Stop waiting for corporations to market Linux

[ken_fallon]

Yet another TLLTS where Dann was again lamenting the lack of big company marketing in Linux.

We are prepared do the kernel coding ourselves if corporations won't. We do the documentation ourselves if corporations won't. We put on community events when the corporations won't. Why do we expect corporations to do this work? Why should marketing be any different to any other aspect of Linux. There's an itch we scratch it.

OK some answers:

Q) What do we market
A) LINUX. (Just like the dairy advisory board markets MILK. )
A) Firefox
A) OpenOffice
A) ****

Q) What's the message.
A) Linux (or ****) is Stable, Secure and Simple to run.

Q) What can I do ?
A) Spread the word
A) Convert one other person to Linux and support them.
A) Put flyers in the post box of your neighborhood announcing *** (See below)
A) Put an advertisement on craigs list/your local paper/etc announcing *** (See below)
A) Get interviewed on your local radio announcing *** (See below)
A) Offer to do a free FLOSS article in your local paper. Discussing ****(See below)
A) Give windows users the taste for FLOSS.
A) Submit a cost savings idea to your work to use open office.
A) Put Linux DVD's in the lobby.
A) Put a promotional video on the net and link to it on http://www.thisrunslinux.org
A) Buy old PC's and refurbish them and sell them with Linux on them (yes make some money). Be sure to offer the free update support.
A) Ask your local PC store if the kit you are using runs Linux.
A) Ask your company can you use a Linux computer in work, or to connect to work from home.
A) Talk to your IT guy about Linux (recovery disk, gpartet, wireshark) but don't be negative.
A) Buy USB Keys in bulk, install Linux on them and sell them for cost + small profit.
A) Tell your local Mom/POP PC store that they can sell Linux CD's and keep 100% of the profit. New versions come out every six months.
A) Ask your Library to stock Linux books.
A) Ask your Library to subscribe to Linux Magazines.
A) Ask your Library/Church/School/Work/Shopping Center/etc to put up posters announcing **** (See below)

**** Announcing may be
- The new release of a Distro/Firefox for windows/Openoffice 3/ etc etc

Q) Is all lost if someone doesn't want to convert.
A) No they can become an excellent resource to build our knowledge base. Ask them if you can use them as a person that they can test marketing campaigns on so that we can address their issues as a community.

Feel free to add your own.

[LinuxMint-4]

[quote="ken_fallon"]Yet another TLLTS where Dann was again lamenting the lack of big company marketing in Linux.

We are prepared do the kernel coding ourselves if corporations won't. We do the documentation ourselves if corporations won't. We put on community events when the corporations won't. Why do we expect corporations to do this work? Why should marketing be any different to any other aspect of Linux. There's an itch we scratch it.


Q) What can I do ?
A) Spread the word
quote]

This is what I have been doing in comment sections on various blogs. In fact there is a growing number of people who not only defended Linux from the Microsoft shills and Apple fans but showed why Linux is superior. Kind of working stealth behind the scenes.


I have some very good ideas on how to market Linux, one way would be based on the Mojave experiment. I like to see a PROFESSIONALLY done video or a series of videos done showing why Linux is superior (no malware, no viruses, runs faster, runs on older and new equipment, instant startup laptops).

I like to see Professionally done videos with themes like "Show us your desktop" (where a series of different screen shots from Linux users with different Linux distros running compiz fusion effects).

I like to see a "Im a Linux" campaign where everyone from every age and background all using Linux and having fun.

I like to see a "I practice safe computing" campaign where people are using Linux with people saying "I don't go anywhere without my Linux".

I like to see a video campaign where it shows Wall Street and large businesses with large mainframes and then show some small kid using their computer with Linux and the ad would express that no matter how big or how small .... Linux is for everyone...(the ad would end with a shot of the Linux Penguin ).

"Come taste the Freedom" ad campaign.

We could have some videos professionally produced (maybe some Linux video professionals would volunteer or help). The videos could be embedded on Linux blog websites, Linux Podcast shows and websites, pro Linux sites, Slashdot, EFF...if we do this...lets not just limit it to You Tube.

[ken_fallon]

This is what I have been doing in comment sections on various blogs. In fact there is a growing number of people who not only defended Linux from the Microsoft shills and Apple fans but showed why Linux is superior. Kind of working stealth behind the scenes.

Using the words "Microsoft shills" and "Apple fans" to describe our potential Linux converts isn't very positive. I'm also talking about more grass roots ideas here. The majority of people do not know what IRC or forums are.

I have some very good ideas on how to market Linux, one way would be based on the Mojave experiment. I like to see a PROFESSIONALLY done video or a series of videos done showing why Linux is superior (no malware, no viruses, runs faster, runs on older and new equipment, instant startup laptops).

I like to see Professionally done videos with themes like "Show us your desktop" (where a series of different screen shots from Linux users with different Linux distros running compiz fusion effects).

I like to see a "Im a Linux" campaign where everyone from every age and background all using Linux and having fun.

I like to see a "I practice safe computing" campaign where people are using Linux with people saying "I don't go anywhere without my Linux".

I like to see a video campaign where it shows Wall Street and large businesses with large mainframes and then show some small kid using their computer with Linux and the ad would express that no matter how big or how small .... Linux is for everyone...(the ad would end with a shot of the Linux Penguin ).

"Come taste the Freedom" ad campaign.

We could have some videos professionally produced (maybe some Linux video professionals would volunteer or help). The videos could be embedded on Linux blog websites, Linux Podcast shows and websites, pro Linux sites, Slashdot, EFF...if we do this...lets not just limit it to You Tube.

Good when your finished put it here http://www.thisrunslinux.org

[eddie]

You could always interview Michael Dell on how he uses linux. There are one or two good videos of linux being used in libraries.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWIrxuF5NSo

http://meadvillelibrary.org/os/ltsp.html

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sa=X ... to&spell=1

[ken_fallon]

You could always interview Michael Dell on how he uses linux.

I could and that would be great but it's not likely to happen. For that reason I'm more interested in local initiatives.

There are one or two good videos of linux being used in libraries.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWIrxuF5NSo

http://meadvillelibrary.org/os/ltsp.html

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sa=X ... to&spell=1

Wow this is cool and exactly what we're looking for. Two questions
A) Can I get the source material ?
B) What is the lisence ?

[eddie]

There is another good video about putting linux in schools, but I could not find it. I will keep looking. There should be enough content to find out what you want to know already. There is another video about using linux after katrina (the hurricane) with live distros to get things running again quickly and cheaply. Just using the proper keywords in a search engine, you can find quite a few videos very easily.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke-kel9zOFo&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPfTePHK ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfT9zMo0WHw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRYq0wTLYng
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... ness&hl=en

http://www.nas.nasa.gov/
http://www.colinseymour.co.uk/blog/linu ... s-to-mars/
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... inux&hl=en

update:
videos from my local user group.

http://video.houstonlinux.org/incoming/

[LinuxMint-4]

Ken Fallon wrote:
"Using the words "Microsoft shills" and "Apple fans" to describe our potential Linux converts isn't very positive. I'm also talking about more grass roots ideas here. The majority of people do not know what IRC or forums are."


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People are paid to put the best spin for Microsoft in forums and blogs if that isn't a shill...then what is it? ...Also who pays people to promote or defend Linux?