[592] in linux-announce channel archive
LI Consultants Directory Project
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Lars Wirzenius)
Sat May 20 00:56:40 1995
Date: Fri, 19 May 1995 07:56:03 -0500
From: Lars Wirzenius <wirzeniu@rose.uthscsa.edu>
To: linux-activists@niksula.hut.fi, linux-announce@vger.rutgers.edu
X-Mn-Key: announce
From: "Mark R. Lindsey" <mark@eskimo.com>
Subject: LI Consultants Directory Project
Keywords: consultants support professional Linux International
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.announce
Organization: ?
Approved: linux-announce@news.ornl.gov (Lars Wirzenius)
Followup-to: comp.os.linux.misc
Announcing Linux International's Linux Consultants Directory:
A method for Linux users to survey
the market and contact Linux professionals
Introduction
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is hardly necessary to say that Linux works, and works well. Tens of
thousands of people worldwide know this! Often individuals learn Linux,
and happily use it to solve a problem or meet a general need in their
workplace. Linux has been very sucessfully deployed in this way.
But Linux is a real operating system, and although it is free it has a
real commercial presence. It can perform tasks that highly priced
competitors either cannot, or do in a clumsy or - worst of all! -
proprietry way. Traditional methods of approaching operating systems
deployment are also valid, and have been used with Linux for years.
Things like training, planning, telephone support, extra documentation
and general consultancy services are all available - for those who know
where to look.
Linux was not created by any one organisation or corporation, and so its
users are not supported by any one organisation. For many users,
particularly ones migrating to Linux from commercial environments, there
is a lack of focussed support. Although support exists, there has not
been a single clear point contact. At first sight, it seems unlikely:
DEC will support VMS and Microsoft will support Windows NT, providing
users pay and are within organisational limitations. Who will support
Linux?
There are many professional consultants are available. Because of the
nature of Linux and its legally enforced licenses (e.g. the GNU General
Public License), these consultants are able to provide clients with
excellent support. Large companies such as Sun, Hewlett-Packard and ICL
all support their own operating systems - but how many of their
consultants have access to the source code to definitively answer
questions and solve problems? How many of them have any chance of seeing
a generally applicable improvement required by a particular client
incorporated into the next release of the operating system? There are
individuals and companies dedicated to providing this sort of service,
and more.
Linux International believes it is important that users know
* What consulting services are available
* Who the consultants are
* Where the consultants are physically
* Where they can make further enquiries
and in order to provide this information, Linux International is
proposing the formation of the Linux Consultants Directory, LILCD.
Proposal
~~~~~~~~
The Linux International Linux Consultants Directory would be composed of
all those capable of providing professional aid to Linux users. This aid
may be in the form of equipment, software, on-site service,
publications, pointers to other information sources (meta-consulting),
or any other kind of organised support. So many innovations have been
spin-offs from Linux that quite possibly new concepts in support and
consultancy will be developed.
The searchable database of the LILCD data would be made available on free of
charge in every possible way: online, with CD distributions, in printed
form, readme's, local user group publications and so on.
The goals of Linux International via this Directory:
* Propogation of quality Linux support for all users
* Improvement of Linux support via free competition
* Formation of a united front for support of Linux
Implementation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Listing in the Consultants Directory would be open to all individuals
and firms willing to provide Linux support. The database to be made
available would include information on each consultant, including their
name, address, phone numbers and network addresses, location within
their locale, types of services offered, and any other information
pertinant to the user seeking aid.
Call for volunteers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the coordinator of Linux International Consultants Directories
project, I invite your questions, comments, and ideas for this venture.
Contact me at the address listed in the signature, or feel free to
initiate a talk with me at mark@eskimo.com. The ideas of the Linux
community are necessary for the proper organisation of the Consultants
Directory, as it will be composed entirely of active supporters of
linux. It must represent the spirit embodied within Linux.
We also need volunteers to help with the implementation of the
organisation of the directory and the management of the associated
databases and information system. Even if you can only donate a small
amount of time, your support will be appreciated!
Contacting us
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please contact us! You can help by submitting your ideas, aiding in the
technical aspect of the database and IS development, by listing your
firm in the Directory (thereby aiding all users in your area!), or by
simply telling us what you think of any aspect of the idea.
Mark R. Lindsey [][] Linux International's Consultants Directory Project
mark@eskimo.com [][] Mark.Lindsey@li.org
PGP key fingerprint: DB 6B 9E 9F B5 F2 9B 6D A0 BE D8 10 6B 22 8F 06
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