How VIA Could Have Not Screwed Its Linux Chances

[bugmenot2]

No, there *are* people *behind* VIA.
[...]
Don't you hate when unknown people start telling you what you should do?

I would be thankful if someone pointed out, what I could do better. And of course there are people behind a company. But if someone manages a company he is responsible for the company and should be open to critics. If the person is not open, it's the wrong job. People can say what they want that I should do, I can decide on my own what I do and what I don't do. I don't think the article should be that negative. And maybe it helps.
But I think our positions are clear and of course I accept yours.

[marek]

Well I guess the purpose of this server is not to write private emails to troublesome hardware companies, and everybody knows that writing such emails is a waste of time. I think NVIDIA should have bought them so that we can start at least *some* discussion about their patents. Die, VIA, die.

[EasyTarget]

What's the point of exposing this whole litany publicly? Do you want VIA to do something? So send this letter directly to the hierarchy instead. If you make good points then they should raise VIA management's interest. If not, well, you'll have tried. So far so good.

But I see no reason to publish this on a web site. If VIA deserves some interest, they'll get some. If not, they won't and they'll lose something. But exposing a theory over the whole Internet about a company like this is the case is not the right way to gain some esteem. Instead of shouting loud to the whole planet about what VIA should have done, talk to VIA directly about what you think they should do.

IMHO.

How come you posted this publicly instead of emailing it directly to Michael?

[gtrawoger]

My last motherboard with a VIA chip on was a Asus A8V-Deluxe. That thing gave me nothing but trouble, Windows or Linux.

I tried in vain to get it to run properly, since it always "dumped" the drives that were connected to it. What would happen is it would slowly step down the speed of the drive until it pretty much disconnected it. There was no reason for it, and there was no pattern to find.

Long story short, the board was replaced and I will vote with my money. No VIA chipset goes into anything I purchase anymore, no matter how enticing the price may be.

And as to whether it was a good thing Michael chose to publish his ideas here or not, it guess it is one of those things that will be seen in hindsight. But I don't think either way would be wrong/right.