What are we doing wrong? WAS Re: ubuntu marketing

Michael Beckwith michael.d.beckwith at gmail.com
Sat Feb 23 18:47:27 UTC 2008


I basically think we keep going back to the idea of catering to the 
newest of users without bothering to explain as much as possible why 
Fedora does it this way, instead of looking to and asking the users to 
realize that the way they've thought about computers and the software 
they use isn't as simple and easy as it really is, and thus ask them to 
learn, do some research, and perhaps change the way they think.

On a lot of the earlier arguements, which I have been reading through. 
Fedora out-of-the-box provides NOTHING but FREE AND OPEN AND LEGAL 
software. It stays like that until it hits the DVD/CD drive of the user. 
After that, it's up to the user to install what codecs, libraries, 
software, etc they want. There are people out there who do their best to 
encourage sticking to just the FOSS stuff for that, but there are ways 
out there to get them, and people who will give some bit of help. After 
that, it's up to each user to actually go through with it. If people 
want nothing but easy 1-click installation for all the proprietary 
formats they want, then maybe Fedora isn't for them.

Jonathan Roberts wrote:
>> We fix the problem by
>>  standing here and reminding people that Europe is not immune to this
>>  threat. It's real damn easy to pretend the problem is just a US
>>  issue...its not. Its a looming legal issue everywhere. We don't win
>>  long term by ignoring it.  We'll have this same discussion every
>>  single release cycle.. and I'm okay with that. Patents are the biggest
>>  problem facing the open source ecosystem, and I'd rather have Fedora
>>  stand here and be a beacon for rational, passionate, discussion on the
>>  issue, than to just side step the issue for the sake of collecting a
>>  few more users in our userbase.
>>
>>
>>  I do not need to beat another linux distribution in terms of users for
>>  Fedora to achieve is core goals of fostering open innovation.
>>  I need 'enough' users... i need 'enough' upstream developers.. i need
>>  'enough' maintainers.. I need 'enough' triagers... I need 'enough'
>>  artists... I need 'enough writers...I need 'enough' translators....
>>  and give them 'enough' open infrastructure by which to communicate as
>>  partners in the process of open innovation.
>>
>>  What I don't need is proprietary software.
>>
>>  I don't need to be greedy for Fedora to reach its prime objectives. I
>>  am perfectly okay with other distribution existing and being popular.
>>  The future of ALL linux distributions runs through what is happening
>>  as part of Fedora...and I'm perfectly happy with that.
>>     
>
> OK, how about we try and turn this thread into some positive energy!?
>
> What's been said, that Fedora is here to take a stand and to help try
> and change the legal issues that cause problems for those of us who
> want to be creative and share with each other, is very true. I believe
> that the majority of Fedora's contributing community are here and
> taking part because they support this view. Jef's also said that this
> conversation comes up during every release cycle - and even I've been
> around long enough to see that this is true - so we must be doing
> something wrong, somewhere, in communicating this part of our mission
> to the outside world and newer members of our community.
>
> The questions I now have are:
>
> * Where are we going wrong currently?
> * How can we make changes to improve this?
>
> The best selling point, imho, for free software is the freedom's that
> it affords us. Likewise, Fedora's strongest selling point is the stand
> it takes to help defend and make these freedoms available to anybody
> who wants them. So how can we promote this better? I might reply to my
> own thread in a while with my thoughts on this!
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Jon
>
>   


-- 
~Michael
http://ridleytx.structed.net (for now)
http://michaelbox.net (eventually) 

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