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Date:      Thu, 9 Apr 1998 23:04:57 -0500 (CDT)
From:      Jay Nelson <jdn@acp.qiv.com>
To:        Frank Pawlak <fpawlak@execpc.com>
Cc:        toor@dyson.iquest.net, brett@lariat.org, mike@smith.net.au, dshanes@personalogic.com, hackers@FreeBSD.ORG, freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Re[2]: Fw: Your Article "Freeware: The Heart & Soul of the  Internet"
Message-ID:  <Pine.BSF.3.96.980409221918.1386A-100000@acp.qiv.com>
In-Reply-To: <199804100223.VAA23203@darkstar.connect.com>

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On Thu, 9 Apr 1998, Frank Pawlak wrote:

>Jay Nelson <jdn@acp.qiv.com> wrote:
>> On Thu, 9 Apr 1998, John S. Dyson wrote:
>> 
>> [snip]
>> 
>> >The problem with FreeBSD, is that people working on FreeBSD are
>> generally
>> >older, and find evangelism to be painful.  Also, people using FreeBSD
>> >are busy using it, as opposed to worshipping it.
>> >
>> >How do we (really) deal with this?
>> 
>> I suggest we don't evangelize, per se
>> 
>
>Oh but we must!!

I'm not convinced we must. The evangelical furor is normally
associated with the more inexperienced "true believers" than mission
critical.

>> I agree that most of use are
>> older -- and it appears that most of use deal with real clients in the
>> real world. The cost of an OS is the scheme of the commercial world is
>> not a deciding factor. Support and reliability is a major factor.
>
>You hit on a key fact here and that is support.  Please don't take what
>I am going to say as a criticism.  Because FreeBSD users are older and
>thus more experienced I think it is often taken for granted that every
>user is at the same level of expertise, which is simply not the case. 
>Further there is an attitude and in some ways correctly so that RTFM is
>the order of the day.  There is a lot of truth to the addage that give a
>man a fish and you will have to feed hin forever, but teach him to fish
>and he will be able to feed himself.  However, I have noticed some
>seemingly stupid guestions that go unanswered or ignored completely.  I
>have asked several of these myself even after RTFM.... and just didn't
>get it so to speak.  I am guilty of the terse answer RTFM mind set, and
>I had a lady administer a public flogging to me on this mailing list
>this past week because of it.

I don't think it is taken for granted that all users are experienced
as much as lack of time or experience of those on the list. For
example, I see a number of questions go by about sound cards. I don't
use sound cards, so I have nothing to contribute. 

>It is understandable that the population of the newsgroup and mailing
>lists are busy, but to reach the newbe and a larger user community more
>patience with the user whose UNIX knowledge is at the orangutan level
>will be required.  I have worked in the computer user industry for many
>years, and the one thing that I realized early on is the UNIX scares the
>hell out of most people.  It has a reputation for be criptic, etc.  What
>I would propose would be some volunteers to take these questions and
>patiently answer them to maintain user retention, and don't let them
>slip off to Linux becuse of the mis-apprehension that it is better
>supported.  And that belief is out there partialy because of the volumes
>of books on the shelves devoted to Linux, most of which are nothing more
>than a statement of environmental waste in all the trees destroyed to
>provide the paper for them.

I can't really disagree -- but the recognition that counts comes from
corporate -- not the user. Corporate doesn't read the Linux books and
doesn't really care how cryptic and OS may be. I don't think Unix will
ever make inroads on the desktop, largely because of the perceptions
you mention until there is a clear corporate reason to do so.

As far as the newbie goes, I don't have a good suggestion. A multiuser
system is inherently more complex than a single user executive. It
requires more of a user who wants to enjoy the benefits. Many don't
want to invest the effort.

>Overall I believe that the support offered for FreeBSD is of a higher
>quality that that of the Linux newsgroups.  There is a lot of bulljive
>passed for expertise on their NGs.  So we have a strong base to build
>upon.  We have a pedagree UNIX -- oops -- with a rich heritage not a
>clone.  Some marketing and market presence will get the word out.  No
>reason for FreeBSD to take the back seat to any OS.  We have a great
>story to tell.

The consideration comes down to whom we wish to appeal (and even why
we want to appeal.) I think an appeal to corporate via press releases
and trade rags is the best approach. 

-- Jay

>----------------snip
>> 
>> What I suggest is this:
>> 
>> First -- Jordan -- since you're the main man in this, put the pencil
>> to the paper and figure out what it would cost to mount a program of
>> professional news releases -- including customer profiles. Look at the
>> number of CD-ROMS sold and divide cost by CDs and add to CD cost. Look
>> at the newsletter and consider subscription. Most of us can afford
>> some extra bucks and would be happy to spend it for the credibility.
>> Think in terms of two to three times per month for the news releases.
>> 
>> Second: poll the rest of us for contributions. Many of us are using
>> FreeBSD in production environments. (Yeah, I'll volunteer -- even
>> though I can't write worth a plug nickle.)
>
>I'll go along with this.  I can't code but would be willing to do my
>part.
>
>
>
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>

-- Jay


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