From owner-freebsd-advocacy Thu Dec 16 9:10:29 1999 Delivered-To: freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org Received: from 1upmc-msx4.isdip.upmc.edu (1upmc-msx4.isdbu.upmc.edu [128.147.18.41]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 91CBE14F3E for ; Thu, 16 Dec 1999 09:10:27 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from personrp@ccbh.com) Received: by 1upmc-msx4.isdbu.upmc.edu with Internet Mail Service (5.5.2448.0) id ; Thu, 16 Dec 1999 12:10:21 -0500 Message-ID: <576A688A7DA7D011899B00805FEA1AFF9ADA5E@sych02.isdip.upmc.edu> From: "Person, Roderick" To: 'Pat Lynch' , "'freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org'" Subject: RE: The Bazaar part II Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 12:09:54 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2448.0) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: owner-freebsd-advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG Hi, I'm new to the advocacy list and pretty new to FreeBSD, I have been using and learning it for about 6 months now and ready to start doing some programming specifically FreeBSD related. In my professional life, I'm a programmer - Object Pascal, some C++ and SQL, and unfortunately I'm stuck in a WinTel shop, but hopefully that is changing. And with that on to my thoughts and opinions on this subject. So, I came to FBSD after 2 years of 'play' with Linux. I went to Linux because I hated windows every since 2.0 and what it did to the whole PC community. Linux was the first Free OS I had heard of So I gave it a shot. At First I thought it was great. Then when I really started trying to become productive it didn't hold up to the hype (at least for me). I wasn't about to go back to Windows so I didn't know what. I debated a return to DOS until I remembered that cute little devil (I now know it's a daemon) I had seen in on a web site somewhere. So know I preach FreeBSD to my co-workers. And it always the same first question. "What is that?" Where as when I spoke of Linux advocacy it never was "what's that it's" but "Is it better that windows", "Is it hard to install", "what kind of apps are there" or some question that didn't require me to sit down and explain the genesis of the OS. Now being that I work with a bunch of programmers, DBAs and Tech guys you would think that BSD had some recognition factor but no it does seem to. Here is a prime example of *BSD needing exposure. I seems to me that if your in a tech community and they have no clue as to what it even is there is a problem in the marketing. Although, recently I have seen full size ads in Linux Journal for FreeBSD. That's a start. One thing I think FreeBSD can benefit from is more web pages! There add hundred of Linux pages and as far as I know there a maybe 12 FreeBSD web pages. You can go to LinuxBerg to find any app for Linux. But for FreeBSD there is only FreeBSD.org for apps. I think there needs to be more of a 'third part' presence in the FBSD web community. More pages by users with tips, tricks, custom app whatever. I have been thinking of rededicating my web site to such things instead of being a focus for open source movement in general. I believe that you are write in saying that it takes a lot of energy to advocate. Not only that but it takes a lot of time. This seems to something that people who use *BSD actually lack. Linux seem more for younger up and coming hackers/programmers etc. But the BSD are for those who know what they want and need to get it done without having to hack a patch to make it work correctly. I think free time of the advocates is the biggest obstacle. I maybe wrong, I'm not sure but that how I see it. I keep try to put in the time I can on what ever I can but life, advocacy and work just are mixed enough in my life now to be much help. "TO gain notoriety, we have to lose our strength?" I really like that. I think that sums up my whole rant here. Hell I might even use that as my new sig. :) Rod To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-advocacy" in the body of the message