[linux-audio-dev] Re: Behringer

[Gustin Johnson]

On December 2, 2004 06:35 pm, Marek Peteraj wrote:
<snip>
>
> Me too. But it seems as if they wouldn't do themselves. That was my
> point. I think that at some point it has become disrespectful for
> companies to ignore linux. So i can't really understand people(oss users
> or even oss developers) who try to defend the position of companies that
> make their lives harder for no reason.
>

I believe that problem here is that many of us understand that it is not 
arbitrary and that there are in fact potentially good reasons for their 
decisions.  I may not agree with nor particularly like Nvidia or RME, but I 
can understand some of the complexities they face.  Likewise I have needs to 
be met, if that means that buying Nvidia then I must buy an Nvidia video 
card.  If you do not have such constraints (it sounds like many of us do) 
then you are in an enviable position.  To ridicule everyone who does not make 
the same choices as you is pointless and naive.

> I'm just trying to point out that they should be more proud of their
> work which if wasn't oss, could be:
>
> 1. a well marketed proprietary money-machine
> 2. valuable IP, treated as tradesecret and protected under the terms of
> business law and IP law.
>
> So it would be the same thing basically. And i really tried to clarify
> why there should be no fear in providing opensource drivers, providing a
> brief analysis and concrete examples. Seems that i completely failed in
> what i was trying to achieve.
>

I am not sure that providing opensource drivers is risk free, and I am a huge 
proponent of oss.  You do not sound like a lawyer, so to say that there 
should be no fear in providing opensource drivers is premature optimism.  
Most of the world (including the USA) still has to sort this issue out.

> Better luck next time. ;)
>
> I'd give it one more chance and post a 'rme - take action' letter to lad
> and lau which would encourage people to go to the rme forum, tell them
> that their using their hw, what kind of hw they have purchased and that
> they would continue to do so in the future. But i fear that a lot of
> people would just ignore it, thinking to themselves 'my vote doesn't
> count, they will ignore it anyway, it's a waste of time, there's just 5
> of us' or similar. I might be wrong. If somebody wants to encourage me
> in doing this i'd be glad to do it. I'd also encourage to write polite
> letters if that's what suits the majority here ;)
>
Politeness is almost always a better approach to get what you want.

> If we'd achieve a fairly large number - say 100, the consequences would
> be either:
>
> - RME reconsidering their decision
> - raising interest of all the RME customers in linux audio, because
> virtually everyone there is able to try it out on a "professional
> level". Except the fireface users(minority still, since it's a new
> device). which if successful, would most likely bring RME to reconsider
> their postion anyway.
>

The number of interested people is not the only factor in RME's decision.  
I would be surprised if a mere 100 people would have any impact at all.  This 
is not to say that I do not support such efforts, just be a little more 
realistic with the expectations.

> Which seems that it should be in our interest to do so. It's not much
> effort anyway. If not, tell me, and i'll shut up. ;)
>

For whats it worth, I am in the market for some new gear, RMEs decision 
colours my perspective and buying choices.  As such I will be making my voice 
heard on their board and in the end will vote with my wallet.  
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