----- Original Message -----
From: Ray Cote <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Jeffry Smith <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2001 4:59 PM
Subject: Re: Backing talk with action? (was: Re: News from the Mouth front)
> This really is an excellent issue.
> Are you ready to just evangelize or back it up with a support contract for
local organizations?
I seem to be getting only parts of this thread. I assume from this that
some do not appreciate the necessity to provide some level of support to
those for whom a linux box is installed. The bottom line you cannot go to
an organization which has work to do and for whom a computer is only a tool
to accomplish that work and say you have a wonderful low cost solution that
is better than what you have or want to have via Windows or whatever and you
will install it and get it "working", but the catch is after that they are
on their own. Would you buy a car you need to use to get to work on that
basis? Only if you are a hobbyist? Expecting them to learn some basic
skills is one thing. Expecting them to be able to set the Linux box up to
effectively provide the tools they want and to modify it as conditions
change is another. If they have the money to pay for a support contract,
then someone should get paid. If someone wants to provide meaningful
support as a charitable act, fine. Nevertheless, in the final analysis
someone needs to be available to hold their hand at times and solve the hard
issues or Linux is not a viable tool for them. Whether it is technically
better, whether it requires less support, whether is more reliable, whether
it is more cost effective will not matter if they do not have the comfort of
knowing someone will make it work when it all goes south. They have work to
do and it does not include playing sysadmin.
Ed Lawson
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