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

[Liam Proven]

On Mon, Dec 6, 2010 at 9:36 PM, Will Bickerstaff
<will.bickerstaff at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> On Mon, Dec 6, 2010 at 12:41 AM, Liam Proven <lproven at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> I have no idea what "FruitLoops" is. AutoCAD I can believe would be
>> difficult, but then, the only way to open an AutoCAD file is to have a
>> copy of AutoCAD, isn't it? IOW, 99.99% of Windows PCs can't open
>> AutoCAD files anyway.
>>
> FruitLoops is a virtual studio.

Ah, right. But in general, is this a file format that is only openable
by the app that created it? There are lots of those, and in their
case, /no/ OS can open those files with an app that is included
out-of-the-box, can it?

> No you don't need AutoCAD to open AutoCAD files on windows, there are plenty
> of alternatives for windows users progeCAD
> Smart http://www.progesoft.com/en/smart-2009 DoubleCAD
> XT http://www.doublecad.com/Products/DoubleCADXTv3/tabid/1100/Default.aspx to
> name a couple are freely available for personal use and are pretty feature
> rich drafting apps. For viewing there are literally hundreds of free capable
> applications (AutoCADs own trueview is freely available). For linux I have
> yet to find anything freely available that can open a native AutoCAD dwg
> file and display it anything like correctly. AutoCAD is the sole reason I
> still have XP in a VM.

OK, fair enough. That's not good to hear. ISTR easily enough finding
something freeware to open DXGs for a client of mine (on Windows,
natch), years ago. I thought this would be true for Linux, too.

Do any of these freeware apps run acceptably under WINE?

> I agree, we need to be honest. Theres no point saying 100% compatible when
> it isn't. Obviusly don't make an ad that says Linux sucks for architects and
> studios. Just make noise about what it's good at. I think an ad just needs
> to make people aware of the OS and how to go find out if it will work for
> them. IMHO ad about free (for life), security (but don't say virus free),
> performance, and community - people are loving anything social at the
> moment.

Advertising means two things, I submit.

[1] Selling things to people who don't really care. In other words,
being pushy and in-your-face, because for the most part, if you
aren't, you won't sell.

[2] Going up against all the /other/ adverts out there, competing for
people's attention when they don't really want to give it to you.
Specifically, against other adverts for rival products.

The particular import of #2 here is that we're going up against MS,
and it lies all the time.

http://www.linux-watch.com/news/NS5294337662.html

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/microsoft-kills-its-get-the-facts-anti-linux-site/670

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10145332-16.html

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/09/09/ms_linux_obsession_time/

It is not lying to say that Linux is immune to viruses. If you want to
be more pedantic, say that it is immune to all /Windows/ viruses and
spyware, which is absolutely true, because out of the box, Ubuntu
can't run any Windows programs at all, nor document-based macro
viruses. Furthermore, exploits such as attacking flawed image decode
routines (e.g. http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms06-026.mspx)
or that target Windows components (e.g.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/295534) are also completely
ineffective against Linux.

This stuff is *important*. It is one of the single biggest competitive
strengths of Linux over Windows, IMHO. We need to shout about it.

/Linux can't run Windows programs./ This is a weakness (there are far
more Windows apps, *vastly* more commercial ones, and in many cases,
they are of higher quality; there are also far more Windows drivers
and hardware-support tools) but it can also be a *strength* (all
Windows malware is ineffective against Linux, even Trojans and
social-engineering attacks such as popups that try to persuade people
to install things).

Ordinary users don't know what an "operating system" is, nor do they
know what a "document file" is or an "application program" or a
"dot-exe" or a "binary" or an "executable". But they do have a vague
idea what "apps" are, and "programs", we can tell them that they get
thousands for free, that they can read the stuff from their friends'
computers and their work computers, alter it and send it back and it
will still work. This is fair, honest and true. These are absolutely
key facts and we need to shout them from the rooftops, not um and ahh
and hedge around the subject with mealy-mouthed half-assed excuses
like "well, most files can be read, if you find a suitable program and
install it", or "we think it's mostly secure against most viruses, so
far, but it might not stay that way".

Any advertising containing arse-covering whimpers like that is
guaranteed to be useless crap. It won't sell anything to anyone.

Sorry for the direct language, but it had to be said.

-- 
Liam Proven • Info & profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/lproven
Email: lproven at cix.co.uk • GMail/GoogleTalk/Orkut: lproven at gmail.com
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