Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1998 21:17:39 -0500 (CDT) From: Frank Pawlak <fpawlak@execpc.com> To: jkh@time.cdrom.com Cc: fpawlak@execpc.com, chat@FreeBSD.ORG, danj@3skel.com, jmb@FreeBSD.ORG, toor@dyson.iquest.net, brett@lariat.org, mike@smith.net.au, dshanes@personalogic.com Subject: Re: Promoting FreeBSD - the user's piece of the action. Message-ID: <199804130217.VAA02346@darkstar.connect.com> In-Reply-To: <29092.892387190@time.cdrom.com>
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Jordan, O.K the glove are off, now it's time to talk shop. This is another bandwidth busting proposal for your consideration. Inventations for your changes corrections and alterations as well as anyone else with something to contribute are in order. As you have no doubt observed, several people have volunteered some great ideas over the past two days. That was primarily the reason for my posts, to try to draw out people to say I can do this or I can do that. I think that it is starting to work. My ideas maybe good or bad, but through others adding to them or criticizing them we will come up with a workable plan that will improve the visability of FreeBSD. We are small in number, but I am encouraged by the response that there is a spark of fire in the belly of the user community that needs to be fanned into a blaze. That is our first goal a call for volunteers. More on that later. >> Perhaps a core team of volunteers modeled on the way the core >> development team operates will be just as effective in getting our job >> done as you are doing yours. Just as you are the leader of the core >> team our leader will arise from ongoing dialog and compilation of ideas >> that eventually jell into the business plan that I suggested, and our > > I've no problem with that idea at all. Moreover, I think that the > FreeBSD project has always strongly endorsed the concept of a > "management hierarchy", possibly more out of enlightened laziness than > anything else, since any reasonably effective hierarchy enables one to > not have to worry about a large number of things. I'd like to not > have to worry so much about grass-roots publicity and such, yes. :-) I think that is the right model for all phases of the project, and the one that should be used for those of us doing project promotion. It is a good model to maintain focus and maximize resources. It also presents a united professional front to the market place. > > However, getting people genuinely willing to "manage" is harder than > it looks. Being willing to lead implies a long-term committment > and that scares a lot of people off. This is going to be an ongoing problem perhaps, but being structured along the line of the core team will provide the means to hand the porject on to new custodians as the need arises. I think in time we can develop a camp following the will push as hard as the Linux people do. The road there will no doubt involve some pain, but am confident that we can find the vocal majority that we require. As for me, my background has primarily been in project management, consulting, and tangible and intangible sales all in computer related activities. I am self taught in UNIX and by no means an expert. Thus I am volunteering to work as one of the coordinators of project positioning or what the hell ever we end up calling this phase of the project. Jordan, I understand that you are very busy, but I think that we'll need you as an informal advisor at least untill we get on our feet on the ground a little bit. Your name fills the slot as the project PR guy and am sure you have strong feelings as to project direction, image etc., so I defer to you on some of these issues. I have read the information on the project from the web site and have a feel for some of this stuff. I would invite all volunteers, especially those writting press releases and advertising things to digest this and pass it on to those people that you are working with. Appears to me that there are many issues that need to be addressed before we go running off half cocked an waisting motion through duplication of effort and so forth. At this point we have resources: our time, a top notch develop team, the best version of UNIX -- oops sorry SCO I didn't say that -- and a web site with much good information, and there are commercial publications devoted to Berkeley UNIX and greg's The Complete FreeBSD. There are legal and private entities that we have to interface with. I believe that FreeBSD is incorporated as is Walnut Creek CDROM We don;t need priveledged information, but the case could arise that are actions out of total ignorance could have consequences. These are best addressed and avoided up front. Several of us feel that getting FreeBSD in university bookstores and various departments is critical to our success, I am in that number, what are the implications of that action on Walnut Creek's production runs. Possibilities of telemarketing activities to meet this goal, and so it goes. the list can and may well get long. Along with this I am asking those that have posted their ideas to come forth and at least set out their skills inventory and what they can and would like to do. Time commitments at this point at least are open to your individual capabilities. I have retained your messages as some of you had already appeard to commit to certain actions. That response is extremely encouraging. So far we have a great start. Yes we do need more help. You folks that live in countries other than the United States your help is especially important. You will be helping the FreeBSD project that is true, but you will also be spreading the word to your countryman who hunger for technology, that FreeBSD is the best platform to use to learn system software, provide internet access service, and as a development platform. Documentation on how to install and setup an operating system needs to be written in native languages. Your efforts will improve the lives of people all over the world through helping them to obtain and learn to use modern technology. > >> BTW, a mutual aquaintance mentioned that there is a remarkable >> resemblance between yourself and the BSD Daemon ;-) Now is your humor >> tonight? > > Hmmmm. My picture is in various places around the net, so I'll let > you simply judge that for yourself. Needless to say, I don't think > I've eaten quite *that* much pie this year. :-) I was just kidding about the daemon ;-) Looking forward to your response. Sincerely, Frank > > Jordan > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message -- ----------------------------- "At no time is freedom of speech more precious then when a man hits his thumb with a hammer." -- Marshall Lumsden To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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