So, has anyone looked at the Foundation homepage...

I just read it and I'm wetting myself tbh. I've worked for multinationals that have their lawyers pore over ever press release and the resulting "all words and no content" spiel gets old really quick. Say it like it is. I expect the Foundation get "begging letters" every day from people who can't be bothered to hand over $35. The guy got antsy, so he deserved to be outed.

I wonder if it's the same nutjob that rolled up here a few weeks ago purporting to be a journalist and threating to get us all sent to jail for trolling, or somesuch.

Edit: To avoid a "hypocrisy" tag I have to say that I think there's a world of difference between banning forum members for voicing genuine concerns and outing someone who gets aggressive when his demand for a freebie is (politely) declined.

Jonathan Garrish wrote:

 

I wonder if it's the same nutjob that rolled up here a few weeks ago purporting to be a journalist and threating to get us all sent to jail for trolling, or somesuch.

"Steve wants Pi" is a very amusing conversation chez RasPi.  I really doubt it's the same nutjob -- RasPi is popular enough to attract many nutjobs.  The nutjob motivations are entirely different: Steve just wants to score a $35 computer and figures if he's annoying enough the RasPowersThatBe will give him one to make him shut up and go away.  My understanding is that the USA Patent and Trademark Office often works this way.

OTOH, "S M" was looking for attention.  One thing in common is their perseverence.  My mind boggles thinking of the spew of passive agression we would have received from "S M" had people responded.  I hope "S M" feels very silly about going to all that work collecting and presenting "evidence" and having it all spool to /dev/nul.

It is not uncommon to deal with those type of messages/communications once you are on the 'net, and it manifests with larger intensity if you are sort of a net "celebrity" from an over hyped and promoted site/project.

But I find totally unprofessional to post a dialog like that with the double intention of trying to justify attitudes because they feel less nuts than others.

I think it does not contribute anything to the project, it does not fix any of the issues that surfaced with the board hardware and software, and sets a really bad example to the community they intend to serve.

-J

If it stops another 10,000 people from "worthy causes" trying to get a freebie that they don't need or deserve then it's justified - even if it looks a little ugly in the short term.

I've had free samples piped to my business address for personal use for as long as I can remember. It makes me nothing more that a fraud. The only difference is that Texas Instruments can probably afford it better that the RPi Foundation, so I don't feel so bad. I'm still a massive hypocrite though.

If I was running a small business and someone tried to extort a "freebie" out of me with the caveat that if I refused I'd be put up as a Holocaust Denier I would probably have to kill them.

Overreaction?

Edit: but then I'm just a lowly tech that has to deal with idiots every day. I'm not a suited and booted media guy.