[Wylug-discuss] 'Pathetic' FLOSS Advocacy - Put it to the test?

[Mark P. Conmy]

On Wed, 24 Jan 2007, John Leach wrote:
> 
> Hi Dave,
>
> On Wed, 2007-01-24 at 21:25 +0000, Dave Fisher wrote:
>> Some people will remember me getting flamed a few weeks ago for
>> expressing a certain amount of pessimism about the open source
>> commmunity's marketing and lobbying capacities (lack thereof).
>>
> <snip>
>> I tend to think that if less than 5 percent of wylug members are
>> willing/able to report that they have written such a letter, it's not
>> unreasonable to question our capabilities as an open source advocacy
>> group.
>
> I tend to think that if less than 5 percent of wylug members are able to
> ride a unicycle, it's not unreasonable to question our capabilities as a
> circus troupe.
>
> The WYLUG webpage states that WYLUG's aim is "to offer informal help and
> guidance to GNU Linux and Open Source software users".  Maybe we're not
> good at advocacy as a group because we're not an advocacy group.
>
> To be honest, your e-mail annoyed and upset me, and I don't know where
> to even start usefully discussing it.

Don't get annoyed or upset.  Dave's just donned his flame-retardant
underwear to provoke a reaction. ;-)

I do think that there is a place for lobbying in with the support and
advocacy, but I'm not sure that I agree with some of the assumptions
made regarding the response to such discussions.  I wouldn't report to
WYLUG (or anyone else) when I'd written to lobby on an issue already
discussed even if (as in this case) I feel strongly about it.  That
doesn't mean I didn't write.

Mark