Paul Sutton wrote: > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > You could probably go with having MS on the admin network, then Linux or > fre softare on the academic network, > > eventually people will filter through who can and want to use > alternatives, then chance will come > > problem is MS seem to have a huge marketing budget, and are
Marketing! Marketing is the key skill with a company such as MS. It is also the weakest point with FOSS. Marketing has short term obvious goals and also much longer term, subtle, goals. The trick that MS have and probably will continue to pull is a long term very wide game. Even huge resources such as US national or European systems find difficulty with bringing the monopoly wagon to heel, once it is successfully rolling along, seemingly downhill. There has been a very successful heavy momentum built up, a very heavy wagon, rolling downhill. I have believed for a long time and I still believe that the least we can do in the UK is to have a UK list focussed on UK marketing Ubuntu. Not a shared list, a specific and focussed list. If it turns out that there are not many subscribers then at least the problem is clear to see! It can be addressed. Very few FOSS enthusiasts are keen on marketing, and I think a UK specialist list will get the best from what little resource we have. At the local Computer Fair yesterday that I am fortunate to display at, a lad of about 10 years took a Parted Magic CD, his father was there in support. The intended action was to resize a Windows partition or similar, with FOSS, for FOSS. It will take at least another 10 years before that particular lad gets close to a position of influence in an organisation, perhaps 15 years. *That* is the time scale of change, and much longer if it is not driven hard by focussed, determined people. *Now* is a good time to start! -- alan cocks Ubuntu user #10391 Linux user #360648 -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
