[ubuntu-uk] Want to create an advert for Ubuntu?

[alan c]

On 07/12/10 11:50, gazz wrote:
(snip)
> I've been doing hands-on FOSS advocacy in the voluntary sector for the
> best part of a decade and experience teaches me that it's a mistake to
> gloss over the real issues in migrating from any Windows OS to any Linux
> distro. What's important is to get across the concept of open standards
> and to help the user understand that it isn't Linux' 'weirdness' causing
> the issues but use of closed standards in proprietary software and to
> explain that once they have made a successful migration to Ubuntu, they
> will experience *fewer* issues with cross-compatibility in the future.
>
> For a proportion of Windows users, though, the barriers will honestly
> still be too high for their resources - at least for the time being.
> Especially users who rely on being able to open and edit proprietary
> apps send by Windows users. Although times change and organisations who
> once couldn't see their way to migrating are looking at it again in the
> current climate.
>
> When I'm advocating Ubuntu with voluntary orgs, I don't really refer to
> technical issues beyond giving them (what I consider to be) a sensible
> overview of real and imaginary migration issues - I focus, instead, on
> simplicity, resistance to slow-down and choking due to malware,
> community ownership (which really appeals), keeping the economy local,
> longevity of hardware, ease of installing peripherals, standardisation
> of software used for photos, scanning etc etc, ease of maintaining a
> properly-installed system for non-techies. And it's *pretty*!
>
> If you gloss over migration issues, you will forfeit trust when users do
> experience problems. I prefer to support people migrating with their
> eyes open and wait for the more nervous Windows users to go through the
> emotional and practical issues involved for them and their organisation
> in their own time. We'll be here when they're ready :)
>
> Paula

Neat. I do hope you are able to join the advertising team?

-- 
alan cocks
Ubuntu user