[plug] Press Release: Richard Sharpe & NS Computer Software gaincontracts on open source software

[Leon Brooks]

Bret Busby wrote:
> Richard Sharpe wrote:
>> In what may be a world-first, Richard Sharpe and NS Computer Software &
>> Services P/L (NS) has gained two contracts on open source software.

>> NS now has contracts to work on Ethereal, the popular GTK+-based packet
>> capture and decode package.  These contracts include:

>>   - Writing both a user's guide and a developers guide for Ethereal.
>>     This will provide high-quality documentation for Ethereal.

>>   - Writing an Ethereal dissector and a tcpdump decoder for the new
>>     BXXP protocol. This conract was obtained via SourceXchange, the
>>     marketplace for opensource development.

>> NS Computer will seek to further develop its role an[d] capability
>> as a player in the open source software world.  These developments
>> complement its already strong position as a supplier in the rapidly
>> expanding arena of Open Source Software, with a Samba course and a
>> Linux course having been developed and being actively presented.

> Is this acceptable use of the mailing list?

I vote "yes." The only touchy bit is the last RS paragraph I quoted, and
if we can survive announcements of (free, and soon Free) StarOffice here
without comment, we can tolerate this.

BTW, Richard, "complement" is a poor word to use in the computer world,
as it also means "invert" or "opposite", as in ~0 == MAXINT.

> The posting is self promotion; is not seeking advice on a problem, and
> is not seeking paid assistance, but is rather, apparently, using the
> mailing list for free advertising of commercial services.

Uh, commercial? Therein lies the nub. I would suspect that a close
reading would reveal that it is not soliciting business, nor are the
projects contained therein of a commercial nature.

> The posting is entitled "Press Release". I thought that such items
> should be directed to such entities as freshmeat, slashdot, perhaps,
> Linux Gazette, etc.

It probably has been. And to all of his friends as well. (-:

-- 
Linux will not get in the door by simply mentioning it... it must win
by proving itself superior. We have no marketing department, our sales
department is an FTP server in North Carolina and our programming
department spans 7 continents. Am I getting through? -- Signal11 (/.)