[Ambassadors] sponsorship from Microsoft to freesoftware events in Nicaragua

[Mathieu Bridon]

On Thu, 2011-03-17 at 23:40 -0600, Neville A. Cross wrote:
> As a summary, he is willingly to invest small amounts on events without
> any logo or promotion if the community talks about interoperability.

Interoperability is one of the most fundamental values of Free Software
believers, it's great that Microsoft representatives are showing some
support.

> Bigger support will requiere banners and logos.
> 
> I have seen those in big events for freesoftware. Like in pycon,
> Microsoft has a banner and the logo was included on the schedule book,
> but there was no booth neither talks. I have never see such thing in a
> Fedora event.
> 
> I think that if the community at large (which includes a few distros,
> and other free software groups like drupal) agrees with that, then it
> will be going with the majority. For instance, if the community
> celebrates Software Fredom Day, it is a big event in which fedora in
> Nicaragua contributes. If the event has sponsorship, that does not goes
> directly to one group endorsing all sponsors. I am tricking my self?
> 
> I think it is not needed for fedora events. Talking about any other
> stuff that is not fedora or freedom is out of place.

Free Software (and thus Freedom) exists on Windows as well. Presenting
cross-OS  applications like Firefox, Gimp, Pidgin or LibreOffice will
often be the first step for lots of people to understand software
freedom and potentially make a full move to a Free OS later.

That can't be a bad thing.

> We tend not to
> even mention others distros, because we have a topic.

I mention other distros all the time at Fedora events. We even invite
people from other distros (mainly Ubuntu and Mandriva/Mageia) to the
events we organize in France.

As long as everyone understands that we don't compete and that we have
better things to do than trolling at each other, there isn't any problem
with that in my opinion.

> Do I am being to
> narrow minded? I think that resources is besides the point as Fedora
> backs up Fedora activities. Or do I should try to use their money and
> save Fedora money for other things?

Why not? The money you won't take from the Fedora budget can be used to
fund other events, hackfests, FADs, marketing materials, etc.

As long as they don't require you to do anything inappropriate or
contrary to your values, I don't see any reason why you should refuse
*any* help for organizing a better event.

That goes for any corporate funding as far as I'm concerned.

For example, I would refuse a funding from Red Hat/Fedora if they
prevented me from voluntarily helping someone who has trouble with his
server and instead sending him to the Red Hat paid support. That has
never happened though, and I don't think it's very likely. :)


-- 
Mathieu