[Wolves] Promoting Linux

[s parkes]

>From: Matthew Revell <matthew@understated.co.uk>
>Reply-To: wolves@mailman.lug.org.uk
>To: wolves@mailman.lug.org.uk
>Subject: Re: [Wolves] Promoting Linux
>Date: 11 May 2003 21:33:39 +0100
>
> > >1) Plug and play, what's that?
>
> > a myth, plug and play was generated by marketing men and just adds to 
>the
> > confusion when users are really consumers and not true users.
>
>I'd say that Linux, at the moment, doesn't work on a basis of things
>"just working". A lot of the time, it's just not a simple to set
>something new up under Linux as it is on Windows. The problem may be
>getting less with each new release of a distro but I still think it's
>enough of a problem for newer users.
>
IMHO this is something that gets better with each distro to the point that I 
took a look at mandrake a couple of months ago and it found all my scary 
hardware including usb human interface device, usb printer, usb digital 
camera (that I forgot was plugged in), and a usb scanner, stuff that takes 
an age to get working under windows.

>As for whether someone's a user or a consumer: seems like a
>confrontational distinction to make. The last thing we want is to
>perpetuate the idea that Linux is for Geeks and that normal people -
>consumers - need not apply. I'm saying that that's what you're
>suggesting but subtlety of language can have a devistating effect.
I think you are looking at the subtlety of the language from the facist side 
;-)  All computers need mantainance whatever the operating system.  I 
believe they should have signs in electrical outlets saying you must be this 
smart to own a computer with a picture of a microwave at the bottom and the 
space shuttle at the top with the line in the middle ;-)

at the moment computers are not consumer items, they are moving towards this 
every year but the level of administration needed to keep a computer working 
at maximum efficency is still higher than the video recorders they are sold 
next to.

Computers are not only for geeks and linux is not only for geeks but both 
are for that strange marketing section the 'prosumer' (a term that I hate 
only slighter less than people in marketing).  You need a certain knowledge 
to get anything above the basic level of usage.  Everyone that can turn on a 
computer has the potential to reach that level and it dosn't take years of 
dedicated use to get there, but users have to realise that they are not 
using a system anywhere near it's potential to even make a start jumping 
from consumer to prosumer to user.

Thats one of the reasons for the LUG system, peer support for people who 
have spotted a gap in their knowlege (and usage) and are looking for others 
in the same situation or have made those leaps to user.  It just so happens 
that at the cutting edge the first people to get there already where users, 
developers and hackers.  The next generation (coming through strong) are the 
current prosumers and following them are the consumers.

As I said in my last post if we take one step at a time, conquer one mind at 
a time and win one heart at a time linux (or a successor) will succed but we 
need to take each step as it comes.  Jumping right into the consumer market 
and saying here is linux it does everything has not worked in the past for 
large business's and it certainly won't work at a local level.

>
> > We can attract linux users to the LUG but have difficulty attracting the 
>man
> > (or women) on the street to linux because of the FUD we adhere to.
>
>That may well be to do with where the LUG is promoted. I found the LUG
>after reading Linux news sites etc for several months and came across
>www.lug.org.uk ... it then took me another few months to actually come
>along to a meeting.
The problem here is the lug isn't promoted, we need to get those posters and 
things out into the community.  I have just finished 'Wolves LUG for 
dummies' the cover ;-) I will upload tomorrow for distribution.

The fact it took you months to find us and get in touch suggests we don't 
present a very freindly face.  The lug should make a point of pointing out 
that we are not a formal organisation and are very relaxed without making us 
look like beer monsters.

>
> >  unfortunatly linux development is a clique
>
>Is the Linux community as a whole seen as a clique? Actually, I dunno if
>we're seen at all. We're invisible to the majority of people.
>
the whole scene is cliquey. the lug is one of the least cliquey forms of the 
linux scene


>
> > >4) Hmm, so where's the uninstall option?
> >
> > rm -R *
> >
> > the above is an example of an in joke, see above.
>
>Hey, if you'd really wanted to make it funny, you'd have written the
>joke in Perl :-D
no keep it pure.  If I really wanted it would have been in the form of 
arcaine system calls to the disk ;-)


>
> > I don't think linux is currently the right choice for everyone but I 
>have no
> > doubts that in 5/10/15 (delete with hindsight) years linux (or a project
> > following linux) will provide a comprehensive solution.
>
>So, it's probably not worth our trying to attract the average user but
>maybe the Windows power user who has some ideas of what computing is
>about and is ready for something new.
>
thats our prosumer, the first port of call for lug expansion and finally 
domination ha ha haaaaaa!

>Perhaps we could take a stall at one of the computer fairs and offer
>Linux distros on CD and perhaps pre-installed Linux machines, along with
>Linux propaganda :)
>
jono, didn't you do this down south?

>
> >  Until linux passes
> > the mom test with everybodies mom it is difficult to see how it can 
>provide
> > a solution for everyone.
>
>
> > The majority of windows users are running with
> > corrupt filesystems, running several unneeded tsr programs, have no
> > understanding of why their computer slows down every couple of months.
>
>So, it's education. We need to do this on several fronts - perhaps a
>website explaining why Linux is good, Windows is bad. Something like
>that. Okay, there's loadsa stuff on the web already but if we did our
>own version, it could be fun for us and would do exactly what we felt
>was needed.
>
work, work, work anyone would think you never tired of writing content ;-)

sparkes

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