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Comments: 184 +- Linux: Taking Free Software To the Streets on Saturday September 19, @08:16AM
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An anonymous reader writes "It's that time of year again; the nights are drawing in, the leaves are beginning to turn, and literally hundreds of teams of dedicated F/OSS enthusiasts from around the world are preparing to hit the streets in celebration of Software Freedom Day 2009. In an effort to increase awareness of free and open source software among the general public, SFD teams will be standing around town centers and shopping malls, holding talks at schools and universities, giving demonstrations and handing out Linux and FOSS collections for Windows on CD. With money being tight and paranoia about malware and viruses at an all-time high, the time is right to help consumers switch to the myriad of quality open source applications available. If you would like to check for an SFD team in your area and consider attending, be it to help out or simply learn more about free software for yourself, there's an interactive map to help you find your way."
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"Go away" (Score:5, Insightful)
"Go away" is my reaction whenever someone on the street wants to give me something free - a religious booklet, a pro-something leaflet, a "work from home" job offer printed out on an inkjet...
On a sidenote, this would be a perfect opportunity to spread malware. Just pretend you're one of those guys and hand over CDs with some crap that will infect the computer.
Re:"Go away" (Score:5, Funny)
I thought giving away copies of Windows ME was illegal?
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Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Your terrible sense of humor should be illegal. It's goddamn 2009, and you're making jokes about windows ME. Go back to compiling Gentoo or something.
Re:"Go away" (Score:4, Insightful)
If I had only said "Windows" then I would have been modded troll by Microsoft fanboys. But even those guys know that Windows ME sucked.
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Re: (Score:2, Informative)
You can now officially say Vista. Only the most vicious M$ astroturfers would blame you.
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/351652/microsoft-admits-vista-was-a-less-good-product [pcpro.co.uk]
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Re:"Go away" (Score:5, Insightful)
I'd recommend changing your reaction to "you're doing it wrong!".
Because the trick is not, to come to you. The trick is, to make you come to them, and offer something so great, that you'll beg to get it. ^^
I recommend putting up a large projection of Compiz an action, giant "Never get Viruses again!" banners, etc.
Make them drool and wish to throw away their Windows.
And give away the Linux DVDs in a "Shop price: $xxx" "Get a free copy! Only today!" booth.
Play music! Add some lights! (But in a way that also drags older people there.)
Offer tasty food that you can smell on the whole street, drinks, sexy babes/men on two elevated platforms, friendly people (to fulfill our basic needs/interests).
Sell merchandising that people can afford to buy just out of impulse and for fun! Stickers, T-Shirts, things you can't get anywhere else.
And add a Linux DVD / open source software DVD to every sale of anything on that booth. Let the sexy people throw the DVDs into the people.
And do it in a place and at a time, where there are enough people to make it work. If nessecary, work out a deal with a local shopping mall, or something similar.
That will give you hype and interest! ^^
You will have 40 year old hockey moms talk to all their friends about that really cute new "Linux" (used as if it were a version of Windows), that they caught, when they were surprised by that hot guy looking at her. She will put the DVD in, it will start, looking really fancy. And when it runs, it throws the full power of beauty and power at them! So that even if they don't understand a thing of it, they will want to learn to have that too.
Unrealistic? Well, the most common reaction I get from girls, when I show them my Linux desktop is: "I want that too! Can you put that on my computer?". QED. ^^
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Re:"Go away" (Score:5, Insightful)
"Go away" is my reaction whenever someone on the street wants to give me something free - a religious booklet, a pro-something leaflet, a "work from home" job offer printed out on an inkjet...
Exactly the point. We say, "Go away," when the Mormons, the Jehovah's Witnesses, or members of any other cult show up at our door.
Is anyone noticing the similarity in tactics that are being used here, between the FSF, and those other organisations, which the FSF's drones probably don't mind acknowledging as cults? ;)
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Re:"Go away" (Score:4, Funny)
For extra points, yell "I DON'T KNOW YOU!" and "GIVE ME BACK MY PURSE!"
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Re: (Score:3, Funny)
I might start yelling I'm a vegetarian and that I'm better than the guy or girl tho. Works with greenpeace activists.
TLAPD (Score:5, Funny)
It's purely coincidental that Software Freedom Day happens to also be Talk Like a Pirate Day... Right?
Re:TLAPD (Score:5, Funny)
May the socially ostracized unite!
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Keep it wacky, say goodbye to Joe public (Score:5, Interesting)
Standing around town centres like homeless winos. That's the problem with FOSS advocates, they keep coming up with these wacky ideas, and each time they put them into action the public sees.... err, a wacky idea, associated with FOSS.
