[TriLUG] Red Hat 7.3 - pricing suggestions for the lurkers @ RHAT

[M. Mueller]

On Tuesday 07 May 2002 11:06 am, you wrote:
> On Mon, May 06, 2002 at 10:45:25PM -0400, Chris Hedemark wrote:
> > For the Red Hat lurkers on this list, please know that this pricing
> > strategy makes it hard for hobbyists and enthusiasts to continue
> > supporting your products.
>
> You do realize that said lurkers probably don't make pricing decisions,
> and that a local LUG mailing list is absolutely the wrong place to start
> such a discussion if you actually want anything changed?

Quite to the contrary.  Redhat makes money from Linux.  The TriLUG represents 
some of the most sophisticated Linux users.  Redhat should monitor LUGs.  I 
am a small business owner.  I look forward to the day when there is an AxonSG 
User Group where users will write candidly about products that I make.  
Redhat should prize the free marketing information that is available on LUGs 
LUGgers influence decision makers who buy stuff.  If the LUG thinks the price 
of a product is too high then maybe it is.  If Redhat thinks LUGs are a bunch 
of cranks who know nothing about business, then they would be wrong.

>
> For example, if I think the price of Thinkpads is too high, I don't try
> to get the price changed by posting to a LUG mailing list in hopes that a
> lurking IBMer will take my advice and IBM will lower prices the next day.

Don't discount the power of grass-roots opinion making.  Butterflies in China 
might make hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico.  If you're cynical and fail to 
try to make your opinion heard, then it won't be heard - guaranteed.

>
> This might be hyperbole, and I may be a jerk for saying it, but really,
> I subscribed to this list when I was a student working for NCSU, and it's
> off-putting when people assume that everywhere you go, you're there as a
> representative of your employer and nothing else.

I saw no personal attacks.  It seems by your response that you are proud of 
working for Redhat, as you should be.  Your company is selling ice to eskimos 
and making a profit too. The way I read the thread was that some think Redhat 
will make more money by not raising the price of the basic product.  And they 
gave detailed reasons why they think this way.  This is constructive 
criticism. Hopefully Redhat allows its employees to bring in marketing 
research from whereever it is found.  The thread writers know Redhat will see 
the thread.  Redhat shoud keep in mind that small business concerns like mine 
look on jealously as people gripe about Redhat products.  We wish people knew 
about our products and used them enough to form a user's group to gripe about 
it.

>
> Nalin
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-- 
Michael Mueller
Signalnetware, Inc.
www.signalnetware.com
919.621.6090