[wplug] Will the real WPLUG please take charge

[Bill Moran]

Weber, Larry A wrote:
> Sorry, I was basing my opinion on the management reaction I have seen for
> the last 25+ years.  They have not been impressed with a lot of hype, hope,
> or happy people.  Who doesn't think their product is the greatest.  They
> have always looked at the bottom line, both financially and technically.  In
> fact they have always been unimpressed by engineers who are always trying to
> hop to a new technology without serious thought.

If they are basing things on bottom line, financially and technically, then
you're saying they're already using OSS, right?

> Image does matter.

I went a little over the top with that statement.  More specifically, the
Linux image amoung the masses is so bad right now, that the only way we could
hurt it is to leave it be.  I've actually had people ask me, "If I switch to
Linux, how will I read my email?"  As if MS has been doing email longer than
the varius Unices.

> Let's say you have your future tied up in a
> multi-million dollar enterprise and your first exposure to a potential new
> investment is a bunch of people playing bingo and generally having a good
> time.  Oh, and yes they are passing out CD coasters.  If you only want to
> impress the younger, i.e. students, fine this might be o.k. but it is going
> to take a while before they are in position to make the decision on which
> op-sys is on the desktop of hundreds of PCs within a large organization.

So, you're saying that Microsoft's sales have dropped since they started
making those silly MS Office commercials?

I hear what you're saying, and it _sounds_ logical and rational, but it's
just not the way things work in the real world.  People will forget the
"image" quickly enough, but the next time I say "Linux" in a professional
setting, people will remember that they heard the name somewhere ... and
that'll be more of an edge than saying, "You haven't heard about it
because only technical people are using it." or any other excuse I could
make.

> Look at the lasting effects of Apple's great Super Bowl commercial.  Almost
> nothing.

Don't know what you're talking about.  What commercial?  What effects?  Show
me actual market numbers to support your claim.  Otherwise, don't quote
things like that.

> Large scale conversion to Linux is an expensive commitment that needs to be
> made with good data.

Yes, but the good data needs a way to _get_in_the_door_ and it's marketing
that accomplishes that.  And politely handing out demo CDs at a large event
is an inexpensive and reasonable way to market.  The fact that it's a minor
coup against Microsoft has the added benefit that it might generate some
mass-media interest.

> 
> 
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From:	Bill Moran [SMTP:wmoran at potentialtech.com]
>>Sent:	Tuesday, February 17, 2004 8:36 AM
>>To:	wplug at wplug.org
>>Subject:	Re: [wplug] Will the real WPLUG please take charge
>>
>>Weber, Larry A wrote:
>>
>>>For the last 6 to 7 years WPLUG has been a valuable resource to Linux
>>
>>users,
>>
>>>programmers and those just interested in finding out what Linux can do
>>
>>for
>>
>>>them.  The membership has always acted respectfully with almost no
>>
>>flaming
>>
>>>of even the simplest questions.  It is primarily this type of support
>>
>>that
>>
>>>has been useful in getting management to specify that Linux be used in
>>>several of our new products.
>>>
>>>Are we now entering into a new phase of WPLUG where we join forces with
>>
>>a
>>
>>>pro-Soviet farce of an organization http://www.cmukgb.org/ to handout
>>
>>CD's,
>>
>>>and play bingo?  How will we look partying while CMU and M$ are
>>
>>presenting a
>>
>>>serious software talk.
>>>
>>>Does anyone feel that this college prank could in any way be a good way
>>
>>to
>>
>>>advocate Linux?  It is all about image!  I cannot see this being in
>>
>>anyway
>>
>>>productive.  There are better ways.
>>
>>I can't say I agree with your views on marketing.
>>
>>"Image" is pretty irrelevent.  If you're trying get people interested in
>>Linux,
>>the easiest way to do so is to stuff it in their face in any way possible.
>>There really is _no_ bad PR.  Factually, it would probably be wise to call
>>the reporter who did the PG artical on Linux and let her know that WPLUG
>>is
>>about to stage a controversial rally.  Newspapers don't print anything but
>>controversy (of all the things I said to the reporter about Linux: how
>>stable,
>>how it's making reliable IT affordable for small business, etc, etc ...
>>she
>>printed the controversy between Microsoft and Linux)
>>
>>Now, I'm not saying that I think this is a good idea.  Personally, I'm the
>>type who would prefer to sit quietly on the side and live my life without
>>really affecting anyone else.  However, doing so would leave me poor and
>>lonley, in reality-land you've got to stir things up.  If people want
>>Linux
>>to match or exceed Microsoft's desktop share, then LUGs (and other forces)
>>are going to have to match Microsoft's marketing machine.  We need
>>commercials where people can fly because they installed the latest Gnome
>>desktop.  We need TV spots during the superbowl where coworkers dump the
>>water cooler on an employee who was smart enough to use OpenOffice, and
>>thus didn't corrupt their data files.  We need worldwide, satellite
>>co-ordinated launch parties (in every major city!) each time a new stable
>>release of Debian is made.  We need to pay Dell and Compaq and Gateway a
>>few $$ for each computer they sell that has an icon on the desktop that
>>says "Install GNU/Linux Now!".
>>
>>Or, we could do what grass roots groups have done time and time again.
>>Stage a sit-down protest.  Hand out fliers.  Call our congressmen.  Stir
>>things up and hope for free media coverage.
>>
>>Now, I don't know a thing about this cmukgb organization.  Their web site
>>is obtuse enough to even confuse me.  Do they have a reputation at CMU?
>>Despite the name, I can see no legitimate connection to communism implied.
>>
>>Anyway.  I've discussed it with my business partners, and we're all in
>>agreement that this sounds like the kind of thing we'd like to attach
>>our name to.  If this goes forward, we'll be burning Knoppix CDs that
>>say "courtesy of Potential Technologies" on them.

-- 
Bill Moran
Potential Technologies
http://www.potentialtech.com