[ubuntu-uk] Ubuntu Plans (marketing)

[alan c]

On 07/03/12 12:20, paul sutton wrote:
> Any product will HAVE to come with real AGGRESSIVE marketing,   Local
> lugs have problems simply finding people in stores to talk to about
> alternatives to windows, let alone agreeing to agree take in cd's or
> other materials for display etc.   . 

A couple of years ago I  asked to see the duty manager in PC World in
Reading. Affable person. I asked if I could maybe hand out leaflets
(on Ubuntu) and maybe  set  a small table by the door one Saturday,
demo ubuntu?

He  simply asked
" Can I sell it?"
I said "Err,  well no, it  is free software"
He instantly said, (pleasantly though),
"Not interested"
He rushed of like he was busy with stuff to sell........
:-)

What I took from this exchange was that the retail goldfish bowl we
all actually live in, is one of deep immersion. There is hardly
anywhere we can go, or that I can think of, which does not have only
retail air to breathe. There is 'no such thing as a free lunch' is
mostly true in the real world, although exceptionally, not with most
of GNU/Linux. There is a price, though, but for end users all they
have to do is trust in the social generosity of developers and teams.
But trust in strangers is not something that comes easy in a world
full of scams.

A 'conventional' marketing presence would be very useful in
normalising some of this.

However, many non tech people take it for granted that once they have
decided, then Ubuntu can be installed also while keeping their Windows
(just in case), and they do not have reinstall images or have lost the
CDs etc. The consequence for me as a volunteer installer helper is
some serious disc image creation, and maybe careful partition work. I
find a high chance of disc utility showing failing discs too. All in
all, when most of Ubuntu UK Team are of working age and hopefully in
work, then it is hard to see how the aftermath of a good marketing
splat could be handled. But maybe if it was high profile marketing and
it had a retail technician team offshoot, who knows?

Wubi seems to dislike some grub updates so I do not recommend it  if I
am going to turn my back for long.

However, I do like the idea of more marketing.
-- 
alan cocks