Topic: Does Linux Need a $300 Million Ad Campaign?

[sam]

"Unfortunately none of these companies is in a position to drive adoption on the desktop. It just isn't their main focus. Meanwhile, the Mandrivas, Canonical-Ubuntus and Linspires of the world-- the companies who are more desktop focused-- simply don’t have $300 million to throw around, even as a group. In addition, the Linux Foundation doesn’t currently see big ad campaigns as part of its mission. Linux is simply too decentralized and doesn't have the same profit motive behind it."

http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/does-linux-need-300-million-ad-campaign

[Simon]

Where exactly does the funding come from to develop Linux, it's derivatives, and other open source projects, anyway?

[sam]

most of it doesn't need funding as it is people just doing it for fun, but things like ubuntu the funding comes from interested individuals who have the cash to pump into it... and of course there is a commercial side to linux where companies sell customer distributions and enterprise editions to business (e.g. RedHat do this) so cash gets injected to the companies these ways

[Simon]

It's astonishing, in this day and age, where you don't generally get something for nothing, that people could develop something as successful as, say, Firefox, for 'fun', and not want to make money out of it.