I had a marketing idea...

[davbren]

Hey all, I just had a brain wave. Well a lil spark anyway. Tell me what you think.

Many times i've been using my laptop in a coffee shop or anywhere and someone has commented that Linux just copies other OSs and that it isn't as good. You know, all that jazz. It bugs me as I'm sure it bugs all of you too. So I was thinking. Why not publicise that Linux has History It's something that isn't really promoted. It does, afterall, go back nearly as far back as the others. As long as the history of Linux is seen as Geeky, (we all know it was but so were MS and Apple), it will always be the nerd OS.

I'm hoping that with Natty there will be some more to publicise as MShuttle seems more excited by it than previous versions. One of the things that people like about Windows or OSX is that it appears to have depth and heritage. People who aren't in the know don't have any experience of that so the barrier for entry is extremely high. So I think the biggest challenge to face Linux is to educate the masses so they don't feel like they're being educated...

We've already seen what an effect marketing can do with OMGUbuntu. I think we need more of this. When my site is up and running I intend on trying aswell.

Also I was thinking that getting Ubuntu on to a premium product may also help. It's great that Dell has continuing support but they need to put it on a device that people actually wanna buy.

Lets hear everyones ideas :-)

[dv3500ea]

All people generally want is something that works - easily.

If you're going to advertise anything, advertise the fact that Ubuntu is easier to use than Windows or Mac.

People don't normally care if their system was originally created by a Finish hacker or an American monopolistic businessman.

[asddf]

A better solution is to have your wall paper with the words <snip> off in giant letters, and just hit show desktop when someone starts commenting.

[whiskeylover]

A better solution is to have your wall paper with the words <snip> off in giant letters, and just hit show desktop when someone starts commenting.

Damn you! Your idea just got me fired.

[LowSky]

Damn you! Your idea just got me fired.

I doubt it was just that... I'm going to bet the whiskey is what really did you in...

):P

[dca]

Linux doesn't copy other OS'... I would say it's the other way around... Thanks to the BSD license, MS was able to steal the TCP/IP stack, Apple was able to steal a heap-load of stuff...

Marketing is subjective, if you really want to start a flame-war, how 'bout this? Okay, we're talking about desktop here (not Linux on the server), when all is said and done, there will never be a commercial app released, say: MS Office for Linux, Adobe CSx for Linux, MS MapPoint for Linux, etc, etc...

...there may be in the future a box with commerical software inside, and on that box a label that says, "Supported Platforms: MS Windows Vista/7 / MAC OSX 10.6 or Greater / Ubuntu 12.x LTS or Greater" (or swap Ubuntu with Google). I don't think there'll ever be a day where it'll say: Windows / MAC / Linux. You can blame that on marketing, you can blame that on ABI/API issues, you can blame that on the FHS and using packages versus the MAC all--in-one package, Windows MSI exe packages, or PC-BSD's PBIs, you can blame that on there never being one desktop environment to build on (choices KDE/Gnome or on low-spec LXDE, XFCE)...

[mikewhatever]

Hey all, I just had a brain wave. Well a lil spark anyway. Tell me what you think.

Many times i've been using my laptop in a coffee shop or anywhere and someone has commented that Linux just copies other OSs and that it isn't as good. You know, all that jazz. It bugs me as I'm sure it bugs all of you too. ...

It doesn't bug me at all. Borrowing ideas is nothing new, it's natural, is very wide spread, and, in fact, is the matter of common sense. Some like to call it copying or stealing, but really, all they do is show their own ignorance.
...and on the history of Linux - I rather doubt too many users are interested, which is probably true regarding any other OS history.

[davbren]

It doesn't bug me at all. Borrowing ideas is nothing new, it's natural, is very wide spread, and, in fact, is the matter of common sense. Some like to call it copying or stealing, but really, all they do is show their own ignorance.
...and on the history of Linux - I rather doubt too many users are interested, which is probably true regarding any other OS history.

Ok perhaps you misunderstood me. I don't think taking ideas and innovating is a bad thing. Its necessary. But it bugs me that people think thats all Linux is. That Linux is something new and ultimately superficial. I don't want to start a flame war at all. I just think there is a need to market Linux better.

[mikewhatever]

OK, and your marketing idea is to teach people the History of Linux. How is that gonna work?

[Random_Dude]

This thread reminded me of Spaces. Multiple desktop display was a standard feature on Linux before Steve Jobs announced it in Leopard.
I'm sure that there are other examples of software that was inspired by FOSS software.

Is it stealing? Is it an insult?
They say that Imitation is the best form of flattery.
As long as nobody is stealing code or claiming that they were the ones who invented it, I'm OK with that. ;)

Cheers :cool:

[clanky]

Why not just keep on using Linux for what it is and stop worrying about what others think or say, it's an operating system, not a fashion accessory.

[murderslastcrow]

There are a lot of features people assume were copied from OS X or Windows, and they use these ignorant arguments to try to put down my choice in OS for some reason. It's not just the fact that they're wrong that makes it so sad, but that they think having the same thing for free would be a bad thing in the first place.

