Date: Tue, 2 Mar 1999 23:58:14 -0500 (EST) From: "John S. Dyson" <toor@dyson.iquest.net> To: dpilgrim@uswest.net (Nocturne) Cc: dyson@iquest.net, freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Active advocacy [Was: Re: Guess we've lost the server market too...?] Message-ID: <199903030458.XAA23291@dyson.iquest.net> In-Reply-To: <36DCBBC9.CB17CC87@uswest.net> from Nocturne at "Mar 2, 99 08:34:17 pm"
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> "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. > I care more about my Dad not getting frustrated than I do about FreeBSD. Maybe he doesn't want to be a pioneer (which he doesn't.) Each problem needs a different solution, and there are still cases where I would tell a friend to use WinNT, because I care about them. To me, it is an issue of honesty, and support. > > 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. > One has to create a solution for each person, and maybe FreeBSD is better in your cited cases. It is almost always better for me, but I am atypical (in my opinion, FreeBSD is almost always better for a programmer type.) The world is generally not made up of programmer types though, and the userbase will get what they want no matter what transpires. The ONLY reason why Linux might be better than FreeBSD is in critical mass (and the side-effect of having supported applications) or in advocacy. Maybe there is a higher proportion of BLIND advocacy in the Linux camp, and that is where I cannot morally function well. Well thought out advocacy is something that I can participate in -- and it still hurts that my Dad will likely be happier with Linux than with FreeBSD. (Remember, I have probably put 5-6 person years into FreeBSD, and have as much invested as most people do.) This is not an issue that I take lightly. I might boot FreeBSD for him, but his buddies will be running Linux, and that is where he will end up, no matter what I say. In my world, I have done what I have been able to do to move FreeBSD forward technically. It is time for those who CAN advocate to move forward. Also, it is important to quit being snobbish about avoiding advocacy. I am a technical person, with the PR abilities of our favorite independent prosecutor. > > (I think this should also go to -advocacy, but I'm not going to > cross post unless people think I should.) > I never know the right thing to do in that area... Someone will likely redirect it. John To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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