[ubuntu-marketing] Linux (and Ubuntu) advocacy in Canada and USA

[Martin-Éric Racine]

On Fri, November 11, 2005 10:48, Vincent Untz said:

> Speaking to the students might help, but convincing the administrations
> of the universities is really what we should aim for. This is where the
> decisions are taken and where a simple change might have a great impact.

The problem is not universities as much as the software procurement model
of the public sector: purchase orders must fit budget and feature
constraints and explicitely provide multiple suppliers with a chance to
place competing bids on the exact same target product.

Now, with Free Software, the problem is not being able to provide a quote
for e.g. an order for 100 pieces of Windows XP educational licenses,
because we don't do Windows, and sometimes being literally cost-free (such
as with free Ubuntu CD shipments) means we cannot put a price tag to our
offering either.

Change starts in the Computer Science departments and by handing out as
many free Ubuntu CDs to the students themselves, at which point the next
generation knows nothing but Free Software and expects Ubuntu in school
too.

-- 
Martin-Éric Racine
http://q-funk.iki.fi