[CoLoCo] Appropriateness of posts to this list (Was Re: evince crash)

[Michael "TheZorch" Haney]

The sad truth is, I've run into this roadblock a lot, is that a majority 
of people (about 9 out of 10 so far) have this perception of Linux that 
it's really hard to use, that you've got to know how to use the Terminal 
all the time to do the simplest things, and that there isn't a lot of 
software out for it.  Trying to change their minds about Linux is hard 
because they've all bought into the lie that you've got to have Windows 
to have a useful computer.  This is the sane problem that Apple has been 
facing for a long time and is slowly beginning to overcome but not a lot 
of headway has been made in this respect for Linux except in certain areas.

The gPC that Wal-Mart is selling is probably one of the best things that 
could have happened for Linux.  It gets Linux out there to the 
mainstream masses.  When your average six-pack swigging Wal-Martian 
discovers that Linux can actually be useful and easy to use they'll tell 
others, and everyone knows that word-of-mouth advertising is the most 
effective in the world.  How do you think Skype became so popular 
despite the fact that they really didn't advertise very much.  Anyway, 
there is still a serious image problem when it comes to Linux and we 
need to be doing things that change that image.

-- 
Michael "TheZorch" Haney
thezorch at gmail.com
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