WHAT LINUX NEEDS - advertise campain like this one!

[toupeiro]

Well, there was some coverage of Ubuntu Linux on DL.TV in early 2008 (and DL.TV episodes were at that time advertised by PC Magazine). I think, seeing the simplicity of it was what made me try Linux. And once you've tried, you are sold So yeah, to a certain extent I can say that I came to the Linux world through advertisement.

Come on. one mention on DL.TV (???) should stand as a creditable example of how great advertising has been for the tremendous linux desktop growth over the last three to four years? How about, The linux desktop has seen tremendous growth DESPITE not having huge advertising campaigns, and its starting to make enough noise that some TV shows are covering it. Thats not an advertising campaign. Thats linux being good enough at what it does on word of mouth to helplessly cross over into televised advertising.

[azangru]

Come on. one mention on DL.TV (???) should stand as a creditable example of how great advertising has been for the tremendous linux desktop growth over the last three to four years?

That's the whole point - the advertising campaign hasn't been great, it has been practically non-existent, but advertising is powerful, especially when it's educative (not like Microsoft's ads ), and I can attest to that.

I am just surprised how many people believe that Linux doesn't need any advertising at all, because Linux is so great. Well, Macs (and MacOS) are also supposed to be great, but Apple advertises like hell.

[toupeiro]

That's the whole point - the advertising campaign hasn't been great, it has been practically non-existent, but advertising is powerful, especially when it's educative (not like Microsoft's ads ), and I can attest to that.

I am just surprised how many people believe that Linux doesn't need any advertising at all, because Linux is so great. Well, Macs (and MacOS) are also supposed to be great, but Apple advertises like hell.

I think its overhyped, personally. You have to admit, you are the minority in that you got your linux start from televised advertising. The linux community is in the millions of people, and I am very confident that number of users didn't come from advertising campaigns. The users that switched didn't need to be sold on linux by some guy on TV. They needed something, they looked for it, they found it, and it delivered. Microsoft and Apple, as you pointed out, both spend ridiculous money on advertising and they both have shrinking userbases globally. Why? Because they are both in the business of continuing to tell people how great their product is, but not listening closely to what their users want in that product. Think about it, Slashdot had an article a few days ago linked in regarding the corporate view on Windows 7.. Why is it that over 50% of the fortune 100 companies that are Microsoft shops which didn't switch to vista still have no migration plans to Windows 7? They run a near 9 year old operating system because Microsoft has failed to deliver a realistic alternative in that amount of time. That type of publicity, internally or externally, will trump anything they spend on commercials with big name actors. But, its what they've done, and its what they know.

I guess I have a profound amount of respect for anything that has grown / is growing in the way linux is, driven by word of mouth by the people who are using it. Maybe I'm only speaking for myself here, but I'm sick of being told how great things are on TV or in magazines, that almost never deliver what they promise. I'm relieved linux more than delivers on its promise, and that message is being passed by its community.