[ubuntu-uk] Ubuntu Advocacy

[john levin]

Adrian Mitchell wrote:
> Hi
> I'm looking for suggestions about spreading the use of Ubuntu.
>  
> I'm very impressed with Ubuntu and I would like to do my best to 
> encourage the UK Voluntary Sector to make more use of FOSS - and Ubuntu 
> in particular.
> Trouble is, other than fairly casual conversations, I'm not sure of the 
> best way of doing this.
> Has anybody got any ideas?
>  
> It seems to me that the voluntary sector and FOSS are a perfect match. 
> In fact I'd go as far as saying that the voluntary sector could be a 
> significant driving force in the wider acceptance of FOSS.
>  
> Unfortunately even here Windows is ubiquitous - and even where 
> organisations might be prepared to switch to Linux there are problems 
> with knowledge/skills (particularly with regards to multi-platform 
> networks and network admin/security issues) - but also problems with the 
> fact that a lot of 3rd party/custom/proprietry software being used 
> within these organisations only runs on Windows.
>  
> Presumably the only way to put pressure on these software developers is 
> for more people to use Linux - but we have a catch 22 since they (will 
> say they) can't use Linux with their existing software.
> The charity that I work for has this problem - both our central 
> database, and our websites currently only run on MS SQL and use .Net.
> Is there a simple way of getting around this?
>  
> Adrian Mitchell
> 

My feeling is that there are quite a lot of small initiatives for 
bringing FLOSS into the voluntary sector (and public sector), spread all 
round the country. An example of a complete (and cheap) linux (Red Hat 
and LTSP in this case) solution:
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/linuxunix/0,39020390,39166840,00.htm
For national co-ordination, there's the social source events:
http://www.socialsource.org.uk/
(Don't know what the current status is with that; the site doesn't seem 
to have been updated since November last year.)

As far as Ubuntu specifically, I don't know of any deployments in the 
Vol/NGO sector in the UK.

Interesting round-up
http://www.lasa.org.uk/cgi-bin/publisher/display.cgi?1427-10103-12611+computanews

My hunch is that the way to spread FLOSS is start with Firefox, so 
people don't have to jump straight into a new OS, but can see the 
benefits of free software quickly and in practice. Start with the 
(Canonical-supported) Open Cd:
http://www.theopencd.org/
which comes with a cut-down version of Ubuntu Live.

If there are enough people on this list involved in the voluntary 
sector, it could be worth starting an Ubuntu-for-Orgs.uk initiative, to 
promote and support orgs wanting to use FLOSS.

HTH

John