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<p><br>
> <br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
>-----------<wbr>---------<wbr>-------- Original Message ------------<wbr>---------<wbr>-------<br>
>Subject: [Africasource2-<wbr>l] An open letter to Steve Ballmer]<br>
>From: Frederick Noronha <<a href="mailto:fred%40bytesforall.org">fred@bytesforall.<wbr>org</a>><br>
>Date: Sun, November 4, 2007 09:09<br>
>To: <a href="mailto:africasource2-l%40lists.tacticaltech.org">africasource2-<wbr>l@lists.tactical<wbr>tech.org</a><br>
> <a href="mailto:africasource-l%40lists.tacticaltech.org">africasource-<wbr>l@lists.tactical<wbr>tech.org</a><br>
>-----------<wbr>---------<wbr>---------<wbr>---------<wbr>---------<wbr>---------<wbr>--<br>
><br>
><a href="http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/">http://blog.<wbr>mandriva.<wbr>com/2007/<wbr>10/31/an-<wbr>open-letter-<wbr>to-steve-<wbr>ballmer/</a><br>
><br>
>10.31.07<br>
>An open letter to Steve Ballmer<br>
><br>
>Posted in English, Francais, Mandriva at 10:51 pm by Francois Bancilhon<br>
><br>
>Dear Steve,<br>
><br>
>Hi, this is Francois, from Mandriva.<br>
><br>
>I'm sure we are way too small for you to have heard of us. You know,<br>
>we are one of these Linux company who is working hard to make its<br>
>place in the market. We publish a Linux Distro, called Mandriva Linux.<br>
>Mandriva Linux 2008, our last edition, has a pretty good review and<br>
>we're proud of it. You should try it, I'm sure you'd like it. We also<br>
>happen to be one of the Linux companies that did not sign an agreement<br>
>with your company (nobody's perfect).<br>
><br>
>We recently closed a deal with the Nigerian Government. Maybe you<br>
>heard about it, Steve. They were looking for an affordable<br>
>hardware+software solution for their schools. The initial batch was<br>
>17,000 machines. We had a good deal to respond to their need: the<br>
>Classmate PC from Intel, with a customized Mandriva Linux solution. We<br>
>presented the solution to the local government, they liked the<br>
>machine, they liked our system, they liked what we offered them,<br>
>especially the fact that it was open, and that we could customize it<br>
>for their country and so on.<br>
><br>
>Then, your people get in the game and the deal got more competitive. I<br>
>would not say it got dirty, but someone could have said that. Your<br>
>team fought and fought again the deal, but still the customer was<br>
>happy with the CMPC and Mandriva.<br>
><br>
>We actually closed the deal, we took the order, we qualified the<br>
>software, we got the machine shipped. To conclude, we did our job.<br>
>And, the machine are being delivered right now.<br>
><br>
>Now, we hear a different story from the customer : "we shall pay for<br>
>the Mandriva Software as agreed, but we shall replace it by Windows<br>
>afterward."<br>
><br>
>Wow! I'm impressed, Steve! What have you done to these guys to make<br>
>them change their mind like this? It's quite clear to me, and it will<br>
>be to everyone. How do you call what you just did Steve? There is<br>
>various names for it, I'm sure you know them.<br>
><br>
>Of course, I will keep fighting this one and the next one, and the<br>
>next one. You have the money, the power, and maybe we have a different<br>
>sense of ethics you and I, but I still believe that hard work, good<br>
>technology and ethics can win too.<br>
><br>
>cheers<br>
><br>
>Francois<br>
><br>
>PS: a message to our friends in Nigeria: it's still time to do the<br>
>right thing and make the right choice, you will get lots of support<br>
>for it and excellent services!<br>
><br>
><br>
>--<br>
>Frederick Noronha <a href="http://fn.goa-india.org">http://fn.goa-<wbr>india.org</a> Ph 0091-832-2409490<br>
>12000+ downloadable, sharable hi-res photos<br>
><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/">http://www.flickr.<wbr>com/photos/<wbr>fn-goa/</a><br>
>___________<wbr>_________<wbr>_________<wbr>_________<wbr>_________<br>
>Africasource2-<wbr>l mailing list<br>
><a href="mailto:Africasource2-l%40lists.tacticaltech.org">Africasource2-<wbr>l@lists.tactical<wbr>tech.org</a><br>
><a href="http://lists.tacticaltech.org/mailman/listinfo/africasource2-l">http://lists.<wbr>tacticaltech.<wbr>org/mailman/<wbr>listinfo/<wbr>africasource2-<wbr>l</a><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
>--<br>
>No virus found in this incoming message.<br>
>Checked by AVG Free Edition.<br>
>Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.15.23/1114 - Release Date: <br>
>06/11/2007 20:05<br>
<br>
-- <br>
No virus found in this outgoing message.<br>
Checked by AVG Free Edition. <br>
Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.15.23/1114 - Release Date: 06/11/2007 20:05<br>
<br>
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