If you want to guarantee that the public forever sees FOSS as a fringe thing unworthy of the consideration of normal people then carry on. If you want to really promote FOSS set up a business based on FOSS and make it work and grow.
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Standing around town centres like homeless winos. That's the problem with FOSS advocates, they keep coming up with these wacky ideas, and each time they put them into action the public sees.... err, a wacky idea, associated with FOSS.
If you want to guarantee that the public forever sees FOSS as a fringe thing unworthy of the consideration of normal people then carry on. If you want to really promote FOSS set up a business based on FOSS and make it work and grow.
Never heard of Red Hat, Novell, Canonical, etc?
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"Never heard of Red Hat, Novell, Canonical, etc?"
Sure, are they going to hand out CDs too?
Re:Keep it wacky, say goodbye to Joe public (Score:4, Insightful)
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Re:Keep it wacky, say goodbye to Joe public (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:Keep it wacky, say goodbye to Joe public (Score:4, Interesting)
I kind of agree with the initiatives in the schools, but if they start doing parades, they would better spend their time (and money) improving the quality and features of the software instead of doing parades which gather little attention. These events won't bring them closer to actually competing with commercial giants. They should do stuff like Google Summer of Code or something like that. Those I believe they it make things go forward because during a few days, people are supposed to be intensely involved into a project. Like pidgin, for instance. I love GSC because every summer, pidgin get's stabler and more features.
Parades kind of reminds me the "gay pride parades" which end up making them look more ridiculous. The alternative would be mardi grass, but somehow I can't/won't/don't wan't to imagine a topless RMS with beads licking Linus' nipples.
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Re:Keep it wacky, say goodbye to Joe public (Score:5, Informative)
Standing around town centres like homeless winos. That's the problem with FOSS advocates, they keep coming up with these wacky ideas...
It doesn't get any better than this:
The scene is the Boston Common in late August.
The event the launch of FSF's "Windows 7 Sins" campaign.
Special Guest Appearance by Ron Stoppable as Team Mascot. Free Software Foundation - Windows 7 Sins [youtube.com]
You can expect much of the time - and much of the screen - to given over to a lecture by a paunchy - balding - middle-aged geek.
540 views.
It is quite possible for a Win 7 promotional video to net two million viewers. Windows 7 [youtube.com]
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Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
If you check that video, you'll even see them throwing away 'OS X' boxes.
There isn't a "Windows 7" box to throw.
They love OS X because it's nice and shiny and 'just works' and hate Windows because it's far from shiny and is still fraught with problems left and right. Whether that is fact or popular opinion propagated by the masses (certainly partially) doesn't even matter.
But it isn't being propagated by the masses.
Win XP wiped the floor with OEM Linux in the netbook sector. You didn't need to do much more
wacky "I'm a PC" booth (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Again, there are no FOSS advocates.
There are open source advocates, and free software advocates.
Open source advocates are the ones who care about software, and how open source is supposed to bring us lots of technical advantages.
Free software advocates, like me, are the wackier ones, that tell you that Google is taking your freedom away and that you should stay away from proprietary software if you want your kids to be free.
The first group are the ones that build companies like Redhat, and the ones that hel
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Yeah, those wacky FOSS advocates and their wacky ideas to promote the projects they believe in.
Lord knows, Microsoft [slashdot.org] would never engage in something as shameless as encouraging their supporters to host parties in their communities and generally evangelize Windows 7 to non-converts.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
I noticed that you didn't say the virgins were girls.
Malware (Score:5, Insightful)
Will not work (Score:4, Insightful)
Most people probably won't know what to do with it anyway and it will end up in the bin. The average person will need help installing and configuring linux.
Even if they try installing it they will end up being frustrated for not being able to get things to work. They will end up scarred by the experience and fall back to Windows.
Much better to spend their efforts educating students at universities or school. Even better to get universities and schools to convert to FOSS. This way children are forced to learn and work with FOSS. When they grow up they would be able to use the experience to promote FOSS at home/work.
ease if installation of FOSS (Score:2)
Insert Ubuntu CD, boot, click on Install, answer a few questions and that's it. Plug in your 3 mobile broadband USB dongle and you're on the Internet. How many Windows users have to install from scratch anyway ?
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Insert Ubuntu CD, boot, click on Install, answer a few questions and that's it.
Ok, now I just need to open my wedding invitation Word file from last year and-- ALL MY DOCUMENTS ARE GONE!!!!
(Psst: you're missing a huge step here.)
Plug in your 3 mobile broadband USB dongle and you're on the Internet.
