Hello, I would like to comment on 2 recent expieriences.
1. Pros and Cons of Linux at the Chandler Chanber of Commerce. January
15, 2004.
The general concept of this presentation as I see it was to present the
"Pros and Cons of Linux" to a non technical business audience.
Unfortunatley, most of the attendees are already linux stalwarts, people
such as myself, whose day to day desktop OS is linux and who also makes
extensive use of linux for server applications in my working life, Hans,
about whom no more needs to be said and Thurman, who teaches linux/unix
at Scottsdale community college.
Personally, I attended, not to learn the Pros and Cons, but to see what
general business peopole think of linux and if they have any interest at
all. The only person there that would remotely fall into the general
business catagory was the representitive of the Chandler Chamber who had
organizaed the event. So I really wasn't able to achieve my objective.
To sum up this expierience, it was typical of many linux events that I
have attended, long on people who are already sold and short on
potential new converts.
In thinking of a potential solution to this "preaching to the choir"
situation, I feel as if I personally could have and should have invited
some of my business and personal friends that either are not using linux
at all or are and don't really even know it. In other words forget about
linux stalwarts, they can take care of themselves, lets bring in some
new blood.
2. Nation Wide Vision.
I stopped in to see what I had read about on plug recently and sure
enough they are running some linux variant, using the Gnome desktop. The
desk top was cleared of all icons except 1 for a proprietary program
that they use. That is the only program they use. I asked the employee
who I talked to to click on the foot and the full compliment of programs
and utilities showed up.
He told me that the emplyees are specifically prohibited from using any
programs other than the one they have the icon form. He reported that
they system itself is real stable, although he said they do have some
problems with their propietary application.
He showed me the computers that they use , which were plain white boxes
whith no visable floppy or cd drives. He also reported that the
computers in front don't work unless one of the computers in back is
running which leads me to believe that they are running a linux terminal
server.
The employee didn't realize that he was running linux and in fact had no
idea what linux was. He asked if it was some kind of old operating
system. He reported satisfaction with the overall system.
I draw the following conclusions from these expieriences.
1. We as linux users love our Linux in particular and computing in
general. Most people could care less.
2. We need to come up with a plan to attract people to Linux who could
care less what operating system they use.
3. People in general are not aware of Linux.
4. The vast majority of computer users will never install an operating
system of any kind. The ease or difficulty of installation is of no
consequence to them at all.
5. Most users just want to sit down and do whatever they need to do with
a minimum of concern for their equipment.
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