from MandrakeStore. We see a lot more revenue this way than if you go down the block to whatever store you shop at and purchase it. Putting money into distributor and retailer pockets doesn't help MandrakeSoft.I made this suggestion too, quite some time ago; hopefully the majority of folks have been going to the Mandrake store.
Me too. I don't know what the exact figures are because I'm quite far removed from MandrakeStore and the financials of the company, but I suspect that we are probably losing a large percentage of potential revenue each time someone buys from a store instead of from us directly. Granted, even when you buy a boxed set direct from us there are other costs involved that need to be accounted for (pressed CDs, boxes, trees that we kill, etc.), so even that does not provide a full revenue stream. The absolute best way to make sure every penny goes to MandrakeSoft is to join the Club. I'm not sure if it's 100% profit, but it must be pretty close.
If a box
set isn't that important to you (ie. you don't need nice packaging and
a printed manual), then getting a MandrakeClub subscription is the best
way to go. Club generates the highest percentage of revenue, and every
penny counts. Plus, with Club, all the goodies you get on your CDs in
the box set you can get online (great for broadband users, maybe not so
great for dialup users).
All these things will help keep Mandrake alive.Excellent post. And merry christmas, Vincent. :)
Thanks. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone on the expert list! =) -- MandrakeSoft Security; http://www.mandrakesecure.net/ "lynx -source http://linsec.ca/vdanen.asc | gpg --import" {FE6F2AFD: 88D8 0D23 8D4B 3407 5BD7 66F9 2043 D0E5 FE6F 2AFD}
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