From:	 Jacques Le Marois <lemarois@mandrakesoft.com>
To:	 lwn@lwn.net
Subject: Mandrake Linux Users Club!
Date:	 Wed, 28 Nov 2001 23:46:30 +0100

Jonathan,

Mandrakesoft is launching a "Mandrake Linux Users Club". We think it's a
nice idea created upon the "Street Performer Protocol" where people pay
directly to keep the product, the documentation and services free if
they think it's valuable. This model of supporting the company can avoid
that possibility of MandrakeSoft reducing its Free Software involvement
in order to focus more on money making areas. It is fully compatible
with the idea of Free Software since membership is strictly voluntary.

The paradox with Linux companies is that revenue comes from commercial 
products & services and not directly from the Open Source development. 
Because of this there is a pressure to lower the Free Software side
(reduce costs in Open Source projects, change the licensing, mix
proprietary addons, delay the availability of the free version, etc) in
order to increase profitability.

The Club is a solution to avoid this paradox. Many users don't need the
commercial products or services but are very happy with the distro
itself and the fact that it is freely available with many free services
& documentation. With the Club they pay for exactly what they want plus
privileges.

More about the Club:
http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/club/
http://mandrakeforum.com/article.php?sid=1431&lang=en

Jacques.