Hello All:
Thanks for your comments and thoughts all are carefully read.
So, getting off to where all this is heading to. A bit of a ramble but necessary right now.
Now that some comments and suggestions are in:
Scenario one: A customer buys a machine from MadTux with VL Pre-installed, and
CHOOSES to take tech support that they are willing to pay for. Yes, everything here is were all this is going.
Preferred support may be a term to use. If masta is able to set up a board that will not even be visible to anyone other than the admins involved and the customer that will most likely be the way it will go for now. Email support may be another route don’t really know yet until we see what tools we have available to us with simplemachines. I cannot make a decision until I have more information.
Scenario two: a customer purchases a deluxe version of VL all the above would apply automatically included in the price for a given time frame to be decided upon. Or if they wish they can visit the forum if they choose to. Why? This customer has helped us support ourselves.
Scenario three: A customer dwnlds our free base version. They will have the option to have pre-paid support if they wish to have it at an extra cost to them for a given time. Or pay a lesser nominal amount to use the existing forum. Amounts are not known but would be minimal.
Scenario four: A customer purchases a CD of VL Deluxe or base from a re-seller for $1.99 or whatever that customer will have the option for pre-paid support. Or a nominal amount to visit the existing forum. As above
Why do this?
As I have tried to put out there we have offered to the Linux Community FREE excellent and legendary software and FREE legendary support. As a result I have subsidized VL since day one. The costs are always manageable but over the years, (

it has become an enormous amount. All we are asking is users to contribute a nominal amount for what we all know is legendary software and legendary support.
No rip off no M$ tactics, just some support to become self-sufficient, is that to much to ask? We can have our own server have some funds to promote VL. I do not understand the uproar about this.
The customer always will be the winner, and VL gets some nominal support.
If someone would like to step forward and help me out financially and with the other duties required to keep VL going, I am all ears.
Linux is changing rapidly, faster than most of us can keep up with. These changes are bringing Linux into the Enterprise arena. Why should we not be in that arena??? Again I am all ears.
This is going to happen in one form or another; we do not have a choice!! I do not have a choice. Hopefully to the general agreeance of most of us, the VL community is more than tech help it is a community of us. That is why I suggested locking it,
for us. Nothing more than protecting the folks who make VL what it is. That is it!! No scheming or back room deals.
Ubantu is close to VL, but in a lot of ways inferior.
They are on top of the heap. Maybe look at their site, look at the pre-paid help, and think why? We cannot go on forever operating at a loss. corporate sposors regularly see Linux desktop as not worth the effort. No one is planning or going to get rich with this plan. Just become who we deserve to be and that costs.
I trust this clarifies things somewhat, and as always I would really appreciate your comments suggestions and concerns.
most of all Thanks to the community!!!
Best regards
Darrell