Taking Free Software To the Streets 184
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."
"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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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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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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I know many Redhat devs that also work for M$. It does not make redhat any more appealing than windows nor is Gentoo more appealing as they steal code from BSD ports. Ubuntu is a debian clone also.
Maybe I am disillusioned, but as I understand, graduating to BSD from Linux is the only way to go. IMHO the only honest Linux distro's left are Debian and Slackware, but your average person on the street is not that intelligent anymore.
Not sure if you're trolling, but sounds like you've gotten the idea of FOSS somewhat wrong. There's no "stealng code" in FOSS world. The code is free, it can't be stolen. Free code is meant to be used and modified by others. Various derived distributions are not only honest to FOSS ideals, they crystallize what FOSS is all about:
take it if it's great,
improve it if it's not quite good or suitable enough,
roll your own if it's bad.
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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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I might start yelling I'm a vegetarian and that I'm better than the guy or girl tho. Works with greenpeace activists.
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What we found was:
* "Have some free software" = FAIL
You can just see the alarm bells going off in their heads, and frankly I don't blame them.
* Hide the CDs under a leaflet!
If you try to give people a CD they often blank you. If you give them a leaflet
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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Someone mod this up
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It seems uneconomic to spread malware by handing out CDs
thankfully in the malware market a single infected computer is still worth less then
the price of printing and handing out a CD.
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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But showing up at someone's door isn't the same as giving stuff out in the street. And the criticism is also about disputing the claims that Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses etc make.
If you're going to claim that anyone advertising anything is as bad as Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses turning up at your door, then perhaps you should criticise companies (including software companies) that spend millions on shoving adverts everywhere, rather than a handful of volunteers in the street?
And how is any advertising different? (Score:2, Interesting)
"Go away" is my reaction to most adverts full stop. However, it would be rather foolish to conclude that therefore advertising has no effect at all.
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!
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)
Re:Keep it wacky, say goodbye to Joe public (Score:5, Insightful)
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If mobs of FOSS people ran around malls handing out Linux CDs, "Joe Public" would likely avoid them like the plague, but if these same CDs showed up in "Joe's" mailbox, he may be more willing to check it out... maybe. It seemed to work for America Online. AOL also had advertisements going on TV/radio, so at least "Joe" knew somewhat what AOL was for when he saw the CD in the mail.
So instead of running around in public trying to shove FOSS software down people's throats, the community could come up with so
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.
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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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
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Yes that's why everyone is using OS X and not Windows. Oh wait - sales figures suggest otherwise.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying their stategy for adverising open source is good or not, but please let's not the RDF confuse the matter. The validity of their argument against closed source solutions in general - be it from a freedom point of view, or lower cost - is not affected by a niche of users preferring OS X to Windows.
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You mean, it doesn't get any better than you picking the most popular from one, and biasedly comparing to the least popular from another?
For more on "Windows 7 Sins:" FSF Attacks Windows 7's Sins Campaign [slashdot.org]
The Boston Common was FSF's launch pad - and a squirrel on the grass would have drawn a bigger crowd.
The link I provided simply searches YouTube for "Windows 7."
It doesn't prove - and isn't meant to prove - anything about "open source."
But it does have something to say about the visibility and effective
wacky "I'm a PC" booth (Score:3, Interesting)
wacky "I'm a PC" (Score:2)
Beats making those "I'm a PC" adverts in the first place.
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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
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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.
Wacky is exactly how business works (Score:2)
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.
Yeah, next thing you know they'll be suggesting people have "FOSS house parties" or throwing butterflies around the place [uspressnews.com]. Or maybe they'll come up with an advertising campaign where they use childish and outdated stereotypes of the competition, portraying them as dumb boring businessmen, whilst FOSS is represented by the cool
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I noticed that you didn't say the virgins were girls.
Malware (Score:5, Insightful)
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Agreed. I think a better approach would be to have laptops set up running Ubuntu or whatever and let people try it out there in the mall or wherever. Rather than handing out CDs, give them something with your URL on it. Try to sign them up and get them to come to a meeting, if you have a local user's group. If not, you can point them at an online user's group and suggest they downlo
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 ?
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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.)
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
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Basically yeah. I'm assuming the OP is a Brit - "3" is one of the UK's big mobile phone networks that do the 3G USB dongles.
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Hey, bitch. It's 2009, time to update your bullshit rhetoric.
Ok, now I just need to open my wedding invitation Word file from last year and-- ALL MY DOCUMENTS ARE GONE!!!!
