[Sussex] July moot

[Al Bennett]

Hey Gavin

Good topic, I think the key is to ease people into it, so I guess there's 
two things I'd suggest:

Firstly, users don't have to follow the penguin exclusively, there are ways 
to play with Linux in an easy and non-harmful to Windows fashion, ie Knoppix 
and VMWware/other virtualisation stuff (my girlfriend is getting good at 
booting Knoppix to fix problems with her Windows box, for example, it 
managed to mount a damaged floppy that Windows didn't like).

Secondly, the penguin can be introduced by the back door, starting by 
following the Fox (of Fire) and the birdies (of the Thunder and OpenOffice 
varieties) and the rest of the animals of the ark.  Once all your apps are 
open then using an open OS isn't such a huge step.

I'm sure you'll get other "contributions and pearls of wisdom" on the night!

Good luck!

Al

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nic James Ferrier" <nferrier at tapsellferrier.co.uk>
To: "LUG email list for the Sussex Counties" <sussex at mailman.lug.org.uk>
Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 11:09 AM
Subject: Re: [Sussex] July moot


> linux at oneandoneis2.org writes:
>
>> Quoting Gavin Stevens <starshine at gavmusic.uklinux.net>:
>>
>>> I have a few ideas I would like to share with the group regarding
>>> encouraging home users to "follow the penguin".
>>
>>> Contributions & pearls of wisdom from the audience would, on this
>>> occasion, be encouraged.
>>
>> Well, normally I'd say that the first thing to bear in mind is that
>> some users will always be happier sticking with Windows, so it's
>> important not to come across as one of those overbearing "Linux is
>> perfect in absolutely all ways and you're daft not to switch" zealots
>> :o)
>>
>> But I've spent this whole week using the public beta of Vista (for the
>> purposes of writing an "Upgrading to Vista vs. Switching to Linux"
>> article, I hasten to add) and frankly, I'm no longer sure I believe
>> that. So I'll just sit quietly ;o)
>
> For the life of me I can't see what is contoversial or wrong with the
> statement:
>
>  Linux is perfect in absolutely all ways and you're daft not to
>  switch [from Windows]
>
> because in comparison to Windows it is perfect   /8->
>
>
> Also, that is not really the point about why you should switch. You
> should switch because software should be free. If we don't fight to
> make it free then our computers will become like our cars... closed
> systems that can have their behaviour changed without our consent and
> only do what the manufacturer has preconfigured them to do.
>
> That's really the point of free software: computers are so important
> (much more important than cars for example) that we should not allow
> any one party to control them.
>
>
> -- 
> Nic Ferrier
> http://www.tapsellferrier.co.uk   for all your tapsell ferrier needs
>
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