What the fuck is a "3 mobile broadband USB dongle?" I certainly don't have one of those. Will Ubuntu work with my laptop's built-in Wifi? Possibly. My desktop's USB wifi? Doubtful. My desktop's built-in network ca
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Insert Ubuntu CD, boot, click on Install, answer a few questions and that's it.
Ok, now I just need to open my wedding invitation Word file from last year and-- ALL MY DOCUMENTS ARE GONE!!!!
(Psst: you're missing a huge step here.)
Dual booting or virtualization are things no ordinary user will ever want to do.
Two operating systems to maintain. Two operating environments. Two software libraries. Multiple skill sets.
That can be agony for even the most dedicated enthusiast or IT pro.
If you are looking for FOSS
Time Bandits (Score:3, Interesting)
So, basically, you're going to take to the streets dead set on destroying peoples' data and wasting their time? Most people have a computing solution that works for them. If they want free software, chances are they will seek it out.
For most people, this whole operation is going to be abstract, confusing, and really unfortunate if they make the mistake of putting the software onto their machines.
Remember: all that silly documentation and those help manuals were written for most users. They require that sort of thing. Most open source solutions are terribly documented It's software where you need to *just know* what's going or hit the forums or wikis. That's unacceptable. If software like OpenOffice was any good whatsoever, companies would brand it and sell the media in stores.
Adapting to a whole new software ecosystem is difficult. It's a terrible time sink that most people don't really have the social motivation for. What's so great about free software? It's free? Is Open Office better then MS Office? No? Is GIMP better than Photoshop or PSP or anything? No? Is Linux easier to use than OEM Windows or Mac? Absolutely not? Wait, why do I care about this again? What if I don't have a fanatical hatred of all things proprietary? What if I am not a freetard, but a productive member of society who needs to use the computer as a tool and not a time wasting obsession? What if I am not into "fighting the power" where "the power" is one of two large software companies that provide a framework to make my home computer usable? What if my computer were like a coffee maker for me, but for email and typing documents and browsing the web?
In short, anyone idealistic enough to run free software is already doing so.
Re: (Score:2)
If XP was free software, people wouldn't be forced to upgrade their OS [computerworld.com], they could just download a patch from a third party instead of being held hostage by Microsoft.
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How is this relevant to a casual home user? Linux has a bevvy of remote vulnerabilities, and yet you as a home user will never be affected by them because nobody wants your documents, your anti-microsoft blog posts, or your porn.
If someone wanted to fire specially crafted TCP packets to take down your mom's computer, then that's their prerogative. Said person could also just throw a brick through her window or something.
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destroying people's data
When you install Ubuntu into a dual-boot situation, it asks if you want it to import your entire My Documents folder.
Most open source solutions are terribly documented...you need to...hit the forums or wikis.
To an extent, I agree with you, but you're overstating your case a bit. I'm certainly not happy with the sorry state of F/OSS documentation, but your implication that proprietary software is any better is nonsense. The software written by the companies Joe Sixpack knows the n
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
When you install Ubuntu into a dual-boot situation, it asks if you want it to import your entire My Documents folder.
You have to consider that data extends beyond merely the sort you'd store in My Documents. Not all applications follow that proper behavior, beside the fact that a user's application set could be considered part of their data. Many users identify their applications by name, even, not even description or type. It would be safe to say that a user would require a well-written guide with a series of alternatives for popular applications easily available for then. Perhaps Add/Remove Programs should alias keyword
Re:Time Bandits (Score:4, Insightful)
This post was about free software. If you don't care about free software, it's your problem. Proprietary software affects you a lot more than your coffee maker. At least it's somewhat like environmental issues. Using proprietary software does harm yourself and everybody, both by giving away your freedom, and by acting against technological advancement. Just ignoring it is not going to make it go away. Of course, much like environmental issues, there are wacky ways to create conscience, and there are reasonable ways to do it, but it doesn't mean it's OK that people don't care.
Computers are just tools. Besides tools, they are consumer products. This culture war is simply absurd-- Linux should have to compete as a consumer product along with everything else. It can have its market share when it's usable. Not before then.
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Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Linux is a kernel, and it's not a consumer product. It's a software project, but it doesn't even have a price.
Market concepts are not universal in principle, and also they don't apply that easily to free things.
You don't seem to understand the concept of usability. Windows is not usable if you analyze it by formal usability metrics, and it has a great market share. Usability is not all. For example, familiarity is even more important. Interoperability costs are important too.