That's funny, when I click on last year's file created in Word, it just works. You know, seeing as both Microsoft Office seamlessly installs in Linux with Wine and works just as good (if not better with faster loading times due to superior and quicker file systems) as it does on Windows. Of course, who needs to pay for Office when OpenOffice is free and also opens up those Word documents for me.
If you would have read Blakey Rat's post it deals with formatting a drive, not with file formats. There is a chance Ubuntu(and even windows) could format the drive if the user is not too careful.
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 card? Probably. But all of those answers have built-in vagueness.
Hey, I don't know what a 3 dongle is either, but I can damn sure tell you this: My Novatel USB720 I got from Verizon works like a dream. I just plug it in to a fresh install of Linux and click connect. Within 5 seconds, I'm online. No bullshit drivers or crapware to install. Contrast this with Windows where I have to install said drivers and crapware, start up the craplication to connect with, wait the requisite 30 seconds to a minute for it to connect and then be consistently dropped every hour or so necessitating going through the whole 30 second process again. And since we are trading anecdotes here, I'll indulge you further. My zd1211 USB wifi network adapter just worked. Windows, ha ha, install the driver, use the shitty software and again, get a connection drop every hour or so. Yes, I tried it, yes that is what happened. Ethernet adapter, in Linux, of course it worked. Windows, of course install more crapware.
Or how about trying to use Ubuntu with the Sound Blaster X-Fi? There are some pieces of hardware that do not have a driver for Linux and many people will not know this ahead of time. Distributing a hardware compatibility list will solve this dilemma since it will allow to figure out whether or not their hardware
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*Sigh*
I swear if you and your troll partner keep making this so easy, people are going to get suspicious. Try to come up with something a little less easy to repudiate next time.
If you would have read Blakey Rat's post it deals with formatting a drive, not with file formats. There is a chance Ubuntu(and even windows) could format the drive if the user is not too careful.
I am no one's partner, rather I look at all issues with an open mind. Intellectually bankrupt trolls don't bother put their brain into gear before posting their personal attack filled temper tantrums.
Yes, I read his troll. And I dismantled it. Now, I'll dismantle yours. The reason I didn't respond to the absurdly transparent scare-tactic of what essentially boiled down to "ZOMG ALL UR DATAS GO POOF!!1" is because, I naturally assumed that even a blatant troll wouldn't sink so low as to be that deliberately misleading. Alas, I was wrong. First of all, the typical user, as I said below, will take an Ubuntu CD and put into the drive while Windows is running like they do with all of their other CD's. Wubi will start up and if they choose to install Ubuntu, it will just make a special file on their already there NTFS partition that will actually be an image to house their Ubuntu install. The bootloader will be modified to point to this file so that they can reboot and use Ubuntu at their leisure. How can you possibly format and lose data this way? If they install Ubuntu the real way, it defaults to partitioning the drive and simply making room for itself. It is not going to magically eat your Windows partition. You have to very explicitly tell it to wipe off Windows. Of course, you would have to very explicitly stab yourself in the eye with a fork too. If anybody is that stupid, there is very little help for them anyway.
Not misleading as I stated there is a chance something could happen if a user was not careful. In other words if the user chooses to install it improperly. You know, there are multiple ways one can install Ubuntu, one of which is by inserting the CD after the computer boots up. BTW, the original post did no
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No it won't you fucking gigantic douchebag. However, the reverse is certainly not the case.
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That's funny, when I click on last year's file created in Word, it just works. You know, seeing as both Microsoft Office seamlessly installs in Linux with Wine and works just as good (if not better with faster loading times due to superior and quicker file systems) as it does on Windows. Of course, who needs to pay for Office when OpenOffice is free and also opens up those Word documents for me.
That doesn't change the fact that installing Ubuntu will FORMAT THE FUCKING DRIVE. You gigantic douchebag.
It could format the drive if someone installs it from within Ubuntu rather using Wubi. The only time that will happen is if someone makes a couple wrong choices with partitioning.
One word of advice, though; People would take posts more seriously when users refrain from personal attacks. I know it's hard to do when someone is trolling Slashdot but it can be done.
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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 anything.
Fixed it for you
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.
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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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Not upgrading vs. upgrading: Good.
Remote vulnerabilities are exploited to create bot nets, and casual home users are the most likely to fall for that kind of thing. Having your computer hijacked means you need a reinstall.
Remote vulnerabilities: Bad.
So, having a chance of diminishing the chance of having to reinstall due to a hijacking, without having to upgrade is a good way to save time and/or money.
