I wrote this some time ago, and just recently dusted it off and updated
it especially for the recent flamewar.
I think it's appropriate now to air it.
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10 TIPS FOR LINUX ADVOCACY
Hard-Won Wisdom from A Linux Flag-Waver
(by David Jackson)
1) INFORM YOURSELF
In writing this list, I could stop right here and achieve as much
good, if people would follow this advice. You have to know what you are
talking about, in detail. It's not enough to say, "Windows sucks!
Linux r00lz!" You have to know why. The arguments of "Linux is more
secure" and "Linux is more stable" has been way overused, and simply
aren't as compelling as they used to be. INFORM YOURSELF of the
strengths (and weaknesses) of Linux, so that you can express that to
others.
2) DON'T PICK A FAVORITE DISTRO
Again, this goes back to "informing yourself". I once made the
claim that all -major- distributions of Linux are relatively equal - and
I stand by that claim. In the long haul, they all reach for different
goals.
They all have some strengths (and weaknesses), but the most
important thing is to understand the mindset that guided how a
particular distribution was put together. Understand what it is trying
to accomplish; is it geared towards the Linux novice? Does it focus on
customizability? Learn what the focus is. In your advocacy, what you
might choose as a distro, will probably be unsuitable for whoever you
are converting. Be prepared to offer suitable alternatives.
I am not going to name names, or point at any distibutions as
examples; go out and find this information out. By standing behind a
single distribution, you limit the end result to whatever that mindset was.
3) WINDOWS CATERS TO IGNORANCE - KNOW THIS
This phrase might be inflammatory to some; but that doesn't change
the fact that it is true. The Windows OS does it's best to hide as much
of the inner guts of the operating system from the end user as it can.
This is to cater to the lowest common denominator, the most basic
consumer, and certainly it produces a certain level of computer
illiteracy. Even the computer professionals who work with Windows for a
living, and even the most hardcore Windows geeks are guilty of not
really understanding what makes Windows tick.
It's easy to be king when you are the one who can see, among a sea
of the blind. Even if you are near-sighted and color-blind, and don't
know what you are looking at.
It's important to know that this has been Window's strategy for a
very, very long time; and it's not a bad one. It's why they have
maintained the huge market share. I point this out only to reinforce
this notion; Windows users will want Linux to "just work", and will
become very unhappy, in a loud vocal manner, when it doesn't.
The simple workaround to this goes all the way back to point #1;
know what you are getting into, what kind of people you will be talking
to, and what kind of preconceptions and unreasonable expectations that
they are going to make. And be prepared to provide them with a
solution. You will be wasting your time otherwise, because the average
Windows user will jump ship the first time that X hiccups and won't
run. The command line scares them. Know this.
4) DON'T FOOL YOURSELF THAT LINUX IS PERFECT - IT'S NOT, and SOMETIMES
VERY IMPERFECT
The original design notions with Linux was not to make the "perfect"
operating system, but to provide a freely available alternative to
incredibly expensive Unix variants; a Unix for the rest of us. Know
this. Understand this. Realize that this is why Linux is not perfect.
Linux got some things incredibly right - stability, security,
performance in specific tasks - but it got some things incredibly wrong,
which we are still trying to fix today (a monolithic kernel, not
cuddling up to vendors early, splintering off of driver development
...i.e. OSS vs. ALSA vs. ARTS etc., lack of standards). The biggest
thing we got wrong is trying to be like Windows, and starting to forget
what made Linux great in the first place. Windows is for the
computer-ignorant average consumer, and Linux is not. It's that
distinction that we should remember.
Don't be afraid to acknowledge that some things in Linux are not
perfect, and will bomb in spectacular ways. But do stress that Linux is
developed by guys just like you and me, and an answer is never far
away. Remind them that Linux is free, and that sometimes with free
things, you get what you pay for. Point them at an alternative, but be
quick about it. Windows users hate to wait, and we'll lose another
convert if that wait stalls them for more than, say, an hour or so.
5) DON'T BE AN ELITIST LINUX SNOB
...or I'll smack you. Seriously.
Nothing will doom Linux quicker than the current trend I'm seeing
where wanna-be Linux veterans sit around pontificating about how great
Linux is, and calling Linux novices "n00bs" when they dare to wander in
and ask a question. This attitude is absolutely unacceptable, in every
version and form. When you put down on the Linux novice, you will
almost certainly turn him off of what is generally a very helpful
community, your own egotistical assertions aside.
