Re: A challenge for community to go beyond what's already rule

[Lori Nagel]

   I believe in buying local if at all possible. Sometimes, that doesn't
   work or doesn't really make sense (like if i tried to grow all my
   tropical fruit in a greenhouse)
   Part of the problem is that also many things are shipped around the
   world, I mean, computer chips don't exactly grow on trees.  They are
   made overseas somewhere in factories and I have no idea where.  I would
   suggest buying from the most local place you can for your libreboot
   laptop.  If there isn't a local one, in your country or geographic
   area,  I think it is perfectly fine to buy an overseas one.  That is
   one of the reason why I do not support the abuse of copyright to
   prevent people from printing stuff in their own countries.
   I do try to practice what I preach (and I try not to be an annoying
   preacher alienating people with impractical ideologies.)  I am a member
   of a CSA, community supported agriculture.  I think that is an
   interesting business model that software developers should look into if
   they want to make a living from software development without resorting
   to the proprietary model for "the long tail" of software, that is,
   software that is not general purpose but has a specialized niche
   audience, (an area where there is often way to much proprietary
   software, particularly software targeted at non-technical people who
   just want to get stuff done, and not spend hours writing code.)

   On Friday, November 20, 2020, 1:04:22 PM EST, Yoni Rabkin
   <yoni@rabkins.net> wrote:
   [1]thiago@softwarelivre.net.br writes:
   >    Hey there!
   >
   >    Although I do support this kind of initiative (of new Libreboot
   laptop
   >    stores), and I am a supporter of libreboot / coreboot as well as
   Free
   >    Libre / Open Source Hardware, I would like to ask you all here:
   >
   >    Couldn't we have more popular prices? What do we have to do to
   boost
   >    more popular projects?
   >
   >    I mean, it's awesome the new store, but after opening it, I felt
   the
   >    same disappointment from before. I still wait for more popular &
   fair
   >    options. Who can & will pay for a retro with such prices? I can't,
   so
   >    seeing such stores feels like a distant dream.
   >
   >    I am from a foreign country, with its money devalued in comparison
   to
   >    your currencies. These prices are for rich gringos, for your own
   people
   >    and not for a broader community. I will never have the chance to
   get a
   >    Librebooted ThinkPad from any of the sellers I know (and I would
   like
   >    to support you) simply because it becomes too expensive. I bet
   there
   >    are lots of young (or older) free software/hardware enthusiasts
   fom the
   >    UK that can't pay for these laptops, and no relativisms can make
   such
   >    prices seem fair.
   >
   >    The community, I guess, lacks very much options for getting
   popular
   >    Librebooted ThinkPads. How to help expanding free software and
   hardware
   >    in scenarios like this? These prices are over, so we will never
   support
   >    your stores because we can't. We can just try to do it ourselves,
   >    paying fair prices getting used pieces (just as yours) from people
   that
   >    doesn't know that there are companies selling it for much more
   because
   >    it is "libreboot".
   >
   >    Even when it comes to offering the service of installing Libreboot
   or
   >    whatever, I just see obscene prices. I buy a compatible ThinkPad
   with
   >    less than you (several stores) want to charge just for the
   service.
   >
   >    Where are we going? Do we want to make things more popular and
   make the
   >    whole strong, or do we want a small community of FSF members and
   >    Librebooted laptop owners?!
   The prices Leah lists are fair.
   Please remember that when you see a "cheap" price of a laptop somewhere
   it is because that corporation is subjugating people to bring that
   price
   down; the people who built that laptop do not partake in the profits.
   An
   inexpensive and shiny new laptop is just the vanguard of an oppressive
   system, or a rich corporation/government giving out "charity" in order
   to gain control over people. Please don't compare Leah's prices to
   those.
   I realize that this explains the situation but does nothing to solve
   it. This is because what you are pointing out is the broader problem of
   world-wide income inequality. I can't solve that problem, and neither
   can Leah, but Leah is not making it any worse by offering services to
   some.
   I agree that the situation as a whole is ugly and unfair. But I don't
   want blame apportioned to people who are doing good.
   --
     "Cut your own wood and it will warm you twice"
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References

   1. mailto:thiago@softwarelivre.net.br
   2. mailto:libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org
   3. https://lists.libreplanet.org/mailman/listinfo/libreplanet-discuss