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Date:      Fri, 25 Feb 2000 13:57:20 -0500
From:      "Jason Portwood" <jason@iac.net>
To:        <advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG>
Subject:   RE: the talk about fbsd in linux and free cd's
Message-ID:  <6381A6A8826BD31199500090279CAFBA106741@FOGHORN>
In-Reply-To: <6381A6A8826BD31199500090279CAFBA0E7BE9@FOGHORN>

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>
> I must be really stupid. Who in the corporate world cares if
> FreeBSD is mentioned in a linux mag or article. As a business person, I
> look in trade magazines and some computer magazines/papers. I will tell
you this. In
> this months Computer paper (Toronto edition) a 1/4 or just
> slightly larger add from the University of Toronto, showing 4 versions of
Linux at the
> Bookstore at U of T. That IS what gets people buying.

It's basically a form of self promotion for FreeBSD.  The bookstore at U of
T just didn't toss the Linux ad in there for grins they know it will attract
customers.  Would a FreeBSD ad attract those customers who do not use
FreeBSD already?  Probably not.  The more articles the more the name gets
out and the chance someone will switch or start using FreeBSD.  With that
popularity ads will come in those papers even if it's just one distribution.

Joe user hears about Linux all the time (FreeBSD is only a faint glimmer)
and when he decides on a purchase he's going to plunk his money down on
something familiar.  Sure FreeBSD will do the job for him but he doesn't
know that.  Plus the majority of people who use a form of Unix around him
would probably be Linux users.  The more he/she hears about it the better
the chances.

>
> I hope you dont burn free freebsd cdroms. It looks cheap, and
> people that WANT quality expect it to cost. In their logical minds, it
> works something like this. Well, lets see, the system the company sells
out performs
> others like NT and Novell and can keep pace with IBM AS
> 400's. Hmm..and its free...nah how good can it be? Ahh..they will be out
of
> business and then we're stuck.
>

I think giving free CDs at Linux conventions OR even as a freebie on a Linux
magazine would be a big help to the growth.  Those people are already hooked
on some form of Unix and the chances are pretty good that they'll give it a
chance if it's in hand.

Sure you take a hit giving the disks out but how many people buy the CD's
now even though it can be download for free?  How many buy the set
religiously and never open it?

I was a Linux user once and moved over to FreeBSD because of one person.  I
know that I have brought at least three more over because of my talking
about it.  That includes the person who got me started on Linux.  Word of
mouth helps and articles on it wets a persons appetite even more.

Just my two cents worth...

Jason Portwood - jason@iac.net
Systems Administrator - Strategic/Internet Access Cincinnati
Sales and Tech Support - 513-860-9052



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