3 ms·

Yeah... I have major concerns about how significantly this would impact their ostensible goals. What guarantee is there that the newly publicly listed company

Yeah... I have major concerns about how significantly this would impact their ostensible goals. What guarantee is there that the newly publicly listed company won't be pressured by stockholders to improve the profit margins by driving up prices and reducing product quality on both the hardware and software fronts.

elashri 3y ago
> What guarantee is there that the newly publicly listed company won't be pressured by stockholders to improve the profit margins by driving up prices and reducing product quality on both the hardware and software fronts. Isn't that what a public typical company do these days anyway? Or is there a sarcasm tone I am missing somehow?
- techdragon 3y ago
  That’s my point. They are ostensibly setup to primarily be a charity even if there’s a commercial organisation buried in the business structure (like Mozilla and a few other corps) … while the charity is in control the mission is simple, the charity is the owner and the owners of a company make the decisions. Shifting to publicly listed means the owners are now the shareholders, it’s rare that public shareholders have zero board of directors representation, which is why I fear this is basically going to kill everything the Raspberry Pi Foundation have worked to build … the only question in my mind is how fast this kills it, I just can’t see how this won’t result in shareholders pressuring the company into compromising in the name of raw profit or whatever else is necessary for them to raise the stock price so the investors can get some profit.
  - graemep 3y ago
    It depends a lot on how they do it. How large a shareholding the non-profit retains, whether it retains controls by other means such as a golden share etc.
Astraco 3y ago
Don't worry about prices going up and reducing quality, that have been happening since RPi 4
- HankB99 3y ago
  I've been having issues with their S/W for a while now. * Couldn't select a current version of the OS to install on a Pi Zero. * Can't install the current version on an SSD that will run on a Pi 4B. An SSD install works. The same install on an SD card does work. * An install that runs on a Pi 5 won't run on a Pi 4B. I asked about the first on their forum and my post was deleted before anyone could answer. No reason was given and I could find no where to ask. The post was in no way critical or inflammatory. They just don't want to discuss problems with their stuff. There were a lot of changes in how the imager works and what happens on first boot and I suspect they are still catching up with related bugs.
mrmanner 3y ago
That could end up not too bad actually - the for-profit company becomes hugely profitable, the foundation uses the dividends to further their goals of affordable computer education etc. etc.

elashri 3y ago

> What guarantee is there that the newly publicly listed company won't be pressured by stockholders to improve the profit margins by driving up prices and reducing product quality on both the hardware and software fronts. Isn't that what a public typical company do these days anyway? Or is there a sarcasm tone I am missing somehow?

techdragon 3y ago
That’s my point. They are ostensibly setup to primarily be a charity even if there’s a commercial organisation buried in the business structure (like Mozilla and a few other corps) … while the charity is in control the mission is simple, the charity is the owner and the owners of a company make the decisions. Shifting to publicly listed means the owners are now the shareholders, it’s rare that public shareholders have zero board of directors representation, which is why I fear this is basically going to kill everything the Raspberry Pi Foundation have worked to build … the only question in my mind is how fast this kills it, I just can’t see how this won’t result in shareholders pressuring the company into compromising in the name of raw profit or whatever else is necessary for them to raise the stock price so the investors can get some profit.
- graemep 3y ago
  It depends a lot on how they do it. How large a shareholding the non-profit retains, whether it retains controls by other means such as a golden share etc.

Astraco 3y ago

Don't worry about prices going up and reducing quality, that have been happening since RPi 4

HankB99 3y ago
I've been having issues with their S/W for a while now. * Couldn't select a current version of the OS to install on a Pi Zero. * Can't install the current version on an SSD that will run on a Pi 4B. An SSD install works. The same install on an SD card does work. * An install that runs on a Pi 5 won't run on a Pi 4B. I asked about the first on their forum and my post was deleted before anyone could answer. No reason was given and I could find no where to ask. The post was in no way critical or inflammatory. They just don't want to discuss problems with their stuff. There were a lot of changes in how the imager works and what happens on first boot and I suspect they are still catching up with related bugs.

mrmanner 3y ago

That could end up not too bad actually - the for-profit company becomes hugely profitable, the foundation uses the dividends to further their goals of affordable computer education etc. etc.