Here's the body of an aritcle that was just posted to slashdot. It seems that others out there are of the same mindset as us:
-------------------------------------------------------------- Jamie Harrison: The age of aggressive Linux advocacy is upon us. Published by LinuxOrbit.com, July 16, 2002 by Jamie Harrison Jamie Harrison is a PC Maintenance Technician with a large foodservice company in Maryland, where he supports over 150 users on an NT network, and serves as President of the Glen Burnie LUG. He has been happily married to his high school sweetheart since 1986, and they have three children. A past president of his local Jaycees chapter, Jamie has been involved in writing and public speaking most of his adult life. Whether we want to admit it or not, Linux has entered a critical period in its development - a period that may, in fact, determine its fate forever. Now that Linux is no longer a strange little niche Operating System, and has developed to the point where Microsoft actually feels threatened by its proliferation, the folks in Redmond are doing everything they can in the way of software design, legislation, regulation and control of the internet to snuff Linux out. The main reason that they have failed up to this point is that Linux has matured and grown in popularity, gaining public and private defenders in the consumer market and especially the corporate boardroom. Today there are many industry leaders saying that the Linux market will grow each year, and significant decisions regarding Linux support are made based on these projections. Things like future hardware support, software availability and OEMs are being determined right now because of the reasonable expectation of a growing Linux user base. Government regulation and the fate of legislation hostile to Open Source are viewed in light of an expanding Linux constituency. Whereas Linux had no expectations to meet before, it sure has them now. If the Linux user base ever flattens out, or (God forbid) starts to trail off, Microsoft will immediately proclaim the end of the Linux era, magazine cover stories will declare Tux to be dead, and important decision makers who don't know any better will believe it. As I see it, we have a window (no pun intended) of a few years here. Either the Linux user base will rapidly expand (thus forcing hardware & software companies to consider the impact that Linux will have on their bottom line before making any deals with the devil), or the Linux user base will continue to grow at a slow but steady pace, enabling those same companies to ignore it in the short term. Deals made with Microsoft for the "short term" could make Linux irrelevant in the long term (this is what they're hoping in Redmond). There is strength in numbers. The numbers are not yet on our side, and I fear that time may not be either. If Linux is to become a force to be reckoned with, it's up to us to make it so, and we'd better. Everything that we want as Linux users: more apps, better hardware compatibility, Linux OEMs, etc. is dependent upon a growing base of Linux users. If you want to see more and better Linux code, work for a larger Linux user base. If you couldn't care less if Linux thrives or dies, then go about your business like it doesn't matter. You just may get your wish. You see, if Linux is to die now, it will not be by the schemes of its enemies in Redmond, or the ignorance of politicians in Washington. No, if Linux is to die, it will be by our hands. Our unwillingness to offer Linux support to the ordinary user, our stubborn refusal to spend even the smallest amount of money on Linux products & services, our resistance to taking action on behalf of Linux - these are the weapons which can deliver the fatal blow. I know that there are a certain percentage of Linux users who would rather it stay a niche OS, used only by the gifted few. However, I think one of the great strengths of Linux is the variety of distributions. Newbies and recent Windows refugees can take advantage of end-user oriented Linux products and later graduate to more technically challenging distributions. Linux's broad span can accommodate them all. (You see! Linux can save the world from Microsoft, and still maintain a level of technical elitism!) I, for one, however, do not believe that this community will allow Linux to waste away. I do not believe that those who want Linux to be a niche OS merely to preserve their own sense of technological superiority, or those who simply can't be bothered with advancing the cause, will become the norm. Some will say that selling Linux is the job of those who get paid to do it - the IBMs & Red Hats of the world. But what those organizations can do for Linux in the general population is fairly limited. A good example of that is the IBM 'basketball' ad campaign. This spring I was in the checkout line of my local grocery store, and I was wearing a Tux polo shirt. The cashier looked at Tux and said to me, "Do you like penguins?" I took the opportunity to explain that this penguin was Tux, the mascot of the Linux computer operating system. She seemed puzzled. "Linux? Isn't he a basketball player?" What Linux needs is a way to make the mass computing public aware of its existence - and superiority. Microsoft has a multi-billion dollar marketing machine