Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1998 20:14:12 -0500 (CDT) From: Frank Pawlak <fpawlak@execpc.com> To: toor@dyson.iquest.net Cc: brett@lariat.org, mike@smith.net.au, dshanes@personalogic.com, hackers@FreeBSD.ORG, freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re[2]: Fw: Your Article "Freeware: The Heart & Soul of the Internet" Message-ID: <199804100114.UAA23108@darkstar.connect.com> In-Reply-To: <199804092221.RAA02226@dyson.iquest.net>
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"John S. Dyson" <toor@dyson.iquest.net> wrote: > > > > As an industry and trend watcher, I have a compelling sense that the > > next few months will represent an "inflection point" -- that is, a > > period during which a major change in attitude and direction will be > > felt in the computer industry. Freely redistributable operating > systems > > will suddenly acquire serious credibility and will no longer be able > to > > be ignored by the mainstream media nor by developers. However, as > the > > rise of Microsoft has shown, most users will fail to investigate > > alternatives and will adopt only those products with the largest > installed > > base and the most press coverage. Thus, FreeBSD stands to suffer as > much > > as to gain from the paradigm shift. > > > I agree especially with your last statement. > > > > > If there is not an exceedingly strong effort to promote FreeBSD as > superior > > to Linux, Linux -- which has a larger installed base -- will be > catapulted > > to a dominant position while FreeBSD will see no noticeable increase > in > > its user base or its popularity. FreeBSD needs to have a few > "zealots" and > > "evangelists" -- just as Linux does -- to stubbornly insist that > > FreeBSD be included in every forum where Linux is discussed. It also > needs > > some calmer proponents to take up the slack. Perhaps a new slot on > the > > core team -- "Chief Evangelist" -- is in order. > > > The problem with FreeBSD, is that people working on FreeBSD are > generally > older, and find evangelism to be painful. Also, people using FreeBSD > are busy using it, as opposed to worshipping it. > > How do we (really) deal with this? Such is true. I am a "newish" FreeBSD user and SuSE Linux reseller. I see a ready market for free "low cost" software in college bookstores, particularly those universities that have computer engineering and comsci departments. Part of evangelism is marketing and market presence. Having this OS on display at universities will attract a young audience the very people that are evangelizing Linux. Frank > > John > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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