[Colchester] Software Freedom Day

[Sam Tuke]

I understand what you're advocating, but this kind of activity usually reflects badly on Free Software and allows critics to make all sorts of claims.

Look at the extensive negative press that the FSF received as a result of encouraging similar aggressive tactics in apple stores in the US (http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/columns/free_software_foundation_fsf_apple_activism_and_drm_lessons_be_learned).

I very much doubt that people will feel comfortable to really engage with us on the street outside PCW, and besides, this kind of activity makes Free Software about Commercial software, in my view, by focusing on proprietary, rather than Free Software. Also, we make ourselves the enemy of PCW, who will make every effort no doubt to make our lives difficult and spread even more wildly inaccurate info about us and the things that we reperesent.

I think that its better to get people to come to us on our own terms, when they have chosen to show an interest and come to be informed. This means that we are not focussing on the bad points of windows (at least not so explicitly) or overtly criticising the status quo in the way that we would by camping outside PCW. Have an install fest or something instead, as we began to plan before. That way you have the time and equipment to really show off and explain Free Software. Its much better to show people that our 'product' is far more desirable than the competition on its own terms rather than in the shadow of windows. Why preach to people who are hostile to your ideas, when you can sow your information on fertile ground instead?

Of course windows is crippled evil filth, but when promoting FOSS it pays to take a calculated softly softly approach in my experience.

If you're dead set on PCW orientated activity, why not ask if you can have a table inside the store to give away software that is well known but does not directly compete with anything that they offer. I'm not sure exactly what that app would be, but I'm sure that you could think of one. That way you would be 'poisoning' their customers from within their organisation and with their blessing. Many bright people, when faced with excellet free software in one area, will start asking questions. In that way you could appear to be complementing PCW's business, whilst in reality be giving away a trojan horse, full of good messages about Free Software. People would probably be more receptive to whatever you offered them if you were working with the organisation that they had chosen to patronise. PCW may well refuse, but it could be worth a shot.

Just some ideas.

Sam.

> Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 18:30:04 +0100
> From: wayland at sothcott.co.uk
> To: colchester at mailman.lug.org.uk
> Subject: Re: [Colchester] Software Freedom Day
> 
> Sam Tuke wrote:
> > I think that the PCWorld suggestion would not be a good idea at all.
> >
> > Sam.
> People who buy PCs are potential Linux users. I think PC World is a 
> great shop but many customers seem to think that it's the best place for 
> PC advice. We might do better offering 'rescue' disks. A Live Linux CD 
> which allows them to get back online and also get access to their hard 
> drive. If we want to get some converts then we could actually give 
> suiatble rescue disks to PC World tech staff after a little chat.
> 
> The most practical way to be is to be good at all computer stuff not 
> just Windows or Mac or Linux. People are aware the Microsoft try to lock 
> them into Office 2007 by installing it 'free' and then it runs out in 3 
> months after they have saved all their stuff in 2007 format. Just a 
> quick word about saving in the earlier format means they can switch to 
> Open Office later.
> 
> Here is another thing. People who only use Internet Explorer have never 
> heard of it! Seriously, to them it's not Internet Explorer, it's The 
> Internet! However many people have heard of and use Fire Fox, but they 
> have not heard of Opera. Oddly many people who have heard of Internet 
> Explorer are now using Google Chrome, but they have confused Google 
> Chrome with Google the search engine website. The reason is that 
> Internet Explorer users have a large Google Chrome install button on 
> their Google home page!
> 
> I believe the Open Source community is having a great deal of success 
> with free software. The cost of commercial software for the features 
> people don't know about does play a big part. I know people who hate 
> Open Office but don't find a problem with what it can do, they just 
> don't like the fact it's differnt.
> 
> Wayland.
> 
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