Re: OpenBSD CDs design

["Robin S. Socha" <robin@socha.net>]

* Janet Sullivan <eliyanah@techie.com> writes:
>> See the real thing still has the high "cute/cool" factor but doesn't
>> come off as cheesy anime for adolescent video game packaging.

> Tastes differ.  Personally, I *love* the 2.8 cover and think its the
> best one yet.  I'd hope that any "sale" to management would be based
> on the features, not the fish.  

For me, it was a problem, though. We new ex-cow-orker (God bless his
little MCSE'ified soul) and I had to do presentations. Small company,
grown from 5 to ~35. When I joined, I knew Linux best and the price was
right because money was scarce. The usual stuff (dial-up ISDN, Samba,
sendmail, INN, Squid). Well, then we got bigger, and I managed to
squeeze in that OpenBSD box (noone was asking about Software because
they didn't understand, anyway). Good choice. Converted 5 production
machines in the meantime. The whole DJB suite + Courier. Great fun,
glorious joy.

Enter MCSE. "You know, this is all crap" (well, we didn't have much
money, and the PII 200 worked fine) "and totally insecure" (beg pardon?)
and OpenBSD was created in 1985" (say *WHAT*?) "and hasn't developed
since". Ummm... OK. So what else? "We need Win2k with <crapware
price=insane quantity=+7> because it has encrypted filesystems and
IPSEC". OK, so we're going to replace our perfectly good 2 servers + the
Ciscos with? "5xNT, Checkpoint, ArcServe, blablabla". Ok, so we're
replacing $10.000 with? "And for only $70.000". Ummm... Not really?

Boss: "Well, finally we will be compatible!"
Me:   "Which colour for the firewall?"
Boss: "Blue would be nice..."

> After all, fat penguins and daemons in tennis shoes aren't exactly
> "suit and tie" either.

No. And that sucks so very, very bad. I could sell OpenBSD for $15.000
per CD if it came with consultants in suits and glossy brochures with
meaningful statements like "get a BDC in case the PDC crashes" ("server"
and "crash" don't exist in *my* world, Mr. Gates...).

Well, after 8 days of wading through the excellent documentation for
Win2k server ("only $400 from MS Press"), our admin decided that she
needed professional help". Anyone got a job in Vienna or the US for a
frustrated Senior Consultant? And no, I do not do Windows. Ever.
-- 
Robin S. Socha <http://socha.net/>
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