A small warning is in order before you read this, I realize some of my comments may seem confrontational but hope they're taken to further constructive discussion. Really, I am a good person :)
Otto Kekäläinen a écrit : > [...]First of all, why do organizations/people choose Linux > + it's low-cost to get > In some situations Microsoft products (or other proprietary software) are free (as in beer) or perceived as free. I almost never bring up cost arguments when advocating Linux. Examples: - OEM software (not only in computers but in scanners, cameras, audio players, CD/DVD players/recorders) - Free downoadable software, plugins (Flash, Acrobat Reader) - Academic deals (like MSDNAA) > And why some do NOT choose Linux: > - it causes cognitive stress: forces people to learn new and abandon old > As much stress as going from Win9x to WinXP or to Win Vista sometime in the future. > - hard to find Linux-trained administrators and support services > Is this true in Finland ? I don't mean to contradict this but Google helps a lot in finding local listings. Are you referring to LPI (or otherwise) certified admins/support techs. ? > - sometimes high cost to run if you need to customize it a lot > As much as other systems. Again, in terms of cost it's difficult to measure long-term benefits of investing in knowledge and enpowerment. > - searching for and choosing a suitable Linux-counterpart of the > Windows-programs in use is difficult, and some Windows-applications are even > impossible to replace > That is true although some lists exist. I am mostly interested in the list of applications that you say are *impossible* to replace :) Here's 2 interesting resources in french. Anyone knows of any in english ?: http://wiki.ubuntu-fr.org/applications/comparaison_windows_linux http://nuxo.net/equivalent-logiciel.html > - migrating files, documents and information into Linux and its applications > require a lot of work and is error prone > I see this as an opportunity to talk about open formats. This is not Linux's fault, quite the contrary. > - about 80% of general population haven't even heard of Linux yet > That's an interesting figure, can you give us the source to that ? I'd say most people haven't grasped yet what open computing is (including formats, software, etc), but I know very few people that can't say what that penguin is :) At some time IBM inundated Canada TV with Linux publicity, similarly lots of business mags and consumer mags are talking about Linux. > - it's difficult to know how well some specific hardware is supported > > I agree, sometimes you have to actually buy it and try it. However, I'd say it's as difficult to know beforehand if any combination of hardware will work nicely in Windows , as drivers are often in conflict or modify /access the system resources in creative ways. Initiatives like Linux-Printing.org are a good start but I think they need a better look (did I just write that ?) and more exposure. And yes, I am leading a small project to do just that. > We should of course keep doing the things why people choose Linux, but the > obstacles could be tackled like this: > > > ==> spread Firefox and OpenOffice.org > I believe focus should be given to less-known *packages. Like f-spot - http://www.gnome.org/projects/f-spot/ which really is an application that appeals to anyone who has ever had to manage more that 10 pictures on their computer ;) Or like firewall, backup management, video editing, screen recording (Istanbul!) etc. I used to have a links directory configured with a "Less visited sites" section, which was extremely popular. The best stuff is always hidden somewhere. > ==> still 80% haven't heard of Linux, even less of Ubuntu > Again, figures I can't relate or find references to. Can you say "about 20% positively know about Linux" ? > We need more attractive marketing material, especially with contents that > non-technical people will understand. We should also write some articles > about Ubuntu and try to offer them to printed magazines. In my experience, > magazines and newspapers accept and publish material that is well written and > in a such format that makes it easy for the journalist to shorten so that it > fits between the advertisements. > > Who has more time ? :) It's slowly building: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DIYMarketing Other similar projects: http://marketing.openoffice.org/ http://wiki.mozilla.org/Marketing:Firefox_Materials > [...] > > ==> hardware certification for the Linux-kernel > All hardware manufacturers should clearly state in their marketing material > if > a driver for Linux is available, and since what kernel version. They don't > need to certify for a whole distribution or LSB. Somehow we should get the > manufacturers to understand that having a penguin on their product is going > to attract all the Linux-using customers who otherwise worry about finding > supported hardware. > Actually, I am sooooo sorry I bought a color laser printer that clearly advertised it had Linux drivers (Samsun CLP510). At some point Linux users realize they have to check *before* buying based on other's reports. An quite frankly I wouldn't dream on asking my parents what kernel they have... What we need to ask everytime is to have open specifications and open-source drivers. Sometimes hard because of patents, etc. > I guess that at some point when a critical mass is reached, hardware > manufacturers will start competing on who sells the most Linux-friendly > systems and eventually who sells the best pre-installed Linux systems :) > ..and thus Microsoft's OEM tax will be abolished. You mean like what's been going on in Argentina for some time now: http://www.pps.jussieu.fr/~dicosmo/Columns/LPT/ I think it's so different in every other country that we can't generalize this kind of situations, but we also need awareness and organization, on a global scale. Rosetta and Launchpad are good for the technical problems they solve. I am thinking as more LoCo teams organize and contribute to the Wiki we'll get more tools and information to complete local efforts and fill some goals faster. Cheers, Fabian Rodriguez https://launchpad.net/people/magicfab -- ubuntu-marketing mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-marketing
