Path: key!amdahl!pacbell.com!decwrl!decwrl!concert!samba.oit.unc.edu!sunSITE!mdw From: callis@noc.usfca.edu (Kim C. Callis) Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.announce Subject: Re: The Linus Fund (EVERYONE READ THIS THREAD) Followup-To: comp.os.linux.misc Date: 13 Sep 1993 18:09:55 GMT Organization: Linux. It's not just for breakfast anymore. Lines: 76 Approved: linux-announce@tc.cornell.edu (Matt Welsh) Message-ID: <272d1j$2i5@samba.oit.unc.edu> References: <270rt7$jrv@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu> <270sih$do@nigel.msen.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: calypso.oit.unc.edu Keywords: Linux fund money donations Originator: mdw@sunSITE [Forwarded from c.o.l.d at request of Jeff Kopmanis. --mdw] In article <26ung9$n2m@noc.usfca.edu> callis@noc.usfca.edu (Kim C. Callis) writes:
Fellow Linux Users,
I have read the messages regarding donations to Linus in order for hime to continue the development of Linux. I will even admit that I am surprised that people are genuinely interested in rewarding the creator of Linux for his contributions. This has moved me in ways I can understand, so I am going to do the following. On Monday, September 13, I will open and deposit $100.00 in a trust account. Anyone interested in contributing to the Linus Dream Machine Fund can send a donation which will be deposited in the account. During this time, we will find out from Linus what his dream machine consists of and figure out the ammount of money needed to achieve this machine. At the time when we receive the amount, a machine will be configured to meet Linus' specifications and sent off to him.
Of course the question will be how can you confirm that I am not taking this money in Linus name and going to have a big party with it. Well, I am hoping that the goodwill of the net will out-weigh any pessimistic views but if not, I have come up with a plan.
All monies received will be amounts will be publicly posted. When money is received, I will send the person a receipt which will be signed with a public key signature of mine (using PGP 2.0). Each week, I will post to the net a total of all monies received, and a person can check to see if his or her name is on the list. The account will be set up as a trust account with myself as administrator limited to withdrawing of funds to be distributed to one Linus Torvald (Sorry, I have the spelling of the name somewhere...) in Finland. So, that will limit the money distrubution. Also to all interested parties in the united States, I will send via e-mail the (800) automated account inquiry number for BoA, as well as account information and any needed access number need to find the status of the account.
As mentioned above, when an amount is reached which will allow Linus to purchase his dream machine (Please bear in mind Linus, that you need to monitor the posting and vary your list according to funds available), BoA will cut a certified funds check to Linus, and only to Linus.
Considering what we have received from Linus, I think that this would be a noble gesture on the part of all of us who without Linus would have been doomed to buying some version of Un*x and paying a stiff prices for all the add-ons which the Linux provides us for free. Furthermore, this would serve to show the goodwill of a community based not on race, color, or creed, but upon content of character. Let's face it, few of us ever get to meet people who post via netnews or write programs which we tend to use day to day. Yet we communicate with each other as if we have known each other for long periods of time. We instruct each other, we learn from each other, we argue (flame) each other, and we grow from all of this. I believe that the Internet serves as a moderator of internation goodwill. Let's see if we can take it one step forward, and see if the goodwill extends all the way to rewarding someone for a great contibution to our community.
If anyone has any suggestions, rebuttals, or general comments on how to make this idea of mine work, please feel free to e-mail me or post for general discussion.
-- ******************************************************************* * Kim C. Callis * * Univ. of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA * * EMAIL: callis@usfca.edu or callis@dons.ac.usfca.edu * ******************************************************************* DISCLAIMER: As long as nothing I say attempts to represent the views of the Univ. of San Francisco, they could care less what I have to say. Meaning that anything said, like it or not, is strictly my own personal opinion and views.
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