Re: [tlug] Positive Promotion of Linux

["Lyle H Saxon" <llletters@example.com>]

On 8/12/07, Dave M G <dave@example.com> wrote:
> However, this quote from Phillip Tribble is rather loaded:
> "Microsoft... has a good track record in fending off competition."
>
> If he means "good" as in effective, then I guess that's true. But if he
> means "good" as in respectable, then I would take issue as that. As a
> web designer I have had to suffer the consequences of their ability to
> make their Internet Explorer the dominant browser in the market place.
> And that was accomplished almost solely because of tactics that had
> everything to do with wealth and power and nothing to do with its merits
> as a product.

It is my opinion that the statement "Microsoft is here to stay" is
wrong.  No company, individual, or organization is granted an
automatic right to eternal existence.  I also think that the reason
Microsoft plays dirty hard ball is that they realize they could
disappear as easily as they grew.  No, Microsoft is not here to stay.

That said, I have come around somewhat to the thinking of those in
this group who think that foaming-at-the-mouth statements tend to put
people off, and not be helpful other than to please others who would
like Microsoft to vanish from the planet.

So - I suppose instead of saying "Microsoft should be eradicated",
it's better to say "Linux is a better option for both companies and
individuals to use" and then to set about doing what we can to bring
about a better direction and better trends in computing.

Going back to the roundtable discussion with Shuttleworth, instead of
saying that I was anti-Microsoft, it would have been better to say
that "I think Linux is something that is worth promoting as a better
way to do computing than what average users are unquestionably using
at the moment."  It's the same thing at heart, but it's
progressive/positive instead of angry/negative.

Another issue - for most of us I dare say - is that we are working at
or for organizations that are plugged into the brand-W world, and it
makes employers uncomfortable to hear negative statements regarding
something they perceive as being part of normal business.

In the spirit of being positive, I have changed the subject line to
"Positive Promotion of Linux".  I think we should avoid not only
negative statements like "eradicate Widows" (although I personally
like that one! Oops!), but also negative statements like "brand-W is
free" and "brand-W is here to stay".  Those are very negative and it's
better to be positive and upbeat about our favorite OS!

Lyle