[Ubuntu-be] [Fwd: RE: Aanbod diensten]

[Mark Van den Borre]

[...]
> > Als er is voldoende vraag daarvoor zullen we zeker bekijken hoe onze missie
> > op gebied van Open Source producten uitgebreid kan worden.
>
> this answer "Als er is voldoende vraag" is a statement that can just
> not be very open.

> I suppose socialware could be sponsored by Microsoft. As such, they
> will advertise the already well know products and not yet the
> alternative that we know is free. So they will most probably not have
> any demand and will be right telling us: no need for free software /
> ubuntu through socialware, as there is no demand.
This could very well be the case, but never ascribe to malice what can
be explained by ignorance.

> I think we need to go one step above, directly to the Fondation Roi
> Baudouion that is
> one of their sponsor
Going above someone's head is something very unfriendly to suggest
after only a quick first contact. Politeness requires us to work with
socialware first and see where that takes us, even if it takes some
time. As a young and very decentralised organisation, we're very
vulnerable to "ubuntu-be.org is a group of conspiracy theorist free
software zealots".

Serge will be working with them the next few days. I suggest:
* asking them to modify their deontology to take ubuntu and free
software in general into account (write out suggestions!)
* documenting some unquestionable case studies of non-profits using
ubuntu &| openoffice.org
* asking them to based upon this skip their yearly evaluation and put
a few links to ubuntu and openoffice.org products in the "available
products" category, maybe even have them offer ubuntu cd's
* offering to create some free publicity about this for them

We should have a much clearer idea of their position afterwards.

Mark
-- 
Mark Van den Borre
Noormannenstraat 113
3000 Leuven, België
+32 486 961726