[sf-lug] mastering CDs in bulk for Software Freedom Day

[Christian Einfeldt]

hi,

On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 9:21 AM, jim <jim at well.com> wrote:

>
>   this fits my tho'ts: make the FOSS platform
> community stronger and stronger, it's the
> communities that are the strongest force in
> the process of adoption.


I tend to agree with both Rick Moen and Jim Stockford here. We all have
limited time, so I tend to focus on my end goal -- moving people to a Free
OS.

On the other hand, Sameer has a point, too.  I can't tell you how many
people at the schools we support with Linux who have used OOo or are using
OOo or firefox or audacity.  Each of these programs is a bridge from
Microsoft Windows to Linux.

Not everyone will be able to move immediately from Microsoft Windows to
Linux right now.  Using FOSS apps on Microsoft Windows minimizes the pain of
the transition to GNU-Linux _if_ the user eventually has the incentive to
migrate.

But that's a big "if".

And there are other problems with using FOSS apps on Microsoft Windows.  Any
failure or slowness in performance is blamed on the FOSS apps, not Microsoft
Windows.  And Rick also has a good point in that leaving the user on
Microsoft Windows with FOSS apps leaves them dependent on Microsoft Windows.

Here's my own practice.  I will mention the FOSS apps for Microsoft Windows,
but I won't spend any time supporting the user in using those FOSS apps if
they are working on a non-Free OS such as Microsoft Windows or Mac OS.

Instead, I will politely sympathize with them when the non-Free OS fails or
gets viruses (Windows) or when the OS gets old and crusty, but the user
can't afford to upgrade (Apple).  At that point, I will offer the user a
GNU-Linux machine "just temporarily until they are able to get their old
system up and running again."  This approach seems to be working with the
teachers that we are supporting at the KSFBA school and the CACS school here
in SF.
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