http://open-ryan.com/2010/03/13/software-curators/

I was in the Apple store today to ask about the iPad preorders. While I was there, the sales rep asked me why I ran Ubuntu on my laptop. I gave the answer that any iPhone owner will intuitively get: Ubuntu has an “app store”.

He said: “Really?”, and nodded sagely as I showed him around the Ubuntu Software Center. Frankly, though, while it’s pithy, it’s not 100% of my reason for loving software on Ubuntu. The real reason is that I can choose Software Curators.

When I enjoy the news somebody collects and shares, I subscribe to their Blog or Twitter Feed. I also subscribe to TV shows in pretty much the same fashion.

On Ubuntu, people can create a Personal Packaging Archive, or PPA. When I subscribe to it, the PPA’s version of software replaces the standard for the operating system. I am effectively subscribing to their software service, for my laptop. Let me give a recent example.

I recently discovered The Elementary Project. Put simply, it’s an attempt to bring a mac-like design sensibility to Ubuntu. It includes an icon set for GNOME, also a windowing theme, a GDM theme, and branched versions of applications like Abiword and Docky. They are constantly improving, and all it takes to adapt your Ubuntu box to use their packages instead of the standard is subscribing to their PPA. I also subscribe to Chromium Betas, and Firefox daily builds.

Being able to subscribe to PPA’s brings an important level of control back to the user. App Stores like the Ubuntu Software Center are nice, because they are an easy way to discover popular software by developers that the Ubuntu Project trusts. PPA’s allow me to also confer my trust on developers, to get access to their apps using the same infrastructure.

From what I hear, the next version of the Ubuntu Software Center will make it easier to browse and subscribe to PPA’s. I get the impression that Ubuntu is the only OS that understands and supports the idea of outsourcing to a trusted software Curator. I’m proud to be an Ubuntu user.

Yale makes this available. Edit to suit your needs.

http://www.library.yale.edu/~llicense/standlicagree.html

If this is true, why not simplify the tax code to get rid of the "exceptions, credits, and deductions", and then lower the rate to 22%. Then we could have a much easier time advertising our competitiveness, and we could eliminate some of the compliance costs and deadweight loss in the tax code.

The OP has commercial software, but for Open Source software (or Cloud-based software built on open source technologies) you should check out my employer.

We are an independent marketing consultancy with 10 members who on average, have over a decade of experience each. We do web marketing, print marketing, community building and management, event planning, strategic consulting and positioning, and anything else you would want out of a marketing team. We can bill hourly or price out a package or campaign.

For startups considering hiring their first marketing employee, we offer a range of specialties and experience for similar cost.

Check us out at http://initmarketing.com/ or email me at Ryan_at_initmarketing.com for more information.

--
Ryan Singer