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<TITLE>RE: [NTLUG:Discuss] Linux for the State of Texas?</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Greetings to all.</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">I have been following this thread for a while now, and have found it quite interesting. I may be walking into the deep end, but here goes.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">There are still a number of problems with the theory of throwing Microsoft to the sea and ending up with an Utopia Linux world.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">We must realize that the masses of users could really care less whether they are sitting in front of a Microsoft product, Sun product, Lotus product or IBM product. All they care about is whether it looks the same (or similar), runs the same, and has the same (or better) capabilities. This has more to do with applications that run on Linux, as opposed to Linux itself. Consider me a traitor, and for the record I haven't downloaded Star Office in around a year or so, but it still doesn't compare to Microsoft Office, piece-per-piece. Sure, it is a great piece of software, especially when you consider it is free, but it ain't Office. The end user could care less if it is free or not. How many office workers or government workers have actually purchased the software they are using? I follow Linux relatively closely, but I really don't know of any other office-level product other than Star Office. I remember Applixware, but where are they now? </FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">I hate to say it, but Gimp ain't Photoshop.</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Also realizing that end users are not, in general, particularly savvy in computers and software in general, can we really blame the system administrators that cringe when the thoughts of re-training all of those users come to mind? In the business I work in, we use Macintosh exclusively for low to mid level image processing and manipulation. (SGI for high-end.) I can tell you I am somewhat concerned about the migration and training of our staff to OSX from Classic. And I just have around 30 users to contend with. When I consider retraining 100+ people, I think about investing in the makers of Tums.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">There is one Microsoft. There are multiple Linux distributions. My initial thoughts were to rattle off the names, but I would probably forget a couple and therefore commit a grievous act. This causes great confusion, and is surely a hindrance in the minds of those who are use to one monolithic supplier. Those like myself, who are somewhat knowledgeable about Linux, and others who really know it are aware that the different distributions are trying to come back together to make one standard, but we ain't there yet. We also know that each flavor has it's own unique toolset, feel, etc... That is both the beauty and pitfall of an open source os. To the unknown masses, it is probably just too confusing to deal with it.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Although I see numerous spots from Microsoft and Apple on TV, I have yet to see one lone Linux spot. Couldn't all the distributors of Linux get together and make a distribution agnostic ad campaign (in multiple media outlets) that touts the benefits and cost-effectiveness of Linux over Microsoft?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Oh, I forgot. There was the one IBM server spot that mentioned Linux ran on it. That's a start.</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">As another example, I just returned from NAB. (National Association of Broadcasters) There was only one small booth that had anything to do about Linux. If you blinked, you walked right past it. Microsoft and Apple were there. As was SGI, SUN, IBM, HP, etc... This is disappointing, and illustrative, since the NAB convention is attended by technically savvy people. This would have been the perfect place for Linux to stand out as the Unix, Microsoft and Apple alternative to file sharing and data wrangling. Times are tight in the entertainment-broadcasting industry. Engineers and purchasing managers would have fallen over themselves to find a truly reliable alternative to the extremely costly boxes shown out there.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Unfortunately Linux World and other Linux-centric conventions don't count. That is pretty much preaching to the choir. Basically, there are no heavy hitters "spreading the word". I am afraid that Linux proponents, standing in front of a bunch of glaze-eyed lawyers, talking about changing operating systems will probably not be extremely effective without a history of advertisement and name recognition to rely on. This situation is somewhat analogous to High Definition TV. How many out there know what HDTV is? How many know that it is broadcast on a daily basis now?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Here is a final thought. Often, when Linux users speak of Microsoft, they sound, shall we say, militant. A better tact would be to show how Linux can fit into a Microsoft environment, instead of as a complete replacement. Linux information has to be disseminated in a way that sheds the best light possible on Linux, and only mentions Microsoft in a positive, or at least neutral light.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Solid advertisement, solid and feature rich applications, seamlessly compatible distributions. These are a few of the ways in which Linux will begin to seriously erode the market share of Microsoft. I doubt attempting to pass laws or resolutions will make a hill-of-beans of difference at this time.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">I applaud and respect all of those who are trying to inform the masses about Linux. I know it is hard work, and an uphill struggle. I just think your hard work would be made much easier and more fruitful if you got the various Linux distributors and others to spend a couple of years laying the groundwork with aggressive advertising, and application developers to write software packages and/or port their software to Linux.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">I certainly hope I didn't offend anyone. If I did, I am truly sorry.</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Thanks for your time,</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Monty</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">Monty Shinn</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">Assistant Chief Engineer</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">Video Post & Transfer</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">Dallas, Texas</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">direct: 214-561-7260</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">main: 214-350-2676</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">fax: 214-352-1427</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">email:</FONT> <A HREF="mailto:montys@videopost.com"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=1 FACE="Arial">montys@videopost.com</FONT></U></A>
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<P><A NAME="_MailData"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">-----Original Message-----</FONT></A>
<BR><B><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">From: Steve Baker [SMTP:sjbaker1@airmail.net]</FONT></B>
<BR><B><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Sent: </FONT></B> <FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Friday, April 19, 2002 1:39 PM</FONT>
<BR><B><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">To: </FONT></B> <FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">discuss@ntlug.org</FONT>
<BR><B><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Subject: </FONT></B> <FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Re: [NTLUG:Discuss] Linux for the State of Texas?</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Dusty Matthews wrote:</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">> </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">> I submitted a story to Slashdot too,...</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Actually, /. was where I saw the story in the first place. :-)</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">> We should really not stand for this. Open Source software is a perfect</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">> solution for government organisations. It is about time they wake up to the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">> benifits of it.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">> </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">> As open source advocates, we cannot make the government switch over night,</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">> but we can wear on them and continue to lobby for the adoption of this kind</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">> of software, and maybe, over time, we will see a generation of enlightened</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">> public officials.</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">In some cases (eg our local school), they are simply unaware that there</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">are even other OS's in existance...let alone that they might be free.</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">"Oh - we thought all computers ran Windows"...gack!</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Administrators are not computer experts and know little about the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">alternatives - and the computer experts view continued use of Microsoft</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">products as job security. If you are a Windoze guru and know little or</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">nothing about Linux, you are hardly likely to recommend a switch even if</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">there are good reasons to do so.</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">----------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------------</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Mail : <sjbaker1@airmail.net> WorkMail: <sjbaker@link.com></FONT>
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