Marketing
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Next Florida
Welcome
Add your name to this list if you wish to help with the Marketing Effort. In this case the term "Marketing" includes anything that is related to getting Ubuntu out there. We need all the Graphic Artists, Copy Writers, Sales People, Freelancers and Business Owners to get together on this team.
According to "Distrowatch.com" (as of June 16, 2007) the most popular Linux Distribution out there is Ubuntu. Ubuntu is Number One on their list of over 350 other Linux Distributions. Now lets all help keep it that way !
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Rey Angeles
Max.diems
James Brown
Our Mission
Our mission is to get people to use Ubuntu as a realistic computing solution that will meet their everyday computing needs. Dispel all of the myths about free software applications and GNU/Linux operating systems, help people understand that everyone can learn how to use Ubuntu.
Objectives
The most important thing not to do when talking about Ubuntu is to scare people away by assaulting them with meaningless technical jargon or other silly terminology.
Also stay on the positive side by talking about the benefits of Ubuntu over other operating systems. Also don't be afraid to let people know that Ubuntu will "Play Well" with other operating systems. Since there is going to be a transition and validation period required during the conversion to Ubuntu for anyone who is in business.
People are going to understand that there will be some kind of learning curve with Ubuntu and that there will be a few problems along the way. Qualified people are out there to help them with these issues, and that is how a lot of people in the computing trade make a living.
Free Software
Some of the most widely used distributions of Linux require that people pay for them and they are still considered "free software" under the GNU license.
GNU's Not Unix! - Free Software, Free Society
"Free Software" has nothing to do with how much it costs, it has to do with freedom. The freedom to use, modify, improve, compile, customize and even charge money for it.
To understand the concept of Free Software, you should think of “free” as in “free speech”, not as in “free beer”.
Open Source Software
The term "Open Source" was invented to replace the term "Freeware" since people sometimes are afraid of things that are "Free". Many times the word "Free" is used as a leader to get people to buy something that they don't really need.
The Open Source Initiative (OSI)
Ubuntu is actually free and we all hope that it will stay that way, even if "How Can it be Free" is one of the questions that a lot of people will ask when you give them a Live CD.
Proprietary Software
Proprietary software not only costs you money, but also restricts the ways that you can use it. In addition since functionally is often motivated by marketing instead of practicality many features often go unused by a larger majority of the users. Often this type of software appears to be free because it is included with the new computer systems that are sold by the major retail chains.
We all know the name of the most widely used Proprietary Operating System and the name of the company that sells it. If you really need to talk about them, spell their name right and give them credit for ownership of any marks. Avoid the term "Commercial Software", since that makes no reference to ownership or the terms of licensing. By definition Ubuntu is "Commercial Software" since it is supported by a business enterprise (i.e. Canonical), which is staffed by people that need to be paid money.
Command Lines Are Cool
A lot of people believe that GNU/LINUX only operates from a command line, which of course is not true. Command Lines Interrupters can actually make things [such as: installing applications, reading log files and removing unwanted applications ] easier for a lot of people, once they get comfortable with them.
Root File System
People will get comfortable with the file system, once they know that nothing is hidden from them. All log files, configuration files and source code is stored as plain text. Unlike a extremely popular Proprietary Operating System, which hides these files in a proprietary format.
Everyone needs to know where their data is stored to make sure that they have a copy of it. Not knowing where information is stored and betting that some backup program will protect you is fine, as long as nothing happens and you never actually have to restore any data.
File Protections and the Super User
GNU/LINUX protects everything from everyone by default, which is why that you have to install software as "the super user". If you install something and it doesn't work or if you post something on the internet and people can't see it, lowering the file protections is what you need to do first. Proprietary Operating Systems that allow everyone access to everything by default are the reason that they are an easy target for virus code.
Promoting Ubuntu
Promoting GNU/Linux operating systems like Ubuntu can be somewhat of a challenge. Since people naturally believe that they have to pay for quality. Software may be the one of only things that are an exception to this rule.
Please feel free to add your new ideas to this wiki page:
Coffee & Networking Meetup
Mike Feravolo runs a meetup dot com group in the Lake Nona Area, which a stretch of State Road 15 between the Green-way (SR 417) and the Bee Line (SR 528) east of Orlando International Airport. Everyone is welcome to join the group to show support even if they are too far away to make any of the meetings.
Mike posts information about Software Freedom, Free Software and the Linux operating system in the Files Section:
FloridaTeam/Marketing (last edited 2009-03-31 18:59:34 by cse-211-g14)