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Well, my girlfriend would differ.
For actual casual users, there is no issue with using Ubuntu vs a working version of windows.
Firefox starts from the same icon, photo software looks the same and works the same. Ipod synchronization just works. Simple games are included.
In my experience, Windows machines require either a very experienced windows user, or someone that does routine maintenance. My current machine was installed with ubuntu 5.10 and survived lots of software and hardware upgrades and 2 diskdrive
Interesting thought (Score:2, Funny)
Car analogy time
We just got back from town, on the trip, a convoy of antique cars went by obviously going to or from some rally. Now, I doubt many of those companies exist, or if they do, still offer "official authorized" factory repair parts, which we will term "patches". That market is now made up of enthusiasts who build their own replacement parts, or small shops that turn them out because they know there is a market..just to keep those old cars running. And the same applies to more modern era "muscle c
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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
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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
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If they want free software, chances are they will seek it out.
I think many people don't know about that part of software landscape, and that it works for many people.
Otherwise, an interesting point of view.
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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So the fact that numerous people - myself included - use Linux every day for basic tasks doesn't make it usable? The fact that my somewhat technophobic and highly computer-illiterate father often borrows my linux laptop for browsing the web doesn't make it usable? That my sixty year-old mother has requested that, for any computer I build her, I make sure Linux is installed doesn't make it usable?
Linux TRIES to compete as a consumer product. What happens? Well... Back when the Pentium was new MS told OEM's
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So the fact that numerous people - myself included - use Linux every day for basic tasks doesn't make it usable? The fact that my somewhat technophobic and highly computer-illiterate father often borrows my linux laptop for browsing the web doesn't make it usable? That my sixty year-old mother has requested that, for any computer I build her, I make sure Linux is installed doesn't make it usable?
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.
And now MS has forced so much mis-information into the public mind that teachers confiscate copies of Linux install disks, claiming they are illegal... Best Buy employees are taught that Windows is the only way to go... The public is taught that a machine of a lower-price is better than a Mac - despite the fact that the Mac generally has a better processor, better video card, bigger hard drive and more RAM than the lower-price machine... MS basically does everything it can to keep the public from ever learning the truth about alternatives to its stranglehold on the OS market.
Actually, it's not a conspiracy. At this point, Windows is simply more user friendly and usable. I suspect Haiku will overta
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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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Since Haiku took over ten fucking years just to reach Alpha? Fuck no. Haiku's not going anywhere, but nice to see where your bias lies
Yes, that's the point. Haiku has taken 10 years to reach alpha and has a better shot of being a usable desktop system because it has a vision and a target that will result in a reasonable product.
That's exactly the point of what I said.
Linux has been spinning its wheels on desktop usability for over a decade now by tying itself to failed paradigms, like X and its ill thought out ALSA. The kernel team and Red Hat have long gotten past the illusion that they're making a desktop system- linux is built for serv
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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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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
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The FSF is not about coding, esp. now that code is so cheap.
You seem to not be able to distinguish between free software and open source software.
Copyleft is needed for free software.
For example, you have the case of the iphone. Apple uses free software to restrict users and determine what they can and can't install on the hardware they buy from them. A copyleft license would not allow them to do that.
Your deduction techniques are intriguing. You say that the fact that a minority of free software uses non c
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You seem to not be able to distinguish between free software and open source software.
Copyleft is needed for free software.
No, you're not going to drag me into that semantic cesspool. Sorry. I've spent a couple of years studying the methodology of cults, and one of the things which they do, that I know about, is what is called "loading of the language."
It's a technique where either entirely new terms are invented, primarily for the purpose of creating seperation between the cult and the outside world, or, more insidiously, where existing words are given a new, internal, cultic definition.
The fact that you are thinking in term
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You seem to not be able to distinguish between free software and open source software.
Copyleft is needed for free software.
No, you're not going to drag me into that semantic cesspool. Sorry. I've spent a couple of years studying the methodology of cults, and one of the things which they do, that I know about, is what is called "loading of the language."
It's a technique where either entirely new terms are invented, primarily for the purpose of creating seperation between the cult and the outside world, or, more insidiously, where existing words are given a new, internal, cultic definition.
The fact that you are thinking in terms of Stallman's terminology, and trying to foist it on me here, tells me that you are a cultist; and cultists are people I have very little time for, primarily for the reason that attempting to argue with mind control is an almost entirely futile exercise.
I kinda agree with you in principle.
Of course semantics is the issue here.
