Date: Tue, 2 Mar 1999 20:54:00 -0800 From: Unfurl <unfurl@dub.net> To: FreeBSD Chat <chat@freebsd.org>, FreeBSD Advocacy <advocacy@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: Active advocacy Message-ID: <19990302205400.A97649@dub.net> In-Reply-To: <36DCBBC9.CB17CC87@uswest.net>; from Nocturne on Tue, Mar 02, 1999 at 08:34:17PM -0800 References: <199903030411.XAA00446@y.dyson.net> <36DCBBC9.CB17CC87@uswest.net>
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On Tue, Mar 02, 1999 at 08:34:17PM -0800, Nocturne wrote:
> "John S. Dyson" wrote:
> > FYI, my Dad just asked about Linux, and I explained that
> > it was like FreeBSD (that I used to work on), and had to
> > suggest that since his friends are most likely going to
> > run Linux, that he might consider it also. This sickened
> > me, but makes the Linux decision almost like the Windows
> > decision of past days. I explained the license issue to
> > him, and he agrees that GPL is a mess -- but I still claim
> > that Linux is still a better choice for him :-(. FreeBSD
> > *should* have been a better choice...
>
> You should have recommended FreeBSD, and when his friends start
> asking, try to get them to switch. Your actions follow suit
> with the lack of advocacy you're complaining about. Sheeple
> logic doesn't work.
>
> In this past week I've gotten two people to try FreeBSD, one is
> a newbie to computing (a mind untarnished by MS BS) and the other
> is a long time Linux user who's reasons for not switching were
> so that he could use software not written for FreeBSD, but I knew
> to work through the emulator. They've both read the handbook and
> they've both ordered CDs from WC. I even had, with their permission,
> majordomo send them help info and auth requests to be added to
> -newbies.
>
> (I think this should also go to -advocacy, but I'm not going to
> cross post unless people think I should.)
I agree with this attitude. Advocacy really needs to start on a
person to person basis. It needs to start with the people you know
personally that might be persueded to try FreeBSD. I work in a
Solaris shop but when I gave out 7 copies of old 2.2.6 disk sets
what OS do you think they all switched to at home? FreeBSD of
course. They didnt know that some non-commercial unix could be so
cool because no one had been around to tell them about it.. Most
of the time it just takes a bit of personal nudging to get someone
to try FreeBSD. The average Linux user is most likely not going
to reach out and try it on his/her own.
Two years ago I became convinced that the best way to do this was
to start a local users group. Not only does it create a group of
*local* ppl that can help each other hands-on, but it also starts
a network of people that bring others into the group
Two years ago I lived in Tucson,AZ. After a few newsgroup posts
and a meeting or two we had a really great group going. Today they
have over 130 members. In January, after moving to Seattle, WA I
posted a request to various newsgroups and mailing lists to see if
there was any interest in a Seattle area users group. Now, two
months later, the group is getting ready for it's second meeting
and has 25 people on the mailing list. Some of these people are
newbies that are getting their "mother's milk" from others on the
list. Some of them might have given up without that initial boost.
I'm rambling. All I really have to say is "start small", don't wait for
someone to come up with some grand advocacy scheme, do it yourself on a
level that you are capable of doing it on: LOCALLY.
my .10
-Bill Swingle
(I think it should go to -advocacy too so I will cross post it :) )
--
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