Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2002 08:30:40 -0700 From: Terry Lambert <tlambert2@mindspring.com> To: "Anthony C. Chavez" <acc@anthonychavez.org> Cc: Michael Lucas <mwlucas@blackhelicopters.org>, advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG, GB <gbrooks@BLUE-MOUSE.COM> Subject: Re: Answering the Questions (was Re: FreeBSD PR (long, rambling -- bear with me)) Message-ID: <3D85F920.487157E@mindspring.com> References: <20020913143941.A2346@blackhelicopters.org> <006c01c25b71$9adf6940$6e01a8c0@CITYMOUSE> <20020916084359.B20974@blackhelicopters.org> <20020916144746.GA5629@anthonychavez.org>
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"Anthony C. Chavez" wrote:
> On Mon, Sep 16, 2002 at 08:44:00AM -0400, Michael Lucas <mwlucas@blackhelicopters.org> wrote:
> > Our key audiences:
> >
> > 1) ISPs: ISPs have long been fans of FreeBSD
> > 2) Systems Administrators
> > 3) Security-conscious networks
> > 4) Embedded systems producers (no GPL to worry them, hurrah!)
>
> Allow me to generalize this a bit:
>
> A) Techies
> B) Suits/marketroids
> C) CEOs
You are arguing about market segmentation, which is a fine thing
to argue about, if what you are dealing with is an attempt to
"Cross The Chasm".
I think, however, that the issues that need to be addressed are
the "whole product" issue, the value proposition, and finding
the "Early Majority".
Technology adoption lifecycle as classically perceived:
==//
=====/////
========///////
=========////////
==========/////////
===========//////////
============///////////
//============////////////=
//////============////////////=====
#######////////////============////////////================
Innovators Early Early Late Laggards
Adopters Majority Majority
Technology adoption lifecycle, including "The Chasm", including the
relative division between psychographic groups:
== //
===== /////
The ======== ///////
Chasm ========= ////////
| ========== /////////
V =========== //////////
============ ///////////
// ============ //////////// =
////// ============ //////////// =====
####### //////////// ============ //////////// ================
Innovators Early Early Late Laggards
Adopters Majority Majority
Terry's projection of an Internet company onto the technology adoption
lifecycle:
The Customers Are Here ---.
V
== //
You Internet ===== /////
Are Is Over ======== ///////
Here Here ========= ////////
| | ========== /////////
V V =========== //////////
============ ///////////
// ============ //////////// =
////// ============ //////////// =====
####### //////////// ============ //////////// ================
Innovators Early Early Late Laggards
Adopters Majority Majority
Note that neither FreeBSD nor Linux has worked through the early
adopter phase yet, and thet neither has actually "crossed the chasm".
Though Linux has been trying pretty hard to do so, it has yet to find
a major commercial success in the mainstream market as "Linux" (e.g.
no brand recognition with the average housewife, the way Microsoft has
brand recognition).
I also don't think that marketing plans are possible to plan and
execute successfully in the light of a public mailing list, since
such plans always depend on getting past your opposition's point
guards to score, and if you put all your intended plays up on the
Jumbotron(tm), you aren't going to be able to win the game.
-- Terry
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