On Tue, 27 Oct 2020 15:47:29 -0700
Rick Moen <rick@???> wrote:

> Quoting John Crisp via Dng (dng@???):
>
> [snip much-appreciated picture of behind-the-scenes management
> folderol at Thunderbird Project:]
>

Thanks ;-) I have an alter ego that is on some lists as this ego (!)
got banned some years back. I have had recent chats with one or two
there who appraised me of a few things.

> > The problem is decent alternatives are not great [...]
>
> Just in case people have lost track of this, the long-term nub of the
> problem is: revenue model.
>

Always boils down to filthy lucre.


> Firefox brought in money. Thunderbird did not. When all is said and
> done, Mozilla Foundation is an appendage of Mozilla, Inc., which as a
> for-profit corporation is bound to a depressing pursuit of quarterly
> earnings targets as a primary objective. From the corporate
> perspective, Thunderbird development resources are deadweight, a
> dispensible community sponsorship that earns nothing.
>

Yes, as a corporate project TB was a drag to them.

However, TB still receives a not insignificant income, almost
exclusively from donations.

The alleged reason for going corporate was they could "do things they
couldn't as a NfP"

Hmmm. Quite frankly the only thing I can see they can have is shares,
dividends and pay people more money.....

I guess they are trying to establish themselves as a corporate entity
to appeal more to businesses and be more 'business like' with
support contracts or whatever.

It'll probably end up as more jobs for the boys., he said cynically.

The TB council is controlled by a few loyal MZ supporters (because it
is EXTREMELY hard for anyone to actually get elected due to the
qualifying requirements, and voters qualifying requirements), and the
whole thing is tightly controlled by MZ themselves, despite them saying
TB is a separate entity.

It was MOZILLA employees that did the recent banning.....

Go figure.

Note I believe there is a side story to be told about the recent
Enigmail push but am not at liberty blah blah.

Hey ho - what do I know?

:-)