Re: ACX100 Firmware Licensing

Christian Weisgerber wrote:
> Sam Leffler <sam_at_errno.com> wrote:
> 
> 
>>IMO the openbsd folks are going about this entirely wrong.  They
>>are badgering folks and creating ill will for the ENTIRE open source
>>community.  I suggest folks not join in to this ill-conceived plan.
> 
> 
> No, it has worked in the past and progress is being made as we are
> speaking.  Some companies are simply not willing to enter into a
> dialog unless they hear sufficient voices to convince them that
> they are dealing with more than a lone caller in the wild.
> 
> Texas Instruments is still playing possum.  Anybody who wants to
> see BSD shipping with drivers for TI wireless gear that are usable
> out of the box, make sure to let TI know.
> 
> "Activism pays off for OpenBSD"
> http://theage.com.au/articles/2004/10/29/1098992287663.html
> 

And this form of activism also turns off lots of vendors.  The open 
source market is virtually non-existent to vendors so you will never get 
anyone to do anything by arguing they should make a change because it 
will increase their sales.  All the vendors Theo&co are going after are 
bit players with inferior products that are in trouble in one way or 
another.  The proper way to make things happen is to find a vendor that 
is basing a product on an OSS and use their influence to make things 
happen.  You can crow about your wins but in the long run you will 
pollute the enviromment for others that are trying to do similar things 
but are not pounding their chest in public and/or exhorting the hords to 
a jihad on wireless vendors.

	Sam