[plug] Australia and New Zealand slow to take up Linux

[Leon Brooks]

On Thursday 26 January 2006 20:57, James Laurence Clarke wrote:
> But the message needs to be clear just what it is and why it's good,
> not like those OS/Warp advertisements that IBM must have spent a
> fortune on but no one knew what they were selling!

Er, no.

Sad to say, a list of facts is not very helpful no matter how relevant 
and well presented. What people want to see is a gut-level association 
between something desirable and the product -- which is why cigarette 
ads sell pure, healthy-looking white clothes against tropical blue 
water these days rather than lower tar levels or truth-in-advertising 
slogans like "twice as many years to your last hacking, bubbling, 
pain-wracked death-rattle".

Have a look at The Borg's ads: what are _they_ selling? Software?

Hah!

They're selling the twin ideas of creativity and a future. "Use our 
product so you and your children will be brighter, happier and more 
creative." Never mind inconvenient realities, like once you get past 
specific 3rd-party apps (PhotoShop, DreamWeaver, etc), the actual core 
product stifles creativity like no other, foreshadowing a locked-in 
user-pays-and-pays-and-pays existence to make George Orwell cringe.

So you want to promote Linux and FOSS? Find simple, easily expressible 
ways in which it has enriched your life ("never seen a virus"/"what's 
spyware?"/"what do you mean, 'can't change' that?"/"updates? mine 
happen safely and automatically. I never think about them"), then tie 
those in to your "product". Even those examples are too technical, 
although it would be relatively simple to do a good animation of Tux 
warding off digital nasties, leaving a computer unscathed and happy. 
"My computer never breaks" would be a good starting point. Make your 
pronouncements airy, light and pleasant.

If you can drop a showstopper fact or two without interrupting the flow, 
then by all means do so, but remember that said facts will only appeal 
to a small minority in your audience. Flow, polish and positive 
associations will do far more to win your day for most folks than any 
number of "mundane" facts.

Cheers; Leon

-- 
http://cyberknights.com.au/     Modern tools; traditional dedication
http://plug.linux.org.au/       Member, Perth Linux User Group
http://slpwa.asn.au/            Member, Linux Professionals WA
http://osia.net.au/             Member, Open Source Industry Australia
http://linux.org.au/            Member, Linux Australia