[H-GEN] Linux Advocacy [was: Question from a wannabe Linux newbie.]

Patrick Nichols pat at mutton.dyndns.org
Fri Jan 17 18:36:46 EST 2003


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Sandra Milne said:

> adding all the extra 'nice' features that the windohs drivers have.

I've got a problem with the way you advocate Linux in favour of other
operating systems - specifically your deliberate misspelling of a
competing product's name.  There is no need to resort to petty
name-calling or belittlement of a product by referring to it using crude
slang.

For example you would not like it if every time you saw Linux referenced
by a *BSD enthusiast he/she used some perversion of Linux (Lunix/Lisux?? -
I'm sure other's can come up with more creative names) to indicate that it
was not (in their opinion) as good as their operating system of choice.

This topic has been covered a thousand times on a thousand different lists
(usually resulting in a flame war).  Paul Rogers has written a mini howto
on the topic, and I think he best covers the details:

http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/LDP/HOWTO/mini/Advocacy.html

In short when you refer to another product, I'd prefer if you showed
enough maturity to call it by its proper name.

When I suggest to my boss that we implement a non-Microsoft solution to a
problem, I don't start out by bagging the competing products.  I form a
rational argument that the open source application in which I point out
the costs involved, the benefits of the alternative and the places where
the alternative excels.

Of the three offices in our firm, ours is the only one with Linux used for
all server tasks.  The other two offices have seen the
cost/stability/speed advantages of what has been implemented and want to
know when I can let them in on the game.  The acceptance of the Brisbane
office's systems isn't due to the fact that they now believe Microsoft was
any worse (or better) than it was previously.  It is due to the fact that
they can see that the tasks that need to be done are being done more than
adequately by a system which has a much lower total cost.

Acting in a superior way, belittling competing products, and generally
scorning other ways of doing things isn't the best way to show that Linux
(and other Unix based systems) is the way of the future.  Showing people
in a professional manner, explaining with rational arguments and letting
people know what we do best is.

I want free software to succeed, however I think you're going the wrong
way about it.

-- 
Regards,
Patrick Nichols


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