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I personally believe in making compromises when it advances the ultimate 
goal. I think a lot of people in free software also believe in that. I 
do not for one minuite believe that Microsoft believes in that -- they 
are getting involved because they smelled the threat. They had 10s of 
billions of dollars 5 years ago and they weren't interested in 
supporting computing in developing nations until OLPC threatened to 
deluge the developing world with millions of Linux laptops.

I am not qualified to speak for anyone other than myself -- but I 
suspect that more than a few people contributed time to the OLPC because 
they saw it as being a watershed moment in the development of free software.

Free laptops for kids is a great goal, but free software for everyone is 
a better one. I for one would like to see the OLPC management hold the 
line and support the values of the community that has supported and will 
continue to support them -- for all the right reasons.

We are all in it together, except for those people who are just in it 
for themselves.

FUD has successfully taken some of the wind out of the first year market 
penetration -- but just because people are throwing mud doesn't mean we 
have to eat it. Free software isn't something to support because it has 
a great slogan, it's something you support --explicitly and exclusively 
-- because it is right.

And that is why people give heart and soul to free software projects.

I hope that I am articulating the ideal of a community here -- if this 
is just my opinion then it means nothing and you should feel free to 
disregard it.

James

Kevin Cole wrote:
> My real fear regarding getting in bed with Microsoft is that Microsoft
> devours whatever it touches, and like pushers "the first hit is
> free..."  It's X years down the road that concern me.  Putting
> "Microsoft" and "plays well with others" in the same sentence rarely
> works.  Also, this talk of "other OS's besides Linux..."  Has there
> been much mention of "Mac OS X" or by other OS's do we really mean
> "Windows. Period."  Does Apple wanna come out and play again --
> considering their ancient but somewhat lapsed interest in the
> education market?
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"The lost shafts of every man's destiny remain scattered all around him." -- Dr. Ivan Veen