Date: Wed, 05 May 1999 14:28:12 -0600 From: Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org> To: Jeroen Ruigrok/Asmodai <asmodai@wxs.nl>, freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Cc: FreeBSD Advocacy <advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Re: PCWeek article by Anne Chen -- Comments Message-ID: <4.2.0.37.19990505141353.0468d2a0@localhost> In-Reply-To: <XFMail.990505201100.asmodai@wxs.nl> References: <199905051810.NAA25028@hostigos.otherwhen.com>
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At 08:11 PM 5/5/99 +0200, Jeroen Ruigrok/Asmodai wrote: >Sorry if I am going to step on people's toes with this post and use a few >french words every now and then, but I am getting fucking tired of this >whole useless debate by now. It's only useless if nothing comes of it. The issues are important, and I think it's poor form to jump all over Mike like that. He is making some good points and is honestly trying to help. Don't shoot the messenger. >It seems that the people with the biggest complaints are doing NOTHING >about their situation in order to add something to the project. Only if you regard coding as the only way to add something to the project. Remember, PR is to communication. Those who are pointing out the problems -- that is, who are COMMUNICATING -- and attempting to foster more effective advocacy ARE doing something. Something very important. Their contributions are undervalued and even denigrated by some of those who are doing coding -- in particular Jordan, who actually disdains effective advocacy. >Also, speaking on advocacy and getting an income, just look at what Jim >Mock & Robert Garrett managed to pull off in their _spare_ time for >advocacy (http://advocacy.freebsd.org for the unaware). A positive contribution, certainly, but it doesn't address some of the fundamental problems that have been pointed out in this and other threads. The amount of work that is needed is about three orders of magnitude greater -- and that would just be to get BARELY CLOSE to the amount of advocacy Linux enjoys. >Advocacy can be done on multiple levels... So the argument that advocacy is >a PR job is bullshit... PR only gets to suits... It's the techies and >users one ultimately has to please and granted managers do have to be >influenced, but then again, I have always `served' under a management that >was reasonable for well explained decisions about OS implementations... The above statements reflect the attitudes which are responsible for FreeBSD's lagging position (which is getting farther behind; FreeBSD has been losing about 4% share per month, according to surveys of Internet hosts). Good PR does NOT "only get to suits." That's why Linux is growing by leaps and bounds. >So get off your fucking moaning/whining/bitching pedestal and CONTRIBUTE >damnit... Those who are fostering awareness and encouraging change ARE contributing. Coding is only one way to contribute, and at this point it is not even the most important way. Gain more mindshare and a devoted following, and the coders will follow. --Brett Glass To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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