[OS:N:] Re: The teeming masses and the penguin ad

On Tue, Sep 09, 2003 at 02:52:28PM -0400, [email protected] wrote:

> I am a network manager at a Middle School and I do use and push open
> office and knoppix. But it is going to take some major marketing to
> get open source software trusted because people always react the
> same way when I tell them and show them about it. They think its
> neat but since they already have MS garbage they wouldn't consider
> changing. Microsoft and all other major companies have killer
> advertising and that will never happen for open software unless it
> becomes funded by conglomerations of open source producers.

The question is do they consider changing when MS version X becomes MS
version Y?  If so, why do they consider changing?  Doesn't their old
version work? ;-) And since versions A through W didn't work either,
what makes them think Y will be any better?  Or is it "Well, everyone
else is" to which parents often respond to children with such
arguments "If everyone else was jumping off a cliff, would you?"
Compatiblility?  Are they REALLY sharing that much outside the school?
(If all the teachers, administrators, students, etc within a school
are running the same set of software, would it really matter a lot
what the rest of the planet is using?  Occasionally, yes, but
realistically, how often?) Support? HA!  Ask for proof on that one.
I realize none of that is going to win the creationists over, but...

> I would love to start a group dedicated to advertising Linux,
> redhat, knoppix, and all the other valuable alternatives. I have
> some great ideas for television adds. I could imagine a TV
> advertisement where everyone on the commercial is wearing the same
> size shirt with the Microsoft logo on it. Hundreds of tall, short,
> fat, skinny, children, elderly, etc. people all wearing the same
> basically the same shirt. Next scene you go to the mall and all the
> stores carry only that same shirt with these ridiculous price tags.
> Every where you go is the same shirt. Most people looking very
> uncomfortable and having little bugs attached to the shirts because
> the fabric is bug ridden. Then next scene you see these really well
> dressed people comfortable in their customized tailored (tuxedos)
> suits and casual attire. You then have this little kid wearing a bug
> ridden shirt ask his mother "mommy, why can't we dress comfortably
> like the penguin people?" Mommy replies," because that's the only
> clothes they sell in the stores, and besides our shirts cost more
> anyways!" End of the commercial. People are so programmed to think
> that even free computer stuff has some misguided catch involved that
> they can't trust opensource because it just seems too good. They are
> skeptical. I will keep trying though.

Heh.  Too subtle.  You'll only preach to the choir.  ;-) But I like it.

-- 
 Kevin Cole                    |  Key ID: 0xE6F332C7
 Gallaudet University          |     WWW: http://gri.gallaudet.edu/~kjcole/
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