Spreading the word

[PatrickMay16]

Recently, I ordered 15 or so Ubuntu CDs with shipit. Now, I'm keeping one or two for myself, and giving the rest to various people. So far I've given to a guy who asked, another guy who's birthday is just a few days away, and I'll give my brother one on his birthday.

Have any of you done similar?

EDIT: Fixed some mistakes.

[thecrimsonking]

I have handed out alot of Ubuntu cd's. Pretty much everybody I know got one of the shipit packs.
My favorite time to hand out the cd is after I fix somebody's Windows pc. I'll give them the live cd and tell them to try it for awhile. I have converted a few people (non gamers) this way.
They key is to follow up and install Ubuntu for them and get them up and running before you leave them alone with linux for the first time.
Pretty soon you aren't making maintenance runs to friends houses and you get more time on your own pc :)

[aysiu]

I agree with the crimsonking approach.
You can't just hand out CDs to people.
You have to give them a reason. Using live CD to recover a hosed Windows computer says "Hey, look what Linux can do." Handing a CD to someone unsolicited says, "Hey, use this instead of what's already working for you."

And... yes, install and configure Ubuntu for them. We don't want any more "Linux is not ready for the desktop" trolls because someone handed out a CD and didn't people every OS could potentially have problems during an install. It usually goes smoothly, but just in case...

[PatrickMay16]

You can't just hand out CDs to people.
You have to give them a reason. Using live CD to recover a hosed Windows computer says "Hey, look what Linux can do." Handing a CD to someone unsolicited says, "Hey, use this instead of what's already working for you."

And... yes, install and configure Ubuntu for them. We don't want any more "Linux is not ready for the desktop" trolls because someone handed out a CD and didn't people every OS could potentially have problems during an install. It usually goes smoothly, but just in case...

The people I gave Ubuntu CDs to are people who know what they're doing on a computer, don't worry. The guy who asked for a CD is already a linux user, the guy whose birthday is coming up is a windows user who reformats and installs windows fresh every six months, and my brother likes building computers out of parts we have lying around. They'll all be able to handle themselves OK with linux.

[aysiu]

Phew! Thanks for clearing that up.

[Kapre]

Just wondering though, how do we really spread the word about Ubuntu? About Linux? At work we're using W2K and since I am using Linux (Ubuntu) at home, what I did to try and spread the word is use the Ubuntu Logo as my desktop wallpaper.

People who pass by my area asked what it is and so I tell them it is Linux and how I use it and how it can be an alternative to Windows. I remember our Network Admin seeing it also and asking what it was. He says he never heard of it. I've already gave a copy of the CD (my downloaded Hoary) for them to try and I just got the reply that it looks OK (which I would interpret as not yet tried) :(

[Berticus]

I'm still in high school. But what I plan to do is this:

I have 1 or 2 Ubuntu CDs around the house. I plan to just take one, and slap it down on the high school IT's desk. I would imagine them to know some things about them. They know a few things about Linux.

If that doesn't work, then on the day we are told about the computer use rules and all that, I'll ask about using Linux (haven't quite decided which distro).

[weasel fierce]

When I have gotten people interested, I usually burn a CD for them

[Mishura]

Usually a friend of mine will come over and see this "different" desktop of mine. I'll explain it to them, and tell them that I'm happy with it. I throw in a few selling points like, its free (not pirated/bootlegged), on average more stable than Win, and a few other things. I show them amaroK (everyone thats seen it has drooled!) and some stuff.

Then I tell them the obliguatory "Now, you can't just walk into Walmart and expect that piece of software to work.. at all." I'll burn them a live CD (Usually Knoppix or Mepis) and show them the basics and tell 'em to play with it for a bit.

Roughly 50% come back asking, "Can you help me install this?". I don't expect my gamer friends to switch, and I usually tell them their better off just securing up their Windows box. If I can't switch them to Linux, I can at least try showing them Open Source, such as Firefox, Thunderbird, OpenOffice, and a few OSS games like Nexuiz and Cube.

I've at least converted most of my friends/aquatences to Firefox, and I got a few addicted to Nexuiz. :) When you can get a Counterstrike-loving friend to get hooked on Cube or Nexuiz, thats a pretty sight. I love their reactions "OMG its FAST!" (Cube has an average player life expectancy of 30 secs or less, even less with Instagib). And I benefit since I can at least play MP games with them w/o rebooting.

