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zeroth
05-25-2006, 10:03 PM
someone should win the lottery and spend a crap load of money to make a commercial about linux (or GNU/Linux if poor Richy gets upset ) and user-friendly distros like Ubuntu.
I would do this if I had the money.
This is the only reason Linux isn't more popular, I think: No Advertising, because it isn't a commercial product. Lets take up some of that fascistic "dont smoke pot" commercial time and use it for something useful -- like Linux.
dkeav
05-25-2006, 10:56 PM
setup a paypal account and a donation fund, start taking donations and spearhead the whole thing
put up or shutup eh :p
paj12
05-25-2006, 11:42 PM
someone should win the lottery and spend a crap load of money to make a commercial about linux (or GNU/Linux if poor Richy gets upset ) and user-friendly distros like Ubuntu.
Someone did (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8333280591924223277)
This is the only reason Linux isn't more popular, I think: No Advertising, because it isn't a commercial product. Lets take up some of that fascistic "dont smoke pot" commercial time and use it for something useful -- like Linux.
The only reason Free operating systems aren't more popular is because of ridiculous software patents, contractually enforced vendor lock-in, and a "technology" press that is in the pockets of proprietary software vendors.
zeroth
05-26-2006, 10:11 AM
Someone did (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8333280591924223277)
Its kind of vague. Normal people average computer users will look at it and say "what the hell is Linux?"
anyway, I enjoyed it. Too bad I've never seen it on TV. Does it still air?
edit: then again, I don't watch much TV at all. save for History/Discovery/National Geographic channels once or twice a week when I emerge.
The only reason Free operating systems aren't more popular is because of ridiculous software patents, contractually enforced vendor lock-in, and a "technology" press that is in the pockets of proprietary software vendors.
I'm not a lawyer or a businessman, I don't know anything about that stuff.
paj12
05-26-2006, 05:02 PM
Its kind of vague. Normal people average computer users will look at it and say "what the hell is Linux?"
It's not really targeted at average computer users. Especially since IBM no longer markets to them (they sold their PC business to Lenovo). It's targeted primarily at business executives who may have heard the term "Linux" thrown around at a trade show, but aren't really sure what it is or they think it's just a toy for hackers.
anyway, I enjoyed it. Too bad I've never seen it on TV. Does it still air?
It's a few years old, and I only saw it once on TV. I think Free Software's success, given the lack of mainstream advertising, is pretty miraculous. It just proves that some people will pick the best tool for the job, regardless of snazzy marketing.
I'm not a lawyer or a businessman, I don't know anything about that stuff.
If you want to learn more about the sorry state of the computer industry, read some of Richard Stallman's essays (http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/). Pay particular attention to the "Laws and Issues" section. It's only one side of the complete picture, but enlightening nonetheless.
dlausevic
06-30-2006, 07:56 PM
I like the commercial.
i had totally forgotten about those commercials. they always gave me goosebumps whenever i saw them.
i wonder why ibm stopped showing them?
It's not really targeted at average computer users. Especially since IBM no longer markets to them (they sold their PC business to Lenovo). It's targeted primarily at business executives who may have heard the term "Linux" thrown around at a trade show, but aren't really sure what it is or they think it's just a toy for hackers.
but weren't those commercials made BEFORE lenovo bought ibm's pc business?
je_fro
07-01-2006, 07:42 AM
Can you imagine the flood of inane posts here if linux became mainstream? I mean, people would _expect_ me to help them! And you know what they'd say when I told them to RTFM? Linux sucks! Sheesh!
dkeav
07-01-2006, 11:26 AM
umm je_fro i'm afraid i have some bad news bud...
zeroth
07-02-2006, 07:48 PM
Can you imagine the flood of inane posts here if linux became mainstream? I mean, people would _expect_ me to help them! And you know what they'd say when I told them to RTFM? Linux sucks! Sheesh!
Those kinds of people keep us employed.
someone should win the lottery and spend a crap load of money to make a commercial about linux (or GNU/Linux if poor Richy gets upset ) and user-friendly distros like Ubuntu.
I would do this if I had the money.
This is the only reason Linux isn't more popular, I think: No Advertising, because it isn't a commercial product. Lets take up some of that fascistic "dont smoke pot" commercial time and use it for something useful -- like Linux.
You're forgetting that Firefox had 0 commercials (on TV) and everyone's using it.
Can you imagine the flood of inane posts here if linux became mainstream? I mean, people would _expect_ me to help them! And you know what they'd say when I told them to RTFM? Linux sucks! Sheesh!
