[Linux-aus] IDC telephone poll

[Leon Brooks <leon@cyberknights.com.au>]

Someone posted a warning to not answer this poll (I think it was 
Jacqueline), but I couldn't resist seeing how much I could get out of 
it... anyway, the pollster traded as Brian, and was calling from 
Malaysia, where IDC apparently intends to set up their AsiaPacific 
operations.

Yes, the survey was ultimately sponsored by Microsoft, although Brian 
didn't actually say that outright - and reading between the lines it's 
because he wasn't allowed to.

Even for the Yes/No questions, I took a few seconds to clarify the 
questions and explain my answers. By the end of the interview, Brian 
was asking non-survey questions about distros and ease of installation, 
and suggesting that he should try Linux out for himself, without any 
hint or prompting from me to that effect. (-:

The actual survey did have some leading questions in sections like "Why 
do you use Linux?" under titles like "Because of the SCO 
litigation" (which of course I answered "Yes" to: I'd use it on 
principle if I wasn't already, based on TSG's attitude :-) but on the 
whole it was surprisingly non-leading.

It covered mainly the kinds of software which were important to you as a 
company, and seemed to be aimed at the larger companies. It sort of 
assumed that Microsoft was the other side of questions like "do you use 
Product X because it is better?" and Brian had no specific background 
material when I asked him "Better than...?"

I wonder if we'll ever see any results published. (-:

Cheers; Leon

-- 
http://cyberknights.com.au/     Modern tools; traditional dedication
http://plug.linux.org.au/       Vice President, Perth Linux User Group
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http://linux.org.au/            Past Committee Member, Linux Australia
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