Friday morning miracle - something positive from Slashdot!

[TeeAhr1]

Ubuntu: Desktop Linux's Success Story
Posted by CowboyNeal on 01:34 AM -- Friday December 16 2005
from the doing-things-right dept.

Johhny writes "What is it about Ubuntu that has enabled it to grow so much? This distribution has clearly built on Debian's success but it has more than a few other things going for it. Ubuntu has become one of the most popular versions of desktop Linux despite its many differences from some of the other popular versions out there, including its scheduled releases and its counterpart, Kubuntu. The article takes a look at this distribution and tries to find out how Ubuntu defied the odd (http://www.xyzcomputing.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=492)s. This article generated a really informative comments (http://www.osnews.com/comment.php?news_id=12898)page at OSnews."
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[egon spengler]

I read the first 30 or so posts of the osnews page. Something a few people mentioned on there (generally they seemed to bring it up as a criticism) is that ubuntu has been successful due to hype and marketing. It's something I've seen a few people on various linux forums say (again, it's generally said as if it is a bad thing).

Is ubuntu really that well marketed? Personally I have never seen an ad for it nor have I been exposed to much hype. I only discovered it existed after seeing it mentioned on mozillazine. Of course I am not saying that as I have not seen hype/ads therefore there must be none, I don't visit a lot of websites and the few I do are not tech related so it is very possible that I have just missed it all.

Just wondering what other people's experiences of the "ubuntu hype machine" is

[canadianwriterman]

It's funny what some people classify as "hype." If they mean:


Being consistently at the top of the Distrowatch view chart
Having a huge, friendly and helpful Forum
Having a distinct and well-articulated philosophy
Having generally positive reviews

Then, I guess, that's the "hype."

[ember]

I guess, some people from Debian are annoyed by Ubuntu's success, because Debian never had that kind of success on the desktop and because, at the moment, there are some things that do not work out so well (e.g. patches that have been applyied in debian, but not in Ubuntu universe).
Yet I fear this is somehow the same thing as the most common KDE vs. Gnome debate - some people just can't stand that there is something good besides their favourites.

[deNoobius]

Just wondering what other people's experiences of the "ubuntu hype machine" is

Not sure this was part of any "hype machine," or even if it was a product placement or just the writers being up-to-date, but it was mentioned on a popular TV show, "Veronica Mars," maybe a couple of months ago. Two students at the high school were overheard arguing about Ubuntu vs. OSX.

However, I think the best publicity has been the good reviews and the user community, not any "hype machine."

[Rackerz]

In my opinion, Ubuntu isn't really hyped and if it is, it certainly lives up to the 'hype'.

[bored2k]

I learn about ubuntu via the regular "ubuntu 4.10 rc out" from distrowatch.
Brown screenshots were not sexy. I didn't like it, so I stopped using it. About 4-5 month later, I wanted to try a small (one disc) Linux that was preferably debian based, so i retried the 4.10 final. I don't even see where the marketing even is.

My opinion? people saying that are those jealous of the owner of ubuntu for going to space (take that steve_jobs!).

[poofyhairguy]

Just wondering what other people's experiences of the "ubuntu hype machine" is

Many Linux users use Desktop Linux because that puts them in a minority- gets them underground. When a distro like Ubuntu (or Gentoo before it) gets so popular that a lot of the community turns toward it, those that like Linux because of its underdog status must hate this new winner in order to stay consistent. Hence the myth of Ubuntu hype.

[dolny]

I've heard about Ubuntu when I was deleting my Fedora Core 3 (The X server was constantly breaking). I said to a friend, that I'm going to leave Linux in favour of Windows XP. He said that I should try Ubuntu. I installed it, and I ran Windows 3 times since that moment.

[TeeAhr1]

Re: Hype, marketing, and other dirty words

IMHO, some of the success could be attributed to marketing, not in the traditional, TV and billboards, sense, but the excellent grassroots stuff that the marketing team (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MarketingTeam) is doing. Come check it out, speak your mind, lend a hand.

But really, the only way that kind of grassroots, peer-to-peer marketing works is if there's a solid product to back it up. And Ubuntu's got it. It really does Just Work (tm), and the community around it really is the best, most helpful group of people you'll find. 'Nuff said.

[almahtar]

I read the first 30 or so posts of the osnews page. Something a few people mentioned on there (generally they seemed to bring it up as a criticism) is that ubuntu has been successful due to hype and marketing. It's something I've seen a few people on various linux forums say (again, it's generally said as if it is a bad thing).

Is ubuntu really that well marketed? Personally I have never seen an ad for it nor have I been exposed to much hype. I only discovered it existed after seeing it mentioned on mozillazine. Of course I am not saying that as I have not seen hype/ads therefore there must be none, I don't visit a lot of websites and the few I do are not tech related so it is very possible that I have just missed it all.

Just wondering what other people's experiences of the "ubuntu hype machine" is


I hate to say it but hype and marketting is the only way ANYTHING will succeed, so I'm totally ok with that if it gets Ubuntu on top.

I know for my friends and I, all it took was me using Ubuntu. When they saw how easily I could do everything in Ubuntu compared to Windows XP, they all switched within a week: That's 3 converts with no hype required: all they had to do was see it in action.