No. We'd open our consulting firm and charge PER CALL like M$ is doing. No, wait, your three first calls are free :p
coolclassic
07-03-2006, 09:20 AM
You're forgetting that Firefox had 0 commercials (on TV) and everyone's using it.
But the press advertised it in news stories ect.
bwkaz
07-03-2006, 10:10 AM
But the press advertised it in news stories ect. After it was already getting more popular, yes, they did. ;)
Here's another one -- who advertised Google before it started getting tons of users?
I think what Linux needs is a flawless/seemless engine that runs Windows software under linux without any no, maybe's or if's. Don't say Wine, cause Wine needs manual tweaking and doesn't always work. Don't say Vmware, cause what's the purpose of running linux then. We got Cedega for games, that works "so so". We got Wine for apps. That works "so so". You really need something solid and transparent.
If that will happen, people will switch. They won't care what OS they have as long as they can run their favorite applications on Linux that otherwise would have to run on Windows. If that should happen, you won't need any advertisting. Its gonna be just like with Google or with Firefox. In fact I think we'll see a mass exdous of techy savy people that are keeping Windows because they're so dependant on for their apps. Games, business software, video/sound/ software, industrial software, etc. People want simplicty, they don't wanna spend a days googling and putting messages on forums how to make something work under linux. It has to either work flawlessly or not be used at all.
zeroth
07-03-2006, 10:16 PM
I think what Linux needs is a flawless/seemless engine that runs Windows software under linux without any no, maybe's or if's. Don't say Wine
Wine is the only option. any other program will do just what wine does. if it doesn't, it will emulate and won't perform as well. Wine is as good as it gets.
Here's another one -- who advertised Google before it started getting tons of users?
Yahoo advertises, and every moron I know uses Yahoo despite the fact that google has been proven to yield more and more acutare results.
Google is superior. People want stupid.
bwkaz
07-04-2006, 10:10 AM
But "every moron you know" using something doesn't necessarily make that something popular. :p
(In other words: There's a huge danger of coming up with a result that's too anecdotal when you only ask people that you know.)
Besides, even if it did (or even if Yahoo is actually popular), all you've shown is that advertising can work. Not that it's necessary. To show that it's necessary, you'd have to take every single popular program/service/whatever, and show the advertising behind it. To show that it isn't necessary, I just have to find one that wasn't advertised. ;)
(OK, here are two more: emacs and vim. Not really that popular with most normal people, but with their target audience (programmers that have a clue, so not VB/MSVC++ programmers), they're pretty close to all that there is.)
dark_moon
07-06-2006, 01:55 AM
at the risk of sounding stupid.
Linux is designed at its inception to avoid this stuff like every other inteligently designed thing should be.
First, no one should care in the least how many people use Linux.
Itis anti Linux design to care about that at all.
second and on a more phylosophical note
advertising is a manipulation.
its design is to create pointless emotional imagery connected with a product.
advertising is almost always dishonest.
people already know Linux exists.
human commerce on the other hand is organic and as old as humans on the planet.
commerce is also basically at its core honest.
all commerce requites is people know the product exists.
once you begin to lie in commerce you have crossed the natural line into sharlatanism and fraud.
once you lie you create the need for government regulators who create stupid regulations to make you less dishonest and protect the public from you but in the process accidentally destroy all commerce.
advertising creates a society that ultimately will destroy even the earth itself in a slow poisoness regulated and slightly less poisonous way.
human beings could be so much more than this.
eskaypey
07-06-2006, 04:00 AM
Linux doesn't have to worry about advertising, Microsoft is introducing Linux to people (http://lwn.net/2000/1026/a/msad.php3).
With the different prospective though -(
moopaws
07-06-2006, 09:19 AM
Linux pulls alot of advertising off of Mac OS with the Darwin install in OS X also.
zeroth
07-06-2006, 01:06 PM
at the risk of sounding stupid.
Linux is designed at its inception to avoid this stuff like every other inteligently designed thing should be.
at the risk of making you sound stupid, Linux isn't designed to do anything other than be an OS kernel.
save the crusades for the FSF, linux has nothing to do with it.
edit: proofed :-D
dkeav
07-06-2006, 01:56 PM
at the risk of making you sound stupid, Linux isn't designed to do anything other be an OS kernel.
since we are making people feel stupid, don't forget the "than" next time (other than..)
zeroth
07-06-2006, 02:45 PM
since we are making people feel stupid, don't forget the "than" next time (other than..)
I don't know what the hell is wrong with me, I've been missing words like that for the past couple weeks or so.
I wonder if I do that while talking too... or maybe my fingers don't move as fast as my brain.
edit: proofed. hehe