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View Full Version : What do you think Mark Shuttleworth meant by this statement?



mikodo
May 16th, 2010, 08:27 AM
Hello everyone,

From this on May 05 https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MeetingLogs/openweekLucid/AskMark Mark made the comments below: I am curious what people think the statement about a "commercial framework" would mean. Don't get me wrong, I am not paranoid or anything, I'm just curious what others' take on that statement might be.

"as for commercialism - ubuntu is MOST interesting precisely because we want to walk in that narrow space
with ethics, and openness, and transparency, and free software
AND with a commercial framework
if we can pull it off, the world is a fundamentally different place that day
i think most of the people who actually *participate* in ubuntu are motivated by that, understand that, aren't turned off by that
they want us to do it tastefully
but they want us to be successful"

kio_http
May 16th, 2010, 08:41 AM
I would believe he was referring to the marketing steps planned to be taken in the future. Its not exactly what you are thinking in terms of commercial.

It involves steps to be taken like getting more PC's sold with Ubuntu pre-installed.
It also involveshttp://www.desktoplinux.com/files/misc/ubuntu-billboard-thm.jpghttp://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f144/heretoannoy93/funny%20random%20pics/ubuntu_billboard.jpg

parn
May 16th, 2010, 08:44 AM
Maybe what he is saying is:
"Have to think of creative ways to make money while keeping the promise that Ubuntu will always be free lest users run off to other distros XD"

TironN
May 16th, 2010, 08:47 AM
I would believe he was referring to the marketing steps planned to be taken in the future. Its not exactly what you are thinking in terms of commercial.

It involves steps to be taken like getting more PC's sold with Ubuntu pre-installed.
The commercialization is exactly that.

More deals with suppliers! A great thing not a bad one!

mikodo
May 16th, 2010, 08:48 AM
ya, this summer we are going to see a lot of pre-installed Ubuntu OS on machines from the manufactures/retailers.

kio_http (http://ubuntuforums.org/member.php?u=901094) What did you think I thought commercialism in this context meant?

I do think he means more than just pre-installed Ubuntu on new machines for retail.

Khakilang
May 16th, 2010, 08:51 AM
The company or any company had to make money to keep it running. Expenses like staff salary, expenditure and overheads had to be covered. So making a commercial move sound sensible. At least the software is open and free.

Jay Car
May 16th, 2010, 09:08 AM
Hello everyone,

From this on May 05 https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MeetingLogs/openweekLucid/AskMark Mark made the comments below: I am curious what people think the statement about a "commercial framework" would mean. Don't get me wrong, I am not paranoid or anything, I'm just curious what others' take on that statement might be.

"as for commercialism - ubuntu is MOST interesting precisely because we want to walk in that narrow space with ethics, and openness, and transparency, and free software AND with a commercial framework if we can pull it off, the world is a fundamentally different place that day i think most of the people who actually *participate* in ubuntu are motivated by that, understand that, aren't turned off by that they want us to do it tastefully but they want us to be successful"

I think he meant exactly what he said.

Unfortunately, "Commercialism" has a bad name these days. It's too often assumed that a company MUST be greedy and aggressive in order to succeed (it's just business, after all, right?), or that anything less than a total monopoly is akin to failure.

Maybe Mr. Shuttleworth thinks it doesn't have to be that way, and wants to find a happy middle-ground that allows Canonical to be self-supporting, without losing the very things that make Ubuntu great. It won't be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is. I hope his plan succeeds.

mikodo
May 16th, 2010, 09:36 AM
Well, here's my guess as to what Mark was alluding to. Partnerships with commercial entities like Google, IBM and Sun Microsystems. Packaging theirs' and other corporations products and services with Ubuntu, giving FLOSS and commercialism a strong stance to take on the monolithic stranglehold, that, that other OS has on the world.

fatality_uk
May 16th, 2010, 09:58 AM
Well, here's my guess as to what Mark was alluding to. Partnerships with commercial entities like Google, IBM and Sun Microsystems. Packaging theirs' and other corporations products and services with Ubuntu, giving FLOSS and commercialism a strong stance to take on the monolithic stranglehold, that, that other OS has on the world.

Don't guess. Either read what he posted and accept it or if you are unsure, email him and ask.

Rasa1111
May 16th, 2010, 10:02 AM
The commercialization is exactly that.

More deals with suppliers! A great thing not a bad one!


Indeed!
it will be beautiful. :)

mikodo
May 16th, 2010, 10:08 AM
Don't guess. Either read what he posted and accept it or if you are unsure, email him and ask.I was curious what take on this, other people would have. Then decided to throw out some ideas of my own. I couldn't be bothered to bother mark with this question, as I have no burning desire to know the answer.

It was conversation.

koenn
May 16th, 2010, 07:21 PM
... I'm just curious what others' take on that statement might be.

"as for commercialism - ubuntu is MOST interesting precisely because we want to walk in that narrow space
with ethics, and openness, and transparency, and free software
AND with a commercial framework
if we can pull it off, the world is a fundamentally different place that day
... "


There's nothing new in that statement.
Ubuntu has always been about making marketable products out of free software, and about finding business models in which the development and distribution of free software can be economically viable.

That's a good thing, if you want free software to last, and be more than a hobby project for geeks.

MrNatewood
May 16th, 2010, 11:04 PM
I think he is talking about the upcoming inclusion of paid software in the Software Center in Maverick.

tgalati4
May 17th, 2010, 12:03 AM
I want an ubuntu laptop, an ubuntu tablet, and an ubuntu phone. I have the first. Where are the other two?

BuffaloX
May 17th, 2010, 01:46 AM
I think it's pretty obvious.

Mark Shuttleworth always wanted Ubuntu to make money so it can be self sustaining. He has stated this from the beginning AFAIK.
I don't think he'd mind if it turned a little profit too. :)

A number of methods that are being tried now:

Support Services ( Like Red Hat )
Merchandise ( Like Disney :P )
Ubuntu One ( Cloud Services )
Software Center ( App store like Apple et al. )
Music Store ( Like Itunes )
Search ( Firefox now default to Yahoo )

Some people are brainstorming how Ubuntu can make more money, here are some of the ideas:
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/23594/

Ubuntu aims to be viable in a commercial sense, this is the only way to grow and finance it in the long run, and not be dependent on charities.

cavedog
May 17th, 2010, 01:56 AM
I concur with BuffaloX. Mark made his first fortune in the highly competitive software business. Now I think he wants to create a self-sustaining entity that will create jobs and provide for the continuation of the open source contract.