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Considering the first example, Pogo Linux is selling hardware
for open-source software, which could awkwardly be called "open
source software hardware", or less awkwardly, as they wrote it,
"open source hardware". They aren't trying to say the source for
their hardware is open, they are trying to say their hardware is for
something (software) that is open source. You can't really blame
them, and you can't legally stop them, but we want to draw the
distinction whenever possible. I think this was the argument for
the term using the term "Open Hardware" over "Open Source Hardware"
before OSHWA was founded.<br>
<br>
To make the most of the situation I agree it would be worthwhile to
send Pogo Linux an email asking them to clarify their
advertisements, but I don't think there is much else we can do if
they don't respond.<br>
<br>
— David Carrier<br>
<br>
<br>
Windell H. Oskay wrote:
<blockquote
cite="mid:A0619E85-974C-4E96-B988-9D63B33F4667@oskay.net"
type="cite">Hey there, OSHW aficionados, <br>
While browsing stackexchange today, I came across a banner ad
for Pogo Linux, selling "[The Best Open Source Hardware] for your
IT department." Naturally I was interested, because, hey--
open source servers --neat!<br>
<br>
<br>
I'm attempting to attach my screenshot of the banner ad to this
e-mail. If it doesn't work, I've cached it as well, here:<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://evilmadscientist.s3.amazonaws.com/scratch/pogo_linux_banner.png">http://evilmadscientist.s3.amazonaws.com/scratch/pogo_linux_banner.png</a><br>
<br>
<br>
Anyway, from their About page (<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.pogolinux.com/about/">http://www.pogolinux.com/about/</a>)
Pogo Linux sells "Hardware Built for Open-Source" -- rackmount
servers that run linux and so forth. But... so far as I can
tell, they do not sell any actual OSHW-definition compliant
products. (Or do they, and just not indicate that clearly?)<br>
<br>
<br>
On this page, they further state "Trust the experience of Pogo
Linux for the best-supported Open-Source hardware in the industry"
:<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.pogolinux.com/products/go/intel-xeon-servers.php?pm=vmw16883">http://www.pogolinux.com/products/go/intel-xeon-servers.php?pm=vmw16883</a><br>
<br>
<br>
I'm afraid that this is not a good thing. To the extent that we
care about the term "Open Source Hardware" having a clearly
defined meaning-- one that can be used to hold up a
false-advertising claim for those that abuse the term --I think
that we should care about how the term is used, and do our best to
prevent dilution of its meaning.<br>
<br>
<br>
<img id="ee385386-d60f-4a02-8023-389d9df1066d" apple-width="yes"
apple-height="yes"
src="cid:part1.06000108.06000209@parallax.com" height="109"
width="745"><br>
<br>
<br>
Cheers,<br>
-Windell<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div>Windell H. Oskay, Ph.D.<br>
Co-Founder and Chief Scientist<br>
Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories<br>
175 San Lazaro Ave, STE 150 <br>
Sunnyvale CA 94086<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.evilmadscientist.com/">http://www.evilmadscientist.com/</a><br>
</div>
<br>
<br>
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</pre>
</blockquote>
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