Date: Wed, 3 Mar 1999 16:13:06 -0500 (EST) From: Bill Pechter <pechter@pechter.ddns.org> To: dyson@iquest.net Cc: freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org Subject: Re: what's in a name? Message-ID: <199903032113.QAA02609@pechter.ddns.org> In-Reply-To: <199903032011.PAA01416@y.dyson.net> from "John S. Dyson" at "Mar 3, 1999 3:11:13 pm"
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John Dyson said: > "Blame it on the media?" Nope, it is a problem with exposure, and > the media being as "lazy"* as it is, they do need to be schmoozed and > spoon-fed. Part of PR is being part of the "network". > > * By "lazy" I mean will not dig deep, if on the surface the info looks > complete. > > -- > John | Never try to teach a pig to sing, > dyson@iquest.net | it makes one look stupid > jdyson@nc.com | and it irritates the pig. John -- most of the press folks I worked with in the late '70's and early 80's were non-technical to the extreme. I remember teaching one how to jumpstart a car in the parking lot. The press are not deep in math, science and computer adept types. Most of 'em took a long look at computer science and electrical engineering classes and ran the other way (myself included at that time). My background is pretty unusual for a SysAdmin. I used to do PR and newspaper reporting and editing until I realized I was getting $2.50/hr and the guy who was fixing the typesetting equipment was getting $12.50/hr. What's that say for the journalists and their value in an open Free-market society. 8-( My BA was in History and second major Political Science... which made me kind of an unusual guy for DeVry Tech in '80 and in DEC Field Service in '82. They need professional explainers to help them understand what this FreeBSD stuff means. PR's not just spin control and handouts. (Alright, sometime it is...) Most of them have pretty good people skills and backgrounds in History, Psychology, Political Science etc. They can take information and organize it and deliver it well. They don't have the resources and knowledge to deeply jump into the Open Source Software issues... Remember, it's just like they didn't do too well in the mid-80's in the Proprietary - Open Systems debate. How open's SunOS 4 or HP-UX. Can you see the source code? Well, DEC shipped source microfiche for VAX/VMS for less than an AT&T source license (about 10x less). And now they think Microsoft COTS stuff is "OPEN" -- geez. Bill --- Bill Gates is a Persian cat and a monocle away from being a villain in a James Bond movie -- Dennis Miller bpechter@shell.monmouth.com|pechter@pechter.nws.net|pechter@pechter.ddns.org To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-advocacy" in the body of the message
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