In my original posting I was trying to explore the position of 99%
of Firebird users, like myself, who use the product but make no
contribution. I wanted to understand why it happens, and find ways
of changing it.

A significant part of the response has been an attack on me. That
attack is an attack on most of the Firebird users in the world. It
seems that, although it is repeated over and over and over on all
the web sites that Firebird is free, anyone using it for free should
be made to feel like some kind of sinner; "freeloader" is the word
used. And so, to all but a few, this list feels like a hostile
place.

It is not a good policy to attack 99% of the Foundation's customers.

Not to mention the strange postings that indignantly proclaim that
money is not the issue, and then proceed to explain in detail that
things don't get done because there aren't enough resources.

Firebird PR? Circumspice.

Roger Vellacott
Passfield Data Systems Ltd


--- In Firebird-general@yahoogroups.com, Artur Anjos <listas@...>
wrote:

>
> rogervellacott wrote:
> > The biggest difference between FB and its competitors, including
> > MySQL, is money.
> You're completely wrong.
> The biggest difference is Firebird quality and features.
> That's why I choose to use Firebird over is competitors, and I

think

> that's why many of us choose it as well.
>
> > Money pays for more developers, more publicity,
> > more pressure on ISPs, and also provides the ability to attract
> > people like Jim Starkey away from the competition.
> >
> Let me remind you that even if we accomplish this paying for it,

we will

> not have any monetary profit from it.
> Strange, it isn't ?
>
> And let me remind you that developers are free to join us, anyone

is

> welcome to publicize Firebird, ISP's are welcome to use it, and

Jim

> Starkey is free to continue with us (did you notice in is message

that

> he was telling us that he will keep an eye from time to time?).
>
> > So regardless of the relative technical merits of MySQL and FB,
> > MySQL is streets ahead because it has muscle. Its muscle comes

from

> > an operating model which generates money.
> >
> Well, I can not use MySQL in my projects. They lack so many

features

> that I need.
> For me, MySQL is not even an option.
>
> > This is what we should be discussing. How can FB generate cash?
> >
> For me, the discussion is a little bit different.
> I have a small company that develops software. I'm using Firebird,

and I

> have plans to continue my business without many changes in my

software.

> What I need it's Firebird to "keep in touch" with my software, so

I

> need to help the Firebird Team much the same way I help my dev

team as

> well.
> Since my company isn't so big, and I still don't make so much

money from

> it, I help the project most with my time - doing whatever is there

that

> needs to be done.
> But my company is doing business as well, so from times to times I

do

> have the chance to help the project with money. Other times I help

the

> project with other things that represents money - Firebird Planet

is

> hosted in my server, so is CFLP - just to bring some examples.
>
>
> > My whole business depends on FB, yet I have never paid a penny

for

> > it.
> How can you stay like this so long? Don't you care about your

business ? :-)

>
> > And of course, I don't want to pay for it. I sometimes think I
> > should make a donation, but I am running a business, not a

charity,

> > and when it comes to the moment of deciding whether to give

money

> > away, or hang on to it to help with the payroll, then my

charitable

> > instincts do not win.
> >
> You are running a business that makes money with Firebird, and you

are

> telling us that giving money to Firebird is charity?
> Are you in fact running a software business ?
>
> But YES! It's a good idea that you bring here!
> I recommend that the Firebird Project stops giving away Firebird

as

> charity. Let's be real!
> Let's run a Firebird Business! Let's do like the guys in MySQL,

and

> start selling licenses!
> I know someone that will buy a lot to keep is business running!
> :-)
>
> Artur
>