Ubuntu would need to be a lot be
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That's just talk. I've tried to leave home users with Ubuntu before in the past. There's always something that goes wrong and is absolutely impossible for a home user to solve. It's just too *big* and has too many points of failure without the organized support backend of something like the Windows Platform. Open source offerings will get much better when they simplify and reintegrate.
You have obviously never run into the quality of people I have. I quite regularly get calls from family, friends of family (and their friends, who I've done work for) to fix their windows machines. So while this isn't FUD, it isn't unique to Open-Source at all.
And the integration thing? It is happening all over the place. It used to be that Gnome used CORBA and KDE used DCOP to do things like provide application interfaces that could be hooked from other applications (to, say, be able to control your music-
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Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Using proprietary software does harm yourself and everybody, both by giving away your freedom, and by acting against technological advancement. Just ignoring it is not going to make it go away. Of course, much like environmental issues, there are wacky ways to create conscience, and there are reasonable ways to do it, but it doesn't mean it's OK that people don't care.
No. You can't compare Stallman's need for new drones with the need to protect/reclaim the environment. The simple reason why is because, unlike anything which the FSF cares about, the environment is something that actually does matter, to people who aren't simply drinking cultic Kool-Aid.
This is easily demonstrated as fact, when we realise that FOSS survives more despite the FSF, than because of it.
- The FSF generates no code now, at all. Cygnus/Red Hat do that, and have for some time.
- Non-copyleft li
I still dont get it (Score:4, Insightful)
I know this is probably flamebait, but, it seems like there is no other industry that works as hard as we do to put ourselfs out of jobs.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Almost all code is developed to companies, not individual people. Companies will always need new software, or adapt FOSS to their needs, etc.
Proprietary != Commercial.
Exactly the wrong thing to do (Score:3, Interesting)
handing out Linux and FOSS collections...
Taking unknown software from people you don't know. Isn't that what the security community has been telling everyone NOT to do for years, decades. Maybe these advocates should think a little about the underlying message they are sending out and stop undoing the good work that others are doing to stop the spread of malware.
Advertise INSIDE a business (Score:4, Insightful)
These guys need to advertise inside or be associated with a particular business that people are going to. Take the grocery store. At my local grocery store, the Girl Scouts often set up a table to sell their cookies. This is a brand that people trust for quality. We trust the Girl Scouts that their product is safe for us to consume. On the other hand, I often see a woman that is sitting on folding chair and when you leave the supermarket she asks you, very quietly if you want Tamales [wikipedia.org]. I wouldn't take a Tamale from this woman if it was free, because I do not trust her.
The local supermarkets often have people stationed inside providing samples of various products. Usually a retiree standing in front of a table with a small griddle or toaster oven. While I have no interest in the products they are usually preparing, I would trust that they are safe. These guys should set up their table inside of computer stores (Apple Store, BestBuy etc..), atleast that could add some credibility to their product, or atleast the appearance of credibility.
On the other hand, why should I trust a random group of people on the street? Did we forget the recent incident where hackers mailed malware infected CDs to Credit Unions [slashdot.org]? The only difference is that instead of pretending the CDs come from some gov't organization, they're coming from some "OpenSource" group standing at a table on the street.
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Actually, that _is_ the plan. At least, the local one is associating itself with a frozen yogurt place.
Of course, this wasn't at all obvious, since the site itself is hopelessly disorganized, and the front page is a photo of a bunch of geeks, and doesn't really say anywhere what the whole thing is about (the about page says a bit more, but that stuff should be on the front).
Oh well, maybe some lessons to learn for next year.
Too late! (Score:3, Funny)
Software Freedom Day 2009
Great idea telling us today...plenty of time to get the local effort organised!
Software Freedom Day. (Score:2, Funny)
Expected reaction (Score:5, Insightful)
FOSS Advocate: You are allowed to get the source code and modify the software to better fit your needs. ...you also don't have to pay.
Average Joe: Lol wut!?
FOSS Advocate:
Average Joe: You mean there are programs you have to pay for!?
Re:Wow Slashdot. (Score:4, Insightful)
For being one of the most free-software-leaning discussion sites on the internet, the level of derision here for Software Freedom day is odd.
That is an extremely encouraging, healthy, and positive sign.
The Free Software Foundation, and its' activism, both need to die if Linux is ever going to become anything more than fringe.
If Slashdot's readership are discouraging of such activism, it will hopefully gradually move us towards a point where said activism ceases to occur.
I am not saying that I think Linux advocacy should cease entirely. It does, however, need to cease being radical, cultic, and infused with as much hate, fear, and paranoia as it has been in the past. There needs to be far more focus put purely on Linux's technical strengths, and as little as possible put on the mind control of Richard Stallman.
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