We need -every single novice- we can get; if we help them, guide
them, show them the secret handshake, and encourage them to sing the
Linux fight song, share in their failures and their triumphs, then we
can win them over. It may seem like a lot of work, but with a little
preparation, it's actually very easy. Which brings me to point #6. But
first a corollary.
Being an elitist Linux snob will not get you anything, not even a
t-shirt. But it will drive possible Linux converts away very quickly.
If you are an elitist Linux snob now, get over yourself. You are why we
aren't on more desktops today.
6) SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL BE LAZY, APATHETIC, WON'T READ THE MANUAL, AND
WILL NEED TO BE SPOON-FED
This is a fact. We can whine and bitch and moan about it, but it's
an inevitability that at some point, even the most staunch and
self-sufficient Windows convert will need to be given a healthy dose of
help. Don't complain, just buckle down and do it.
Keep in mind these often-unpleasant facts;
They won't always read the truckloads of HOW-TO's, FAQ's,
discussion forums, and technical documents available.
They will blame Linux, and condemn it, when they have to do
anything except click a few mouse buttons.
Not being able to fix it by rebooting the machine or updating a
driver is an affront to their ego.
They will want to still be the local computer whiz kid even if
they can't fix it.
You can't avoid any of this.
Alcohol only softens the blow.
Knowing this, be prepared when spreading the Linux gospel. Don't
provide a solution that you don't 100% completely understand yourself.
Don't pass the user off to a pile of documents and say, "the answer is
in there"; they won't look, so it's a waste of time. Sometimes, just
fixing it for them is far more beneficial to the Linux community than
becoming irritated with them and trying to make them learn something.
Sometimes, they don't want to learn.
And, sometimes, you'll have to admit, you don't know the answer
yourself. Which means you'll have to get off your butt and go look up
the answer for them. Believe me, it's far more effective (and often
easier) to research and present a solution than it is to try and
convince them to do it themselves.
7) LINUX IS INHERENTLY ABOUT POLITICS - LEVERAGE THIS
...just not among your capitalist or republican friends.
Seriously. Linux is very much about freedom, not just as in "free
beer", but as in "free speech". While you won't win over any staunch
capitalists this way, you can win over people who can't afford the hefty
price tag that often comes with Microsoft products. And you can give
them a set of guiding principles to keep them warm and cozy. It's a
win-win situation.
For the republican set, perhaps we can only focus on winning them
over by providing a highly complex operating system for accomplishing
highly complex and computer-intensive tasks. Let's face it, Linux
drives e-commerce on the Internet today, providing a solid backbone of
servers for a nice, hefty percentage of the Internet. That equates to
lots and lots of money, and money makes republicans very happy. And it
makes capitalists squirm with delight. Understand this, and leverage it
when discussing Linux among these types.
As for libertarians, democrats, and everyone not a republican or
staunch capitalist, Linux embodies the very notions and provides a solid
platform for action that free-thinking progressive-types love. It's why
I am in support of Linux, myself. It's not because I think Linux is
better, or more secure, or more stable; it's because the idea behind
Linux is that information should be free, and that society as a whole
benefits from the sharing of information. Software patents and
copyrights only benefit the very few that own them; allowing a select
few to leech money off of the collective group. This is morally not
right.
Leverage these ideas.
8) SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T WIN - LEAVE BEFORE YOU GET ANGRY
This one is short. Sometimes, you won't ever be able to convert
someone. Sometimes, the best that you can accomplish is planting the
seed of doubt.
Know that you will never win an argument with a Windows user, when
he is arguing that Windows is superior. No matter how strong your
argument, no matter how right you might think you are, you simply aren't
going to change his mind. Say your piece and walk away. Don't feed into
the power struggle; you will only get angry, raise your blood pressure,
and accomplish nothing.
Some Windows users are just stubborn, pig-headed fools. Know this,
and be content that you are not one of them. We don't need those types
in our community.
9) STAY OPEN-MINDED (AND INFORMED) ABOUT ALTERNATIVE
APPLICATION-SPECIFIC PACKAGES
While one particular piece of software may have just the right
number of bells and whistles that you need, this may not be the same set
of bells and whistles that other users might need. Don't become saddled
with a specific package just because you are nostalgic. Try several
alternatives, even if you still go back to the one you know and love.
Having the knowledge of how many different packages perform gives you
the leg-up when a Linux novice needs to perform a specific task that you
might not ever need to do yourself.
10) See Number 1. When in doubt, see Number 1 again.
David