The best target, in my opinion, would be the casual internet surfer. For instance, my Mom uses Linux, and she loves it. All she does is surf the net, play them Java/Flash Yahoo! Games, and Diablo II (Thanks wine!). This group is the easiest, and as long as you handle the transition for them, and install what they need/want then there is virtually no upkeep.

[Lord Illidan]

I am wary of handing out cds..
In my school, not everyone is as computer literate as I am...
I am a first year 6th form student (post-secondary), and while I am aware of a few 2nd years who might be interested, I am not aware of any first years who might want to "break" a completely working pc to install Ubuntu..

Also, I'll rather wait for Breezy than to install Ubuntu now.. outdated.. damnit.

And with all the studying and stuff, the last thing I want to do is make runs all over Malta to fix my friends' pcs..no way.. or endure long stories about how Linux is stupid because it does not run like Windows.

[seiflotfy]

welll its hard to convice gamers to switch to linux!! however as a gamer myself who hads no windows since 6 months i am reaöizing that more and more games are created for linux (my favorite is True Combat : Elite)

[anil_robo]

I just bought a new laptop from Dell. I've been using computers since almost ten years now... I started of with windows 95 on a Pentium 1 233MHz with 3 GB hard drive & 64MB RAM. I was still using that computer two months ago, but then I moved to US and I had to buy a laptop. I was considering Apple Macintosh laptop, but was quite wary of the fact that it will render practically every software I have redundant! Since one of the major activities I have bought a laptop for is GAMES, I certainly wouldn't want to be cut off completely.

Despite the best of my opinion for Apple, I bought a Dell laptop so that I could play games. I knew what was going to happen - the life of a typical windows user - it runs fine but requires a reboot everyday for 2-3 months... then spyware, adware, viruses, trojans, etc creep in... I've been formatting my good old PC at home every 2-3 months, and this laptop was no exception. Windows XP home edition has become almost unusable... it crawls...!

Apparently around the same time, Steve Jobs (Apple CEO) announced that they are shifting from PowerPC to Intel processors! It tinkled a bell in my ears... but soon I found out that MacOS would still not run on my laptop, even with support for Intel Processor. My heart was broken completely!

But then I started looking for options. I had *some* experience with Red Hat Linux way back in 1998 when I installed it, couldn't configure the GUI working after 2 months, and finally erased it. Now I have *returned* to linux, downloaded and installed Kanotix. But couldn't get my wireless network card working, so shirted to Ubuntu.

Though I have ordered the Shipit CDs, I don't need them now. I'm planning to send the CDs to:

1. My friend who uses Apple notebook, just to give him *another* flavor of UNIX (Mac is based on UNIX as well)
2. My brother who's a computer programmer (He does work on UNIX systems all day)
3. My friend in India who keeps formatting his hard drive every 3 months, but has little knowledge of computers otherwise ;)
4. A colleague surgeon who wants safety for his research documents (which I've convinced him two years ago that he'll never get on windows - and he almost lost it all one day hadn't I saved him)
5. Spare CD for me! I wonder what would the CD art look like!

[PatrickMay16]

I posted this thread a long time ago. So, I'll give an update on what happened since I gave those CDs to people. One guy I gave it to has it installed and seems to use it quite a lot. The other guy who formats every six months hasn't needed to format yet, so he hasn't tried it yet. It was my brother's birthday a few days ago and I gave him an Ubuntu CD as a present. I don't think he's done anything with it yet, though.

[alred]

dont introduce them to this forums first if they are running into some "obvious" difficulties and troubles , handle them yourself , if not they will definately dump free softwares for good , after they are familiar(nerdy enough ??) with free softwares , beg them joining free softwares related forums or mailing lists and we will have some more ardent and better users of free softwares ...

[Stormy Eyes]

Have any of you done similar?

I got the network guy at my office to try Breezy. He likes it so far. Said it was easier to install than Windows XP.

[Master Shake]

I work for a software company, and we have a lot of tech junkies around her... I ordered up ten CD's. Kept two for myself and advertised the others on the intranet. By the end of the day, they were all gone.

[william_nbg]

I have converted 5 computers so far included, last weekend, my wife. Our house in now MS free. I have set it up on 3 computers, with basic support and introduction - they all love it so far. I have handed out almost 20 cds so far but haven't been able to help them all, just not enough time.

I am a gamer too. At the moment I'm into True Combat, better than CS and as an extra bonus - no steam!!! I hate steam. I have D3 and Q4 running great on my system. I do graphics and web sites - Gimp is brilliant.

