Feedback on a new spec (promoting linux on public domain)

[George Farris]

On Fri, 2006-03-11 at 16:18 -0500, t u wrote:
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> Hi,
> 
> I received the following email from my girlfriend, and as a result I
> registered a new spec in the hopes that her request can be implemented
> in the future. It is closely relate to our bug # 1 so I cc'd
> ubunu-devel, hoping that it was okay. I would love to get as much
> feedback (and public "visibility") on this spec as possible.
> 
> I also requested feedback from Mr. Shuttleworth, thinking that he might
> have ties to people from public domains (see below) and have a much
> better understanding of what is involved.
> 
> The reason I am sending this to ubuntu-women (of which I am a member of)
> is to get your thoughts on her complaints about Linux.
> 
> Here is the link to the spec:
> https://features.launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/institutional-linux/
> 
> and here is a copy of her email to me (also available at the spec):
> 
> [warning, long email follows]
> 
> "Dear Linux creators, improvers, and users,
> 
> I am writing this email to explain to my boy friend why I refuse to use
> Linux instead of Microsoft in spite of my political support and
> appreciation of Linux and my despise of Microsoft and Bill Gates. I
> believe what I write here might help you formulate some strategies to
> challenge the Microsoft monopoly and to turn more and more people into
> Linux users.
> 
> I have to be upfront from the beginning that I am a computer dummy,
> which means that once I learn how to use a computer program I want to
> stick to it. I insist on using Microsoft in my computer simply because
> Linux is not widely used in public domains such as libraries, government
> offices, working places (offices), and universities. Although I live
> together with a computer geek who is literally in love with Linux and
> who is never tired of asking me whether I would like to try Linux at
> least once, I still say "no" because I do not want to deal with using
> two softwares in different settings (I can hardly use one). I sometimes
> use my boy friend's computer, which works with Linux, and I usually get
> lost because I do not know where to look for what. The point is that, if
> Linux were used in the public domains mentioned above, I would easily
> say, "Screw Microsoft, I am going to learn Linux and stick to it" (yes,
> I have to stick to one thing). But I cannot use Linux at home, and then
> use Microsoft at work and school. It is just too much for a computer
> dummy like me! So what I suggest for you Linux "policy-makers" is that
> if you want to spread Linux to the world, go from top to bottom, for
> instance, from universities to students, or from cities (government
> agencies) to citizens. This does not mean that you should forget about
> individual Linux-lovers, but rather you should put more effort into
> extending the public domains where Linux is the main language of computer."

Yikes!