Indianapolis Star Brands Tux500 Project a Winner

The seemingly tiny proportion of the estimated numbers of Linux users willing to donate to the Tux500 project makes me wonder if amongst the personal users who are most likely to give to this there are large proportions who are actually using it because they can't afford software that does all the things you can with Linux.

Hence they have too little cash to actually donate to something that isn't essential. My other guess is (similar) that there are lots of people like me who may have targeted where they have paid out on things they know support Free Software.

I'd like to see a poll result amongst Linux users along the lines of, why didn't you donate to the Tux500 project: 1/ can't afford it 2/ already used my budget 3/ think it's stupid 4/ believe Linux is evil, enemy of the holy empire of computer software and it's saintly leaders

5/ Too darn lazy

6. I am witholding one dollar and thirty four cents out of principle and the fact I don't have a dollar and thirty four cents to spare.

7. Slashdot has absolutely refused to carry the story due to "personal reasons".

You think no link from /. might have just impacted donations a tad?

Well, as noted in the JPD thread, in my case, it's pretty much number 2. The money's already allocated to something else. :( If that falls through, we'll see if I can give $5 or so, but the timing may not work out.

Quoting:...and the fact I don't have a dollar and thirty four cents to spare.

... he said while sipping on a double-mocha latta.

> Well, as noted in the JPD thread, in my case, it's pretty much number 2.

Don't worry, after I read your post, I added $1.34 to my donation.

bigg...that's all any of us can ask or do...now...

onward to the rest of the one percent of Linux users.

thanks.

h

8. All talk, no walk

Now Dino...public spankings are no longer PC...unless you are the gatekeeper for /.

I don't want to edit. I didn't mean you personally Dino...it was a " collectively understood" you. and besides...If I want to beat my child within an inch of behaving himself in the supermarket, then power to me. (note to those who take me seriously...don't do it in church...people will talk)

I will donate if Google Checkout could be an option...just no PayPal...

Let me see what can be done about that...Google checkout...

h

9. Antisocial nerd

...like me.

Oh, gotta go now...

Quoting:.....don't do it in church...people will talk

No danger of that from me.



On the I can't afford to donate $1.30 score. That's actually a fairly difficult amount to donate unless you happen to live where ever in the world Ken or Bob or whoever is actually responsible for the money lives.

Not everyone has credit cards, and even though I do I still had trouble donating via the paypal thing, it rejected my card after numerous attempts to post the page - I ended up sending a money order which was a fairly expensive exercise.

TA...yes, I know it's been a hassle for TWP (those without paypal). In fact, it's probably hurt us in the long run but we have some logistical problems to deal with and they are huge. first off, the two kind gents that are auditing the books for tux500 are doing it on their own time and with out recompense. They not only have to watch the ins and outs of the paypal account, they have to do daily calculations for the merchandising store and believe me, it's not the sums that are difficult...ten fingers and ten toes could tally the income that has brought in. It's the process itself and how difficult the online merchants make it.

Brian and Don have done us a magnificent favor by helping us maintain an "aura of legitimacy". Unfortunately, some have found a way to even look past that. Never the less, their efforts have been substantial. We have probably lost over two thousand dollars in check and money order donations. Sure, they can be sent to Ted, but accounting for the money falls then to "I promise, this is all that was sent in today, honest..." It just leaves too many ways for those who are against this thing to point fingerz and make unfounded accusations.

I was asked today by a reporter for the Austin American Statesman, "If you knew ahead of time the negativity that would be involved with this, would you have done it". It didn't bother me he asked me the question.

What bothered me is that I had to actually think about it before I answered him.

h