[Linux BASHer]

I sympathize with the comment about not just "handing out CDs", but on the other hand, sometimes directly helping everyone is simply not an option. For example, I distributed copies of Ubuntu in my computer class. I told everyone that if they needed help, they could ask me any question in person or via e-Mail. But I cannot possibly go to everyone's house to install Ubuntu, nor would it be "socially proper" in most cases.

Actually, I would love to help out people get started with Linux and Ubuntu, and somehow still make enough money to subsist. I just haven't figured out how to do that yet.

[aysiu]

People in a computer class are probably better able to handle themselves with Ubuntu than your average user.

[nemik]

I work for a software company, and we have a lot of tech junkies around her... I ordered up ten CD's. Kept two for myself and advertised the others on the intranet. By the end of the day, they were all gone.

hey cool, fellow chicagoan and ATHF fan. :)

[Orporg]

I don't understand why people find it necessary to "spread the word." There's nothing inherently wrong with that, I guess I just don't understand the motivation. And after a while, it's somewhat disturbing to see the way people describe Linux and their need to convert people to it. It's far too much like someone doing religious missionary work. As an agnostic, that kind of stuff has always made me uncomfortable. But at least when it comes to religion some folks will try to convert you in order to save your immortal soul. But I doubt anyone is going to fry in hell for their choice of computer operating system.

I can see if a friend or someone is complaining about Windows and you simply mention that Linux might work for them. But the Linux evangelizing I see on the web seems much more.... active.

It doesn't really bother me that much, I'm mostly just curious.

[Linux BASHer]

I don't understand why people find it necessary to "spread the word." There's nothing inherently wrong with that, I guess I just don't understand the motivation. And after a while, it's somewhat disturbing to see the way people describe Linux and their need to convert people to it. It's far too much like someone doing religious missionary work. As an agnostic, that kind of stuff has always made me uncomfortable. But at least when it comes to religion some folks will try to convert you in order to save your immortal soul. But I doubt anyone is going to fry in hell for their choice of computer operating system.

I can see if a friend or someone is complaining about Windows and you simply mention that Linux might work for them. But the Linux evangelizing I see on the web seems much more.... active.

It doesn't really bother me that much, I'm mostly just curious.

I guess it's just about believing that it's important. Open-Source is much more than simply Free software, it's a philosophy too. And people are passionate about it. That, it shares with religion, or any other belief. Is Open-Source/Linux/etc. really important in the scheme of things? Well, all that's very relative. Some may say yes, other no. But, I do believe it's important, and I'll give you a few key reasons why.

Technology is important. It changes things. Perhaps this is the most fundamental difference between our age and ages past. Technology isn't good or bad, it's what you make of it. Technology can mean more freedom and opportunity for all, or allow a small group of people (companies, governments) to better control the population. So:

1.) Technology is power. Microsoft right now dominates the market in OSs and more, and further continues to try to dominate more markets. Nevermind that M$'s power stems from unethical and aggressive behavior.-- No company should have that much power, and users shouldn't have to be dependent on one monopoly power. Enter Open-Source and Linux.

2.) With the things that are being proposed and done now (invasive DRM, for example), it's important for Open-Source to exist and make a stand for the people's needs/wants/rights. If there is no voice for the people, then only companies and governments will have a say in what the people can and cannot do. And Open-Source is not merely a voice, it is a usable option. (See #1)

I don't find Open-Source/Linux advocacy at all disturbing. There is passion behind it, and that is a strong thing; You can't help but act passionately about what you have passion for. And most Open-Source users don't take it too far either. I still talk to my friends who use *******. :smile:

The powerful are passionate about keeping their power over others. The RIAA and friends seem to have a strong passion for greed and money, for example. And they are very aggressive and disturbing in their ways. When you look at it like that, I can't see how Open-Source/Linux advocacy could ever seem like too much.

[Linux BASHer]

People in a computer class are probably better able to handle themselves with Ubuntu than your average user.

Well, this is an Intro to Educational tech class. Most of what people there know how to do is use ******* and M$ Office. So, I'm not too sure about that.

[xmastree]

Have any of you done similar?Yeah, and I started a thread (http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=33491) about it too. :-)

Edit: Oops... :rolleyes:

[Orporg]

Well, I admit I still don't really get it, but that's ok.

I'll be perfectly honest with you though: Open source/free software makes me a little nervous, because it reminds me a little of socialism. As a libertarian/conservative that creeps me out a bit.