[freeside-users] 4 Problems With Freeside

[Ivan Kohler]

On Wed, Feb 15, 2006 at 01:40:25PM -0600, Kyle Leissner wrote:
> Ivan,
> 
> I would love to contribute a patch, but unfortunately I can not program.
> I would also love to pay you to work on parts of my system, but according to 
> your last email you are not willing to work on my system unless you have 
> installed it yourself.

That's correct.  It isn't anything personal - working on installs I 
didn't setup just isn't a service I offer.

The only commercial service I currently offer to self-installs is 
customization work, for folks that are comfortable checking code out of 
CVS and upgrading their systems themselves.

As with any open-source software, I don't have an artificial monopoly on 
customization services.  If you can't or don't want to write changes you 
need yourself, you can hire the programmer of your choice to do so.  
There's no need to deal with me if you don't find my services 
reasonable.

Hopefully, you would also contribute the changes you sponsor back to the 
codebase, so that you can easily upgrade to new versions without having 
to reintegrate your changes.

> Plus, last time I got a quote from you it was in the thousands of 
> dollars range. If I wanted to spend this kind of money I would have 
> gone with Rodopi or another paid software provider.

My commercial services directly compete with Rodopi and other vendors.  
I've done multiple conversions for folks from Rodopi to Freeside.

It is a shame that the only value you see in Freeside is its low cost, 
but given that it isn't surprising you don't find my commercial services 
a fit.  I try to offer fair prices and compete on high quality, good 
service and license freedom.

> I can not seem to 
> justify why I would spend thousands of dollars on opensource software 
> to have it be complete, whereas there are other programs arlready out 
> there completed for the same price.

Certainly there are features we don't have, but I think it is a pretty 
inaccurate characterization to say Freeside is "incomplete" and the 
competition is "complete" just because it carries a price tag and a 
proprietary license.

> If you are willing to adjust your rates I am will to work with you.

No thanks, I'm booked as it is.  Not really interested in even more work 
at less money, I'd rather spend the little free time I have left skiing 
or with the cats.  Good luck with the software.

-- 
_ivan