Re: [gentoo-project] Rekindling Gentoo News -> Paying for news

["William L. Thomson Jr." <wlt-ml@o-sinc.com>]

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On Monday, January 23, 2017 5:57:55 AM EST Kent Fredric wrote:
> On Sun, 22 Jan 2017 11:21:12 -0500
> 
> "William L. Thomson Jr." <wlt-ml@o-sinc.com> wrote:
> > Corporate sponsors will only sponsor Gentoo if they have a direct benefit.
> > Right now with how Gentoo is. There is no reason for anyone to give Gentoo
> > money, individual or corporation.
> 
> People reading the newsletter seeing that a company sponsored it both makes
> people more aware that a company exists, and gives them confidence that the
> company cares enough about opensource to sponsor it.

I am very aware of benefits to sponsorship. That was something I wanted to see 
more of when I was a Trustee.

As a business owner, you keep missing the point. Why should any business give 
money to Gentoo? What do the get? Representation? A vote? Anything?

Businesses do not sponsor for no reason. Individuals donate to something as a 
fan, but not the same as a business. Businesses usually need a direct benefit, 
one that can effect their bottom line. Thus their incentive to sponsor or 
donate.

A write off is not a motivating factor. Business can write off many expenses.

> And this makes opensource preferring people more likely to choose that
> company.
> 
> How do you think The Perl Foundation has money to pay for developing things?

Or like I have pointed out FreeBSD. But these are properly run foundations 
with budgets, fund raisers, etc. They pay for many tasks.

Gentoo is very far from having a well run Foundation. I doubt moving to the 
SPI, etc would do such. Most that have corporate sponsors run their own 
foundations.

Businesses sponsoring development are going to want to see effort. Since 
Gentoo cannot tell anyone what to work on. Not sure how that would work.
Business wants to see A developed, people work on B instead. Business pulls 
sponsorship.

This do what ever model of Gentoo with no requirements, no direction, no 
"managers/bosses", no one directing development or focusing efforts. No way a 
business would sponsor Gentoo. Why it gets very little in the way of donations 
or sponsors compared to others.

-- 
William L. Thomson Jr.

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