How to promote Ubuntu Dapper?

[Alan McKinnon]

On Wednesday 29 March 2006 08:54, Ali Milis wrote:
> First of all, again: I myself am a happy kubuntu user, and I have
> *NO* intention to migrate to another distribution.
>
> email.listen at googlemail.com wrote:
> > Wouldn't it be better to come together and promote Free Software
> > to those who don't know of it's benefits?
>
> But when that person says:
> "OK, I am interested, which distribution should I choose?".

That's when you ask "What do you want to do with the computer?" and 
make a recommendation based on their needs. Ubuntu suits an average 
mass-market profile (web/mail/writer/calc) and some others, depending 
on how much customization the user is willing to do

> Sadly to admit, it is not Ubuntu yet, unfortunately :(.

Why not? Your statement is not logical, it's a vast sweeping 
generality. The majority of businesses out there can use Ubuntu right 
now, as long as the hardware in their user's boxen is supported.

> Lay people prefer the Windows like installation steps
> (like Anaconda).

No, this is a classic error, and is probably based on an incorrect 
assumption of your own. Just because there is another system out 
there that does things one way does not mean that it is the best way, 
or is better than any other way, or even that users prefer it that 
way. There is no requirement that all computers and OSes now have to 
follow the Windows style of doing things.

You only need to do two things:

- prompt the user for necessary information with an explanation of 
what is being asked for
- provide feedback on progress

I have watched hundreds of people install all manner of Linux 
distributions from SlackWare to LFS to FC to Ubuntu and Gentoo, and 
only one person so far has complained. That one person was a 
committed Windows support person and his later actions showed without 
a doubt he was deliberately being disruptive - a troll and a heckler

> Therefore, I would like to hear from an Ubuntu Evangelist
> on how persuade lay people to choose Ubuntu, especially
> this comming Dapper.

The secret is to talk as little as possible, and get them to do an 
install as quick as possible. The software speaks for itself and does 
a far better job of proving the case for Ubuntu than any amount of 
talk ever could. Once they see how easy it is to use, then ask 
questions about difficulties and troubles they have with their 
current OS and describe how Ubuntu overcomes those problems.

-- 
Alan McKinnon
alan at linuxholdings dot co dot za
+27 82, double three seven, one nine three five