[BadVista Advocate] My blog

[Jacob Maynard]

This was a lot to think about and respond to, but we have several things
that we could bring to the benefit of the open source community. Already,
Dell is working to decide which distribution to install for users. It
needs to be something simple with KDE or GNOME already set as default so
as not to confuse the "I've only used Windows so I don't know anything
else and don't want to take the time to learn something else" users. It
needs to have all of your basics for productivity and entertainment. Then,
we also have to cater to the gamers, who are in a very large number.

One thing I'm sad to say is that Linux does not have the same multimedia
support that Windows has, and I say this in the sense of codecs. It is too
complicated to set it up for a normal Windows user. This is why the
choosing of the distribution is of the utmost importance for the "word of
mouth" type of publicity. Linux doesn't have the income to support
television or radio or newspaper advertisements to get the word out there
that there is an alternative.

I am only 24 years old and I own 5 computers. I do this as a hobby, not a
job. I have one computer set up as a server (overloaded, I might add, but
still operating fantastically!) with Fedora Core 5, one as a backup
server/mess around with computer running SuSE 10. One computer is a 1996
Toshiba Satellite which runs Slackware for my "have to have only command
prompt days." The last one is my Windows XP Alienware that was purchased
for gaming. This is another things about Linux that upsets me; the gaming
situation.

My point with that last paragraph was actually to say that we have
different viewpoints because of generational opinions on the "troll"
situatiton. It needs to be handled delicately. You may stop reading when 
debate becomes heated, but for the new generation of "I love soap opera
drama" information seekers, they thrive on it. The trick is to make it
seem like an argument that is not an argument. That way, yes, the
sidelined, knowledge thirsty individuals reaching for answers or
alternatives can see. If we lose the battle to the "troll", our cause is
viewed as weak. If we win because we said, "I'm right and you're wrong"
more times, our cause is not taken seriously and people go back to surfing
the rest of the internet.

Our goal should be to win with facts that other people, not necessarily
the "troll", can ponder and mull over. If we lose the "troll", we've only
lost one. If our facts persuade anybody who stumbles on or watches this
site, then we've gained that many. Our chances are greater to sway people
when we keep our cool.

That's what I had to say in a nutshell. And my wife is beating me to come
to dinner, but I will write more on this topic as the situations come up,
or if I can think of anything else.

Thanks for your time and well thought-out responses.

Jacob

>
> An interesting take on things. A view I had not considered - at least not
> for
> a very long time.
>
> Lets see if I have this right, or at least passably close.
>
> I suspect you view it as being a sort of competition - almost a sporting
> event, for the spectators on the sidelines, as it were.
>
> It's not about the troll (if such he be), but rather to show other readers
> that he is wrong, so they will not go away feeling that the trolls
> questions
> were not answered, and by association feeling that all us "geeky, nerd,
> coder
> types" are not very helpful, and GNU/Linux is not for them.
>
> Mostly because the spectator may not know about trolls and such, and
> therefore
> needs to be clear about the points you are making about Free Software.
>
> Did I get that about right?
>
> Now please believe me, I am not trolling here. The thing is that I'm
> almost 70
> years old, and while I grew up with this industry, or more accurately this
> industry grew up with me --in truth I helped build some of it. I also am
> well
> aware that the future does not belong to me.
>
> This just means that I also may have a considerable different take on some
> things - not necessarily the 'right' or 'only' take, just one that goes
> with
> my personal experiences.
>
> So this is a very serious question --I'm just trying to see if I
> understand
> your point.
>
> If I have got it right, then it is an interesting way to look at it, and I
> will want to think about that method.
>
> Off the top I think it is probably very accurate and applicable to today's
> users. But it would be unlikely to sway me much (as one of the
> 'spectators').
>
> That's what I meant about patience. For me, after the third or fourth
> "Asked
> and Answered", with each side becoming more heated, I lose all interest in
> what ever the subject was. And just read no further.
>
> Which means that from that point on, anything anyone posts is lost to me
> anyway, because I'm long gone (me, or any 'spectator' that feels the way I
> do).
>
> But I think that I can (dimly) remember a time that I might not have felt
> that
> way --I would probably have been in there trying to make my point that way
> also.
>
> Now I just do it differently, and it works quite well for me. But I
> suspect...
> well I know, that I deal with a considerably different set of prospective
> new
> to GNU/Linux converts, or potential converts, then most of you do.
>
> I know this because while I still build and install computer systems,
> retirement has the advantage of allowing me to only do 100% GNU/Linux
> systems. I just refuse to work on, install, or fix, anything else.
>
> So far --this year-- I've installed 14 GNU/Linux systems for people, the
> youngest of which was 59 years old, the oldest is 83 (the person, not the
> system ;).
>
> These are all GNU/Linux only users, no dual boot, or second computers
> running
> Windows. Some had an old Windows box first, and some are brand new to all
> this computer/Internet stuff.
>
> I'm positive not one of them even knows what a blog is (they may learn -
> or
> not, hard to say). But they would all recognize and ignore a troll, even
> if
> they would not use the term 'troll' to describe such a person. So my
> approach
> is different.
>
> Not better, just different.
>
> And there is one other little thing my 'old' users do, that I think has
> value.
> They tend to be the people that buy the computers for grand-kids, etc. and
> you know what system they will expect to be on the grand-kids box.
>
> Yep, the system they understand --which won't be Windows.
>
> I've been doing this for enough years now to have some of my 'people' from
> years past starting to taste the anger, when they find out they can't
> simply
> buy a box with GNU/Linux pre-installed for a son, or daughter, or one of
> the
> grand-kids.
>
> For them the taste is bitter, for me their anger has the sweet taste of
> success at achieving my underlying goal.
>
> And twice as sweet because this is beginning to change, soon finding a
> GNU/Linux pre-installed system may be as easy as phoning Dell (or whatever
> major player that is smart enough to get on the GNU/Linux bandwagon).
>
> While it may not (yet) be pure GNU/Linux, it will be a big step towards
> that
> goal.
>
> We will 'win' this war, as long as we all work at it as best we can.
>
> So keep workin' at it, any way you can. That's what I plan to do for as
> long
> as I can.
>
> D. Hensley
> --
> GNU/Linux is the future.
> Join the FSF: http://www.fsf.org/register_form?referrer=4458
> Get the Real Facts: http://BadVista.org
>  *******************************************
>  On Tuesday 24 April 2007 01:26 pm, Jacob Maynard wrote:
> Even though I didn't take the comment that way, it's something we have to
> watch for. If we don't we sound like the little kids in the back seat on a
> long road trip. I just think that since we are trying to convince the
> general public to switch to open source, I think that we need to maintain
> our maturity and beware not to let it fall to that level. The trolls will
> say their things, but we can't let questions go unanswered. Does that make
> sense? I don't want there to be a question from someone who is obviously
> baiting, and have it be the question of someone who is legitimately
> looking for answers, then not have it answered.
>
> So once you beat them with proof, they will resort to the little kid in
> the back seat. As long as our answers are legitimate, people will know
> that the "trolls" lost.
>
> If we get two or three trolls actively throwing stuff out like that, and
> we have even 8 of us actively countering with proof, we still will have
> enough people and brainpower to thwart them. This is what the general
> public will see. Publicity is just politics. If you play it right, people
> will go with you. Then they will learn that it is better for them in the
> long run.
>
> Jacob
>
>
>
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