Re: [cobalt-users] New Cobalt Support Site

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 05:29 PM 2/25/00 -0800, you wrote:

> I have just registered cobaltsupport.com

Has cobalt registered their name as a trademark?  If so, then they might be 
able to get the domain from you if they wanted to.  Not saying they would, 
but read the registration guidelines of all the major registrars for more 
information.

> This new Web Site will be the home of free support.

It's a wonderful thought.  There are lots of free support sites on the 
web.  There are even a lot of free cobalt-product support sites on the 
web.  Welcome to the club.

> I want to find a few volunteers to develop and administer the site.

Now that's the hard part.

> I also want to find a team of volunteers to assist people in need of help on
> there cobalt servers.  Like fixing problems for users that need it, or any
> other problem that may arise.

You mean that in addition to monitoring the list and answering questions, 
you want me to spend time reading a bulletin board on a site?  I've already 
said I don't have the time for that.  Hopefully, a lot of people will, though.

> I am sure cobalt will be upset that I am thinking of other support options
> that wont cost $200.00 per hour.

This list has long been a support option that doesn't cost $200 an hour.  I 
realize that you think it doesn't answer all your support needs.  What 
makes you think your site will?

> This service will be 100% FREE at all
> times.

As is this list.

>  We may want to sell advertising on this site just to keep it alive.

Do you expect it to get so much traffic that you can't afford to host 
it?  Or do you think that you'll have to pay people to give the 
support?  Or do you just want to earn the $35/year site renewal fee?

Do you have any idea how many visual impressions you'd have to give me 
before I'd pay you for advertising?

> Let me know what you all think.

I already give as much support as I can afford to give, on this 
list.  Spreading me (and others like me) thinner, isn't the answer, in my 
opinion.  I get a lot of consulting clients, too.  I even get some of them 
from people I've met on this list.  I've had to drop about twenty other 
lists I used to read because of my interest in supporting the Cobalt community.

I hope you'll be successful; the Cobalt community needs a lot of 
support.  Just don't expect the supporters to magically appear.  Even 
people like Red Hat have discovered they can give away product but they 
have to charge for support.  Good Luck!

Jeff

--
Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>