The thing is that I don't think I am the one inventing new words. I was actually responding to your usage of that "FOSS" term, because that's exactly what I think it is, a semantic game that changes the center of the discussion.
Stallman started using "free software" as in freedom, to talk about software that does not restrict your freedom. It's not a technical term, it's more philosophical, and in real life it it a legal thing, more t
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.
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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.
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I support free software, but only so far as its actually practical. Like, I won't use GNash since it is not as good as Flash, and I want actual 3D acceleration, etc. I won't declare software evil purely because its proprietary but based off of the actual character of the software makers. RMS would rather we just blindly hate on all proprietary software. If I did that I'd
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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!
Beat The Clock (Score:2)
The end of summer is marked by the Open Regatta, the county fair and Peach Festival, jazz concerts in the park, the Labor Day Parade.
The Back-To-School Sale.
Crowds are large, receptive, very well fed - they love hand-outs and are open to anyone who puts on a good show.
If can offer them shade, a coke and a folding chair, so much the better.
But, geek being geek, he'll chose the chill and wet of autumn - and place himself at the
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Software Freedom Day. (Score:2, Funny)
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Well, it's consistent with FSF philosophy - it's a day of freedom for software, not freedom for people.
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!?
Wow Slashdot. (Score:2)
There is no requirement for Software Freedom day to pass out CDs or leaflets or get in anyone's face. It can be as simple as having a BBQ and inviting your geekiest friends. If you happen to print out some flyers like this [fsf.org] or this [tuxfamily.org] or yikes! even burn a free-software-infested CD I don't think you'll be hurting anyone. If you do happen to have an event, take pictures..
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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I don't see what so radical about encouraging people to cooperatively develop and share software.
Nothing, unless by "encouraging" you mean preaching that those who don't will burn in hell, pretty much. The whole "Win7 Sins" campaign reeks of this attitude, and so do most other materials on FSF website.
It's even worse if you ever meet RMS in person. Three friends of mine, all Linux geeks, came to see him when he was in Moscow two years ago. However, they worked for a company which uses Linux in its proprietary products, and not all of the code they write for a living is released under GPL (or other "Fre
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You apathy saddens me, you have no values, no desire to change the world for the better.. I feel sorry for you.
Actually, from my perspective it's exactly the opposite.
I don't have a problem with Stallman because I'm a jaded, amoral sociopath. I have a problem with Stallman precisely because I'm concerned about the wellbeing of my fellow man.
Richard Stallman is a cult leader, who wants to have control over as many other people as he can. The rest of the FSF's leadership also aren't much different in that regard, either; the group is a playground for megalomaniacs.
The GPL was written in such a manner as to facilitat
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If it's only technical strengths you care about, why use free software at all?
LOL. The silent implication here is deeply amusing. "We don't mind if technically speaking, the software is garbage. At least it's Free!"
I use FreeBSD. In my own mind, it's pretty much the greatest operating system in existence in technical terms. It being FOSS is part of the reason for that, of course; but that's also the point.
Valuing the fact that software is open source, doesn't have to be about Stallman's cultic propaganda. Source code availability has a lot of positive implications for technical
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Actually, the silent implication is that Mac OS X is much better technically than FreeBSD, partly because it's non-free.
That's just fine. If I could afford OSX, I'd at least think about buying it.
Because I can't afford it, however, FreeBSD is as close as it gets.
street handout? (Score:2)
With ... paranoia about malware and viruses at an all-time high, the time is right to help consumers ...
So trusting someone standing in street corner handing out software is supposed to be...safe?
Thanks (Score:2)
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It does not follow from Shaw's theory, that all unreasonable people make progress.
"Cool is a rumor, sometimes bad is bad" -- huey lewis
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Arr... software freedom day? Be I the only seafarer here celebratin' National Talk Like a Pirate Day? Ye all be landlubbers, arr...
When ye think about it, it be entirely appropriate for the two to coincide. Yarrrr... ;)
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Arrr... Ye scurvy scalawag! I be a-celbratin' t'day! An' if'n ye're sayin' else-wise, ye'll be walkin' the plank for sure!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tfyLbin9gs [youtube.com]
Here's the tune I play myself at times, when thinking about the FSF.
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F$F $hills not content with harassing people
Interesting. This is the first time I've ever seen the FSF's supporters being referred to as shills, rather than Microsoft's.
The tide is truly starting to turn, it would seem.
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still others hand out opensolaris and freebsd
That's awesome. If it isn't done in a manner which is overly pushy or annoying to people, I love the idea of FreeBSD advocacy! :)