[NBLUG/talk] #se7en -- http://windows7sins.org/

[Sameer Verma]

On Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 10:27 PM, Bob Blick<bobblick at ftml.net> wrote:
> Jordan Erickson wrote:
>
>> This needs to be communicated to school districts. Even better,
>> alternatives need to be communicated to *everyone*, because most people
>> still don't KNOW that you can run anything but Windows on a PC (PC. vs.
>> Mac is a great example). If people understood what open source was,
>> especially schools, many of them would be running Linux instead of Windows.
>
> That made me smile. Here are two reasons why you are wrong.
>
> 1. Since someone else pays, Windows/OSX and software are essentially
> free to schools. So why switch to something that requires time to
> master? They already know how to use Photoshop and Word.
>
> 2. Substitute "Christianity" for "Windows" and "Islam" for "Linux" and
> think how your communication plan would play out. You can just as easily
> get someone to switch to Linux as you can get them to become a Muslim. I
> know that's not a great analogy and not perfectly true, but you probably
> see there is something to it.
>
> People switch to Linux as an individual decision. Change comes from
> within. It's a slow process and what flips that switch is different for
> everyone.
>
> I've been using Linux for something like 16 years but when someone asks
> me about it, it's rare that I suggest they try it. The "bar" is still
> higher than Windows/OSX and the last thing I want is for someone to try
> it who is not ready and then they are soured for life.
>
> Cheerful regards,
>
> Bob
>
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It is interesting to note that a conversation of a similar topic came
up on SF-LUG a few days ago, although for very different reasons, and
it also took a very different direction. The gist of the conversation
was about why people adopt technologies, and their reasoning behind
it, if any. My (rather detailed) post is at
http://linuxmafia.com/pipermail/sf-lug/2009q3/006881.html . I'd be
curious to get responses from NBLUG about reasons why people use (or
don't use) FOSS.

The whole thread is at
http://linuxmafia.com/pipermail/sf-lug/2009q3/006865.html if you care
for that form of entertainment.

cheers,
Sameer
-- 
Dr. Sameer Verma, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Information Systems
Director, Center for Business Solutions
San Francisco State University
http://verma.sfsu.edu/
http://cbs.sfsu.edu/
http://is.sfsu.edu/