Today in the car, while listening to AM 550 (KFYI),
Kim Komando was saying something about
how Microsoft Office can be expensive, while openoffice.org
[OOo] can do just about the same things, for way less money.
Whoa! that wasn't expected! (by me...)
She also mentioned some other free (or "open source")
software - such as, I remember GIMP for sure, but I am
not sure what others. She 'might' have mentioned Firefox.
I did not write it down (I was driving).
She did say that one could go to her web site at
http://komando.com/
and then just click on (something or other).
I went to that web site, and I tried clicking on a few of the
choices. I do not think that "Cool Sites" is the thing to
click on, but it might be "Downloads". (but I tried that,
and there was probably a sequence of sub-options to click,
that she talked about, but that I do not remember...).
I thought this was interesting, because in the past I always
just sorta assumed that a radio person would just see who
advertises, and that would influence their opinions about
things, and their choices of what to talk about.
In this case, it sounds like Kim Komando was just "telling
it like it is", perhaps as a way of creating credibility with
listeners -- so that they will conclude that she is a good
source of info about computer related stuff.
(and maybe there is some truth to that -- now).
It does make sense that, for stuff like free (or "open source")
software, that "word of mouth" endorsements would give it
a lot of popularity, especially in light of the price. (and
related factors, such as reduced incentive for the distributors
to try to achieve some kind of "vendor lock in" using
proprietary data formats, or non-standard features, etc.)
However, I was still a little surprised, and maybe puzzled.
Why would Kim Komando want to tell folks about free
(or "open source") software? Other than maybe out of
the goodness of her heart? (just how much goodness
does her heart have?)
Well one possible reason, might be to cause listeners to
read her web site. (I probably had ever spent much
time - and ZERO money - there before, but today I
read most of "http://www.komando.com/about/").
It's a big bright world out there.
Don't take my word for it.
See for yourself.
--
Mike Schwartz
Glendale AZ
schwartz@acm.org
---------------------------------------------------
PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings:
http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
(text/plain)