to shove Windows down our collective throats; Linux has us - the Linux community. That's why Linux advocacy (as individuals & through LUGs) is so important. We are the face of Linux to the world! We as a community must show Linux to be a better product by doing what we can, wherever we can, to increase demand. Remember that an ever-increasing Linux user base will always be our best insurance against hostile forces, and our best hope for advancements in the operating system. If you are concerned about what the future holds for Linux, either get busy with Linux advocacy now, or head out to your local computer superstore and get your copy of "Windows XP for Dummies". Is being a Linux advocate easy? Sometimes it is (bumper stickers, shirts, PC badges) and other times it requires more intestinal fortitude (talking to a Windows user about Linux, asking the manager of the computer store about their Linux offerings). But I am not prepared to surrender nearly all of the computer users in the world to the control of Microsoft, simply because it would be easier to do so. No, the battlefield lay before us, and we can either pick up the flag and go forward, or listen to the disinformation of those who wish us gone, and surrender. Let me make this perfectly clear: I will not retreat and leave the field to Windows. I will not surrender. There have been positive signs, though. Wal-Mart now sells PCs with Mandrake preinstalled. Microsoft's new licensing scheme is opening doors for Linux in the enterprise that we could only have dreamt of. Companies that were content to stay with Windows forever are now rethinking their IT strategy because of the exorbitant (and ongoing) cost of licensing. Countless others who are agitated because of Microsoft's anti-piracy tactics are making the move to Linux, too. If we can just get out there and show people that Linux is a fun, low cost alternative to Windows, folks will respond. Perhaps slowly at first, but they will come. Remember, the software needs of the typical home user are more basic (word processor, spreadsheet, finance program, built in games) than an enterprise, so moving them to Linux involves fewer hurdles. If we sell it, they will come. And that's when the revolution will truly accelerate, as home users who have gotten comfortable on a Linux desktop talk to friends, coworkers, bosses, etc. And don't discount the value of Tux. People love Tux. Little children will want to take things home that have Tux on them, because Tux is cute. As far as brand logos go, Tux is devastatingly effective. He counters Gates' FUD about Linux being scary and dangerous (how could anything with Tux on it be scary & dangerous? Now, those creepy pseudo-windows flying around, that's scary). And Tux draws people to the product, again because he's cute. Tux is a great commercial mascot. Use him. In general, the best way to counter FUD is through the public expression of the positive experiences of Linux users (that's us folks). We are the future of Linux. We are the revolution. How are we to "go forth", then? Here are few ideas: Talk to people. Tell them what you like about Linux; share your positive experiences with them. Ask them to try Linux, offer yourself (and this community) as a free support network, and then be there for them. When you visit your local software retailer, always take a minute to ask an associate (or better yet, a manager) where the Linux distributions are, where the Linux games are, if they carry an PCs with Linux preinstalled, etc. It doesn't matter if you already know the answer, the point is to become a walking billboard for Linux. People and retailers respond to direct personal contact, perhaps more so than any other form of communication. If talking to people makes you uncomfortable, then think of other ways to spread the good news of Tux. Bumper stickers are great, tee shirts with Tux & Linux (writ large) are nice, just do anything that marks you as a happy Linux user. Use your imagination, you'll be surprised at how much fun you can have as a Linux ambassador. Be active in the Linux community! Contribute on the boards often, help out users on the IRC chats, organize or join a local LUG, register at Linux Counter (and every other Linux site out there), write letters to hardware & software distributors, etc. Don't get drawn into pointless flame posts or stupid BBS rivalries. And always be friendly and as supportive as possible. Remember, for a recent Linux convert, YOU may be their first impression of the 'typical Linux user'. Don't screw it up! Put your money where your mouth is! Support those people who are expending time and MONEY to make Linux great! Don't be afraid to "throw away" $50 on a packaged Linux distribution. Spend money at Best Buy, CompUSA, etc. on Linux products. (If you want supplies to increase, you must be the demand!) Buy Linux novelty items from online retailers. Buy Linux books, subscribe to Linux magazines. WE ARE THE LINUX CASH FLOW! If each of us took it upon ourselves to become a "Goodwill ambassador" for Linux, the development of Linux software would rapidly accelerate and the slow erosion of Windows market share would soon become a mudslide. The age of aggressive Linux advocacy is upon us. I'm in. How about you? --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