When someone totally kicks your butt in a race, you don't just say, "oh, you were copying me, you don't really win."

I really think it'd be nice if people recognized Linux' history and integral role in technology outside of mere desktops today. Everything with a kernel outside of desktop computing is utterly dominated by Linux (except maybe mobiles, but it's getting there).

I don't think people will want to hear about the history first, though. It'd be best to convince them it's a good product first, then they'll be willing to hear the history that will reassure them in understanding the product's quality.

I really get irked when people say ignorant things about an OS they've never used. Especially when it's free and so easy to try (Wubi, LiveCDs, look at a freaking video on YouTube, etc.). Don't insult my decisions when you don't even understand them in the slightest, just because it gives you some smug feeling. Like, really, why insult an OS that's free, other than to try and feel good about something you bought, trying to make sure it was worth it by tearing down Linux?

I apologize for the rant, but I admit that at times it's unsettling to see computer users subjected to this kind of biased dogma.

[Twitch6000]

Linux doesn't copy other OS'... I would say it's the other way around... Thanks to the BSD license, MS was able to steal the TCP/IP stack, Apple was able to steal a heap-load of stuff...

Marketing is subjective, if you really want to start a flame-war, how 'bout this? Okay, we're talking about desktop here (not Linux on the server), when all is said and done, there will never be a commercial app released, say: MS Office for Linux, Adobe CSx for Linux, MS MapPoint for Linux, etc, etc...

...there may be in the future a box with commerical software inside, and on that box a label that says, "Supported Platforms: MS Windows Vista/7 / MAC OSX 10.6 or Greater / Ubuntu 12.x LTS or Greater" (or swap Ubuntu with Google). I don't think there'll ever be a day where it'll say: Windows / MAC / Linux. You can blame that on marketing, you can blame that on ABI/API issues, you can blame that on the FHS and using packages versus the MAC all--in-one package, Windows MSI exe packages, or PC-BSD's PBIs, you can blame that on there never being one desktop environment to build on (choices KDE/Gnome or on low-spec LXDE, XFCE)...


Uhmm they did not steal any code,they just used it since it was open source. Why make something new when there is already something good out there? Does it just bug you they used bsd code instead of gpl ?

Besides every OS borrows from each other..

[davbren]

There are a lot of features people assume were copied from OS X or Windows, and they use these ignorant arguments to try to put down my choice in OS for some reason. It's not just the fact that they're wrong that makes it so sad, but that they think having the same thing for free would be a bad thing in the first place.

When someone totally kicks your butt in a race, you don't just say, "oh, you were copying me, you don't really win."

I really think it'd be nice if people recognized Linux' history and integral role in technology outside of mere desktops today. Everything with a kernel outside of desktop computing is utterly dominated by Linux (except maybe mobiles, but it's getting there).

I don't think people will want to hear about the history first, though. It'd be best to convince them it's a good product first, then they'll be willing to hear the history that will reassure them in understanding the product's quality.

I really get irked when people say ignorant things about an OS they've never used. Especially when it's free and so easy to try (Wubi, LiveCDs, look at a freaking video on YouTube, etc.). Don't insult my decisions when you don't even understand them in the slightest, just because it gives you some smug feeling. Like, really, why insult an OS that's free, other than to try and feel good about something you bought, trying to make sure it was worth it by tearing down Linux?

I apologize for the rant, but I admit that at times it's unsettling to see computer users subjected to this kind of biased dogma.

+1

I don't think that people should be told about the history of linux, but more be informed that it *has* history, that it *is* mature.

[t0p]

I really think it'd be nice if people recognized Linux' history and integral role in technology outside of mere desktops today. Everything with a kernel outside of desktop computing is utterly dominated by Linux (except maybe mobiles, but it's getting there).


Check out this article, hot off the virtual presses: Report: Android to win half of smartphone market (http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/mobile-it/2010/09/08/report-android-to-win-half-of-smartphone-market-40090032/).

I know a few people who have smartphones. About half of them use iPhones, the others an Android phone of one type or another. Thing is, most of the Android-users don't know that Android is a Linux OS. In fact, most of them don't know what Linux is; there's plenty of people out there who don't really know what an operating system is.

More publicity is definitely necessary, including a little bit of infotainment to explain what an OS, a kernel, and Linux actually are. Lots of folk seem to prefer Android-based phones to iPhones. If these Android enthusiasts find out that Android is a Linux-based OS, and that there are a bunch of decent Linux-based desktop OSes they could use, I reckon some will migrate.

I don't know if Linux is going to make a huge impact on the desktop in the short-to-medium term future. We missed the boat: everyone's enamored with 7 or OSX. But Linux can still win enthusiasts in the phone/netbook/tablet/gadget fields. Publicity is needed to tell people that the OS that makes their gadget work is Linux-based. Then, in the long term future, who knows?