UNC Linux Users Group

[Cristobal Palmer <cmpalmer AT ils.unc.edu>]

> Who are you trying to get
> interested?
>
> Not intending to be negative here, just wondering...

No problem. I guess it has to do with the way that I was introduced to
Linux. I'm one of those people who turned to Linux after a horrible
Windows experience. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, per
se, but...

Short answer: students and staff who only need a little nudge to give
Linux a shot.

I don't know if any of you heard Jeff Waugh speak at the TriLUG meeting
some time ago, but he said something that really rang true: "I came for
the quality--I stayed for the freedom."

I had a friend introduce me to Linux when I was a freshman. If not for his
patient help and encouragement, I would never have installed it. People
shouldn't need that much help and encouragement anymore. Ubuntu is
fantastic. Fedora looks pretty awesome. I've heard people say good things
about Mandriva.

Obviously we're not out to convince every Dick and Jane that Linux is
computer heaven. Overreaching will only be a burden to the community. We
want people who want to come, and I think there will be a lot of those if
we just show them what's out there. A month ago I had a girl ask with
honest surprise, "Firefox is Open Source?" when I started talking about
the advantages of the Open Source model. Microsoft has beaucoup bucks to
advertise, and XP comes pre-installed on CCI laptops, but EVEN SO, all
people need is a little nudge.

The point is to grow the community, and I think that can be done with much
less effort per person than was taken to get _me_ in. It behooves us to
invest that minimal effort.

I'm going to stop before I end up with a book. :)

-CMP

>
>                                                                   Faheem.
> _______________________________________________
> unclug mailing list
> unclug AT lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/unclug
>