[SLUG] Poster idea, input requested

[john at johnallsopp.co.uk]

> On Mon, Nov 14, 2005 at 08:58:49PM GMT, John Allsopp wrote:
>
> --%<--
>
>> So I got to thinking "what image illustrates freedom". And I tried to
>> put all this into a few short paragraphs.
>> This isn't the final text, photograph, layout, nor font. It's
>> untidy,
>> and it's unfinished. But I thought I'd show you it in an early
stage
>> before I do any more work on it.
>
> I can't help thinking you're getting too hung up on RS and his
> ideas/beliefs.  While he's without doubt a pivotal character the
message
> is largely irrelevant to your average Fred Bloggs walking in off the
street.

RMS is obviously in my head atm that's true. But in over a year of
reading Linux Format and hanging around this world, the paragraph or
two in that book about selling 'freedom' not 'capability' are the only
words I've read on how we should be presenting Linux to the wider
world.

I'm not just following that blindly either, it makes sense to me ..
see later.

I was thinking about the library audience. I have in my head lots of
grannies going in to get cowboy romance novels and large print
knitting patterns, but I think I'm wrong.

Libraries are geeky places. They are there as a source of knowledge.
Many of the people going there are two things:

1) mentally alert, knowledge seeking, curious

2) too cheapskate/hard-up (or perhaps they are socialist-minded) to
actually buy the books they want to read

Incidentally, I'm a great library fan, I spent most of my adolescence
in one, so don't think I'm knocking it.

Mentally alert and curious people are perfect for us. Cheapskates are
perfect for us. Mentally alert cheapskates, now there's our market!

So, I was struggling, thinking the knitting pattern dears won't have a
clue, but I think I was wrong. Bob, you were spot on I think.

So, appealing at a higher level to the library audience will work, I
think.

>> Do you think it'll work for the library audience?
>
> Sorry to sit here and be all negative (again), but I doubt people
are
> irritated with their computers because they don't know how it works.

You're probably right about that.

> They are irritated because the bloody thing crashes, does weird
> things,

OK, here I agree with you, but I disagree that Linux offers any help.
Having just installed FC4 with the latest OO on a new machine, the OO
that came on the distribution disc is quite the flakiest piece of
software I've seen in probably a decade. Linux is no protection
against crashes. Sure, Linux may not crash, but the applications can
do.

As for doing wierd things, for anyone used to Windows, Linux will do
some very strange things indeed.

> requires constant updates for AV and anti-spyware software, and
> they're
> frequently forced to pay for new versions of software they already have
> just to stay in the game etc!

That's what I was trying (and failing) to get at with the rest of that
sentence. I was trying to say, without using the word, that software
companies take advantage of your ignorance (by getting you to buy
software you don't need to fix problems you shouldn't have), but Linux
companies don't.

> Clearly a "Microsoft is crap, but you already knew that!  So try
Linux
> instead." approach is out of the question.  I can't see what you've
written as grabbing peoples attention.

It's OK, I have another design to give.

> It seems like another age now, but I made a poster for the LUG for what
> was billed as a poster competition.  Of which I was the only entrant as
> I recall.  It's still available to view at
> http://al.sdf-eu.org/tmp/poster.pdf it's poorly finished and has
crap
> spelling, but it was more the idea I was trying to convey.  I
thought
> having the name of various bits of software behind the main message
might interest non-users too, particularly if they see something
they've
> used or heard of, but didn't realise was F/OSS.  Feel free to hurl
abuse/rocks etc! ;)

I'm trying to create something that will grab people's attention as
they walk past it, so big writing, a graphic, whatever. I think that
would blend in with the rest of the stand which is all very texty.

And I am stuck on the point .. that Linux is fast and reliable is
disputable. Maybe Linux works well in a benchmark, but in the real
world most people will have to spend months getting to know how it
works.

But anyway, what is not in dispute is the principle that it's free,
and since everyone likes freedom (particularly mentally active
cheapskates), that still seems to me to be a good hook to bring people
in on.

What I don't like about my poster is it gives the impression of being
about some curious cult religion, but no-one seems to have mentioned
that so maybe it's just me.

Watch out for my next idea :-)

Cheers
J