Comments on this weblog

Showing messages 1 through 6 of 6.

• Great Linux Desktop Migration Contest Us Only!
  2004-07-14 10:53:09  tug [View]
  
  
  From the T&Cs "Please do not participate if you are not a legal resident of the United States and located in the United States at the time of entry"
  
  Come on Tim!
  
  You know very well that the migration stories from places like Mexico and Germany match or exceed anything happening in the US at the moment.
  
  Why not tell Novell there's a big world out there doing really interesting stuff?
• Great Linux Desktop Migration Contest Us Only!
  2004-07-14 13:01:55  Tim O'Reilly | [View]
  
  
  I think that's a legal issue regarding contests that we may not be able to affect. But I'm not sure of that. I'll definitely look into it, because I completely agree with your point!
• Great Linux Desktop Migration Contest Us Only!
  2004-07-14 23:37:12  jwenting [View]
  
  
  It's always the same with anything US, they have no regard for the outside world.
  
  Your own programming language poster is a typical example, you specifically made it available ONLY to US customers (and a few who could visit a small one day event in Germany on a weekday which pretty much exclused anyone who has a job in Europe).
  
  Same with magazine subscriptions. US customers pay $10 a year, European customers over $100 a year for the same mag.
  
  Same with contests. I highly doubt it's a legal issue, there's no law in Europe which bans us from taking part in foreign contests and I doubt there's a law in the US which bans foreigners from taking part in yours as often those contests are open to Canadians but closed to people from Hawaii, Puerto Rico and US citizens living abroad.
  That makes me think the reason is purely one of money. The cost of getting the prize to the winner is higher when the winner is not locates in the CONUS and Canada so those people are barred from entry.
  
• Great Linux Desktop Migration Contest Us Only!
  2004-07-15 09:40:13  Bruce Stewart | [View]
  
  
  Actually it is about legal issues. Contests like this are not legal in all countries, and in some countries they are legal but there are adminstrative or other procedural requirements that must be met.
  
  So while it is possible to open up contests like this to participants from some other countries, the burdens of clearing the promotion through counsel in each country, registering where applicable, and taking into account each country's legal requirements makes opening up U.S. contests like this to non-U.S. residents impractical in almost all cases.
  
  We know there are lots of interesting things happening around Linux migrations in many other countries, and we specifically looked into the possibiltiy of opening this contest up to non-U.S. entries, but the hurdles to doing that would have made it impossible for us to run the contest at all.
  
• Great Linux Desktop Migration Contest Us Only!
  2004-07-21 02:57:38  grabbing [View]
  
  
  Then maybe it's better you don't. Obviously, you're p*ssing a lot of people of for the benefit of US only. Do you want an international business or not?
  
  Think of the message you're sending to all non-US residents. It comes out as self-centered and elitist.
• Great Linux Desktop Migration Contest Us Only!
  2004-07-21 20:51:54  scottellsworth [View]
  
  
  The message is pretty clear - if the rules of running a contest in multiple countries make it financially unreasonable, then contests will not reach outside their home countries. If you do not like this state of affairs, then contact your legislators and make it clear to them that you want the process to be easier. Tim does not make the laws where you live - your local government does.
  
  I have made my views clear - I am strongly opposed to trade barriers, as I believe that they end up making a country weaker, not stronger. Byzantine legal differences are just one form of trade barrier. Put another way, business practices differ strongly between countries, and there is little incentive to unify them. If we, as consumers, voters, and workers make it clear to our suppliers, legislators, and rulers that we want unification, then we will get it.
  
  Scott