[FredLUG] Re: SFD 2010 Slogan

[Mark Walker]

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This is a short article that I think is timely, relevant, and worth reading:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9180026/Warning_Five_things_you_should_know_before_switching_to_Linux
It's entitled: "Warning: Five things you should know before switching to
Linux"
It's very positive about Linux, and a summary is:
Linux is an incredibly useful, versatile and interesting operating
system, but it does have its drawbacks, so familiarize yourself with them.
1. It isn't Windows
2. It isn't quite Unix either
3. Printers and other peripherals
4. Documents and files
5. Technical skills required

In the comments after the article is an excellent balancing counterpoint:
http://www.computerworld.com/comments/comment/view/9180026/594156#comment-594156

What this has to do with SFD is: If we can anticipate what peoples' and
businesses' concerns might be, we'll be better armed for our
revolutionary battles :-)

Thanks,
Mark


On 8/2/10 10:18 PM, Mark Walker wrote:
> Peter, thanks for your thoughtful comments.  They are points well
> taken.
> 
> As I recall, our thoughts on themes relating to free beer were driven
> more from the scheduling of the local Oktoberfest at the same time and
> taking advantage of the semantic association.  We can still use the
> "beer" theme in a nuanced way during individual conversations with
> visitors when the situation seems appropriate and profitable for our
> cause.
> 
> Businesses that use FOSS do pay somebody one way or another; either
> via support subscriptions, consultants, or in-house staff.  But even
> though the business model involves paying someone, the lower total
> cost of FOSS (acquisition, support, and scaling) would be a factor in
> any management calculations where every penny counts more all the
> time, even with inflated currency.
> 
> If we throw off our colonial overlords (I love the analogy!) we still
> have business to conduct.  And it is worthy to note that FOSS is not a
> collectivist enterprise; we're a true community, which is something
> entirely different.
> 
> So, then, the question remains:  What should our slogan(s) be?  Or do
> we even need one?  How about this as an alternative slogan:  "Free to
> Decide--Exercise Your Freedom!"
> 
> Further thoughts by all welcome.
> 
> Thanks,
> Mark
> 
> On Aug 2, 9:53 am, Peter Larsen <ego.al... at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Mark,
>> I used to like those expressions but in the last year or so, I've grown
>> very vary of them. It's the cause of a lot of confusion to users and
>> driving the misconception that open-source means FREE as in "no charge"
>> doesn't serve the FOSS communities at all.
>>
>> Instead I think we need to strive towards Free as in "freedom". The
>> non-lock-in; freedom to fix problems and not wait months for a vendor to
>> fix something; open standards and open source is how we progress with
>> the customer/user in focus and not the vendors.
>>
>> The "free" as in "no charge" is really just for the geeks. If one thing
>> is clear to me from lots of support on IRC, lug meetings and mailing
>> lists problem solving, it is that very few outside the computer science
>> realm have the knowledge needed to take advantage of the free-source.
>> That's why I scuffle when I hear IT people talk about the fear of
>> loosing jobs; the IT jobs may be moving to new centers, but open source
>> by NO MEANS, is a way to get novice IT users in control.
>>
>> So a parallel to me, is that open source is like the "revolutionary
>> war". We've won the right to our own land after a long fight and now we
>> have to find a way to trade with the outside world to survive. Unlike
>> the revolutionary war, we're not content with the space we have now.
>> We're ever growing taking away more and more space from the proprietary
>> and closed source countries.
>> --
>> Best Regards
>>   Peter Larsen
>>
>> Wise words of the day:
>> Remember: While root can do most everything, there are certain
>> privileges that only a partner can grant.
>>         -- Telsa Gwynne
>>
>> On Sun, 2010-08-01 at 10:58 -0700, Mark Walker wrote:
>>> At the past two FredLUG meetings, we've touched on discussing what
>>> might be our slogan for this year.  With SFD 2010 coinciding with the
>>> local "Oktoberfest" on Caroline Street, the thinking was to capitalize
>>> in the concept of "Free as in Beer."
>>
>>> Some ideas that have surfaced so far, that I can remember, are:
>>> "Free Software--Free Beer"
>>> "FREE <small>as in</small> BEER"
>>
>>> So, have a sip of your favorite beverage, and let the ideas flow
>>> through your FOSS computer :-)
>>
>>> Mark
> 

- -- 

Mark Caldwell Walker
Contact info at marwalk.tel
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