🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <970027@gore.com> jacob@gore.com (Jacob Gore) writes:
>This is part of the boycott.  It doesn't just ask people not to buy Apple
>(and Ashton-Tate, and Lotus, and Xerox) products, but also not to work for
>them, not to create products for them, not to Beta test them, and not to
>use them.

One thing I've missed in this discussion is "WHY should your average
Mac purchaser do otherwise"?  Come up with an argument based on
dollars and cents, not principles that may not be universally shared.
(As a clue to how weird these Mac purchasers are, you should know that
some of them have seen gnuemacs, and they really hate it.)

If Exxon can slime Prince William Sound on national television and
stay in business, how do you expect to influence users who don't get
or want net news?  Nestle is still pushing formula on mothers in 3rd
world countries (last I heard), and they're still in business, and all
the cigarette companies are still in business.  People around here
make noise about boycotting GE for supporting the nuclear/weapons
industry, and boy, they're really hurting, aren't they?  (On the other
hand, some tuna companies are now friendly to dolphins.)

For software developers, the Macintosh is a nice fat market -- why
shouldn't they make a few bucks?  How will the FSF help your average
software developer make money?  (and to argue that the FSF shouldn't
help software developers make money is missing the point -- this
doesn't endear you to software developers who like to eat.)

David Chase
Sun Microsystems