Well turned out I had quit a lot to say and this turned out pretty
long. Here's the point if you don't wanna read it all:
Telling how to start or starting for them will not get half as much
people as a single working desktop that looks like it was pulled out
of KDE-Look.org.
You have to give a windows user something he doesn't have but he
wants. if you can persuade him to look at the screenshot section of
that site, you got him for good.
now for the letter
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Hi,
As a rather recent Linux user, I can tell about my own experience
with moving to it and what made me move:
The reason I moved was because I got to play a little with an
installed system. I saw it was pretty attractive visually and not that
different from my OS at the time - MS Windows. so I checked it out, I
downloaded 3 RedHat CDs later found out to be obsolete so I downloaded
3 FC1 CDs and had the worst time using it... I turned back to Windows
for 6 month until I decided to try mandrake. It gave me hell also, so
eventually I moved to Ubuntu which is what I use until today.
to sum up the heart tearing story -
to attract people to Linux, you need to let them see, touch and smell
a living system. My suggestion is to get a _strong_ PC (not the XT
models in the computer farm in taub) and let people try some desktop
games, try openoffice, see a pretty menu and some eye-candies. And I'm
talking about actually letting them sit in front of it (or stand if
it's high enough) and move and click the mouse themselves. telling
them it's good won't work. therefor neither will suggesting to
install.
after this is done,
If you want people to come to instaparties, give them liveCDs, tell
them how to use them, tell them it's only a demo and it might be slow
but the installed system is faster. and then tell them that if they
like it they can come to an instaparty in date such and such and you
can help them make room for a Linux install NEXT to windows and
install for them. then it would be a good idea to add that there is a
series of tutorials called W2L to help them advance with the new OS
(since they already saw that using is a piece of cake)
about publicity,
90%^* of the times I tell people I use Linux I get an automatic
defencive behaviour because they're fed up with people trying to push
Linux to them because it's "better", "more secure", "a real operating
system", etc. this slogans doesn't work on windows users, here are
some facts on windows users (at least in the population of students
those i know and tried to talk about Linux with):
1. they find a blue screen of death once every 3-4 weeks a reasonable stability.
2. they're sure their anti-virus, anti-spyware and windows update
makes their computer secure enough.
3. they don't give a %$# about legal software. to get a piece of
software, they would either download from the Internet or from DC++.
4. what really scare them about Linux is other Linux users with their
vast knowledge and technical language and especially their tendency to
assume you know what they're talking about ("Net mask?? Does it have
something to do with the Home Network Wizard?")
5. They use pirate software which might exist for Linux but not in a
pirate copy. with all do respect, octave isn't matlab and Anjuta isn't
MS visual studio 2005.
basically they don't see anything wrong with windows, and they'll
defend it with they're lives. You need to show them what's so great
about Linux without dissing they're beloved OS.
I know I didn't say anything productive here but I just think that W2L
vs. instaparty war is futile since neither have much chance of working
(at least not in the potential it should have). My point is: a
demonstration of a desktop that looks like something out of
KDE-Look.org would drow a few times more peaple then showing them how
to start or starting for them. You have to give them a reason to
start! In fact showing them KDE-Look.org might be a good idea as
well...
Best of luck in whichever way you choose
A.
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^* 90% is because I'm usually around people who have heard of Linux.
other times I just get bored and confused looks.
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