I don’t use Windows, I use Linux. (WHAT??!! He must be some kind of weird counterculture type.)
While I may feel our governmental system is flawed, I have no interest in overthrowing it. Other than speeding, (I can’t drive 55.) I don’t do anything that would be viewed by authorities as questionable. Now that I’m older, I only drink about a 12-pack per week. (We all have our vices.) Why does using Linux make me a weirdo?
I listen to podcasts, subscribe to Linux RSS feeds and read trade magazines. While doing this, I constantly hear the gurus go on about software freedom, community, the evils of patents and licensing, all of which are extremely important. We all know they are important. I do what I can, as we all do, to support the EFF and others. But in the same discussions they complain that we can’t convert new users. Well could it be because we sound like some kind of cult?
Currently, there is a major fracture in the Linux world. There are two sides. One side consists of the outspoken activists and evangelists touting freedom from the evils of proprietary software, digital rights management and the corporations of the world locking up our data and using it against us. Once again, important stuff but not a very good sales pitch. Think about it…
“Hi, I’m a PC. I do business stuff.”
“Hi, I’m a Mac and I do fun, artsy stuff.”
“Hi, I’m Linux and I believe that the socioeconomic policies we are forced to follow are detrimental to developing countries and vile laws governing software such as patents and DRM stifle creativity.”
Not a good commercial.
The second side is just as twisted. The ‘free as in beer’ group grab up code as fast as the community can produce it and attempt to create a business model out of it. Using the ability to modify ‘free’ code and adding some essence of the proprietary such as codecs or reverse engineered security measures, this group has produced some of the most powerful software systems ever designed. Focused on the corporate market, these systems create a very lucrative industry. An industry that flies directly in the face of the first group. This group is very successful and unfortunately is the only positive advertisement the Linux world gets. The sad bit of course is the message…
“Linux is a complex client/server architecture with power, scalability and flexibility to accommodate any size corporation.”
Once again, not a very appealing sales pitch to the average Walmart shopper. The current, uninformed masses see these two seemingly opposing views and think either, “Those Linux people sound like the hippies from back in the 1960’s.” …or… “Wow, that Linux stuff must be that really complicated stuff the scientists run on those big, room sized computers. Glad I don’t have to do that!”
Seriously people. There has to be a middle ground. Linux can be just as easy to use as Windows or OS-X if not easier. Security is a no-brainer and today’s desktop mangers (The ‘windows’ if you will.) are simply beautiful. Games and other popular software are now being ported to Linux much sooner. Items like Java and Flash even the playing field. Also Wine and SAMBA fill in the holes of the interoperability challenge. The year of the Linux Desktop is here and has been for some time. Average users are just afraid of it, and we’re responsible.
“Hello, I am Linux. I am not a hippie and I don’t use Windows.”