Remember the IPO bonanza of a year or two ago? Well, now's the chance for free software developers to fondly remember those days, and carefully consider the risks and rewards of investing in Mandrakesoft's IPO.
Remember the IPO bonanza of a year or two ago? Well, now's the chance for free software developers to fondly remember those days, and carefully consider the risks and rewards of investing in Mandrakesoft's IPO.
This afternoon, free software developers listed in the database of contributors to packages in the Mandrake distribution got an email from "Mandrakesoft team" requesting contact information. The timing is interesting, at best, with lots of bad news from VA, and LynuxWorks withdrawing their IPO, citing horrible market conditions.
Interestingly, the email linked from the linuxfrench site specifically states that US contributors won't be allowed to participate. If so, I'm sure that's fair turnabout from how RHAT handled overseas contributors. Or, alternatively, they might just be doing us a great favor by protecting us. Who can tell?
The free software world has changed a lot, but with this IPO we can pretend that things are what the used to be in the glory days of Linux World domination!
Maybe French Law does not allow, or makes it difficult, for non-French to participate?
You could hardly tell the email wasn't spam. And the form they sent you too didn't have any details, nor could I find any on the webpage.
I wish them well. We could certainly use more linux and linux-friendly companies.
Although I'd really like to see some that weren't in the distro business. I'd like to see some with other valid business models.
I received a different mail from Mandrakesoft (yesterday):
You are considered a Linux-Mandrake contributor because you are listed as having contributed code in the "curl" packages that are included in our product.
... and then a question about participating in their "Contributors Program".
So I figure that other mail is only sent to some contributors. I am by no means any major one.
Hmm, when I got the email and they mentioned my "apmd" package, I just assumed their rewards programme was just to get free stuff, like maybe t-shirts and free Mandrake CD's. I've gotten lots of free CD's in the past, so it didn't seem that unusual...
I didn't realize it might have anything to do with their IPO.
Purchasing stock is an investment, not an act of loyalty.
Only do it if you think it's a good investment.
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