[Linux-aus] Marketing Linux

[ben at geonetrix.com.au]

Quoting Pia Waugh <greebo at pipka.org>:

> Hi Ben,
>
> <quote who="ben at geonetrix.com.au">
>
>> We don't need to spend $350k on cars or anything else. I found the
>> best way to market Linux was to hassle radio stations to interview me
>> about Software Freedom Day. I scored a gig on local ABC radio and on
>> the local community station - this increased awareness of Free
>> Software significantly (and hey, IMHO its Free software as well as
>> that great example of Free software (Linux) that we should be
>> promoting).
>
> I totally agree :) Have you registered your event yet? Registrations are
> open and I don't see a Tassie event yet :)
>
> http://softwarefreedomday.org/map/2007
>
> Registrations are open at:
>
> http://softwarefreedomday.org/cgi/register.html

Ahh, yes we'll be there! Just sorting out our venue and volunteers for  
this year. Tassie always gets a good showing for SFD and we won't miss  
out this year! We'll be signing up soon - and any of you Tassie people  
who aren't watching our website or mailing lists but might be watching  
here and want to help out, contact the cttee - many hands make light  
work!

I won't be doing the radio gig this year (being in Vic atm) but Leah  
(TasLUG secretary and all-time ABC computer-talkback radio star) will  
be on the air (as she frequently is on a Saturday morning) - so listen  
in and then come on down :) - I'll be flying down from Melbourne to  
enjoy Tassie's SFD festivities, so everyone else should too! :)


>
> Rock on for Software Freedom Day as our major outreach effort [1], and please
> everyone, stop feeding the troll ;)

Here's where I have to disagree, marketing Linux is an important  
discussion - even if its sparked by a (IMHO) half-arsed idea (ie  
TUX500). In general Linux marketing is ok, but we really need many  
more grass-roots efforts. Radio is an excellent medium for outreach,  
especially uni or community radio. I got myself a gig on community  
radio by approaching an environmental show about computer recycling  
(<linux-bias> as we all know Linux recycles computers from vista  
detritus into kick arse 3d-effects, productive, secure, funky boxen  
</linux-bias>). That's the trick - watch the sort of stuff that we can  
target - if we can go the environmental angle then that's a win -  the  
IP angle that's a win - the competition/economic angle, that's a win -  
the internationalisation (think multicultural radio), that's a win -  
so lets target that (not just in radio -although that's often easier  
to get on). Notice I didn't say technical angle - we know its a win,  
but hey it makes boring copy for most people (little do they know how  
cool it really is :)  )

Anyhow, back to the original point, Pia is right - get into SFD and rock ON!

Cheers,

Ben.

BTW I don't know if SFD Schwag has been finalised but we had real  
success last year with some homemade "showbags" which we branded with  
the SFD logo and put a copy of the open CD (much more popular than the  
Ubuntu CD - people were totally keen on free software (and were more  
keen when we explained the difference between free software and  
freeware) - they generally had windows boxes but were intrigued by  
floss), the stickers (more stickers would be cool), the few balloons,  
some pamphlets that we had made and some pamphlets from open source  
Tas. - people got into those more than just handing out cds that we  
did the year before - maybe an idea for SFD int? We handed out a lot  
of showbags :)

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