Linux Advocacy Document



  • INITIAL INFO (Roger Dingledine, arma@seul.edu) was used to produce draft #1
  • DRAFT 1 was a workup into html
  • DRAFT 2 is the conversion to sdoc format.
  • DRAFT 2.X is just fleshing things out

Revision History



Introduction
It is difficult to present a reasonable case for any given user, as their needs change depending on their level of expertise as well as the tasks they need to accomplish. Pros and Cons of Free Software
Perpsective: Advanced User (Techie)
Perpsective: Home User (Mainstream)
Perpsective: Educational User
Perpsective: Educational User (Post-Secondary)
Perpsective: Business User
Perpsective: Business User (Manager)
FUD
Tactics and Countermeasures
Applying Anti-FUD Techniques (TIPS)
Articles
Selected Articles (PRO/CON) About Free Software
Selected Articles (PRO/CON) About Linux
Commercial
List of Companies Offering Linux Software and/or Consulting
Software
> List of Existing Commercial Software for Linux
List of Commercial Software for Linux that OUGHT to be available

Overview


This document describes several issues around Free Software (otherwise known as Open Source Software) in general and in particular the use of the Linux operating system from existing documents in order to serve as a summary document. The goal of this document is to advocate the use of Free Software in several environments - in the home, business, schools, colleges and universities

Introduction



Perpsective: Advanced User (Techie)
Perpsective: Home User (Mainstream)
Perpsective: Educational User
Perpsective: Educational User (Post-Secondary)
Perpsective: Business User
Perpsective: Business User (Manager)

Pros and Cons


What Is "FUD"? FUD - Fear, Uncerainty and Doubt
TACTICS AND COUNTERMEASURES
A common marketing technique to put down the use of Free Software and Linux is to
inspire Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (aka FUD) in people who are not highly knowledgeable
in these areas. It has proven to be fairly effective in many situtations, and has been practiced
by many large, well-known companies such as Microsoft.

APPLYING ANTI-FUD TECHNIQUES (TIPS)

FUD


This is just a simple list that will change as more articles come up.
Linux in schools:
     Rob Bellville tells how a K-12 school system in Massachusetts was able to provide networking services to its students and staff inexpensively and effectively using Linux. These services include: file sharing (SAMBA), DNS, web serving, file transfer, Telnet, Proxy Server (SQUID). Given that their facility shares an ISDN connection, the ability to cache web pages locally (SQUID) increases the perceived connection speed to the net while also reducing traffic on their connection.
     According to Bellville, "Linux offers a way to develop technology without dipping too deeply into the shallow school budget. Linux even recycles older hardware that can be obtained through donations from local companies."
     http://www.linuxjournal.com/current/2955.html

Articles


COMMERCIAL
This is a partial list of companies which make software for Linux and/or consult
on Linux issues.

COREL
Corel is one of the larger companies to have joined the Linux movement. Creators
of the popular CorelDraw! software

SOFTWARE -EXTANT
This is a partial list of existing software for Linux

Word Processing

WordPerfect - This venerable word processing packages has been ported to Linux and for some time has been available for download free for personal use. I've had it working on a 486/33MHz/16 Mb running successfully in X, but would frankly recommend a faster machine (486/50Mhz/16 Mb minimum). Still, I like it a lot. This is a good package for new Linux users from Windows who want to use a package they already know.

Existing Commercial


SOFTWARE -SOUGHT
This is a partial list of software which ought to be ported to Linux

Sought Commercial


  • http://www.linux-center.org/en/politics/index.html
  • http://www.flash.net/~landley/linux/index.htm
  • http://www.croftj.net/~goob/local/why.html
  • http://www.seul.org/docs/whylinux.html
  • http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Hills/9267/fud2.html
  • http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Hills/9267/sstactics.html
  • http://www.KenAndTed.com/KensBookmark/linux/index.html
  • http://www.linuxgazette.com/issue25/sorensen.html
  • http://electriclichen.com/people/dmarti/linuxmanship.html
  • http://www.xunil.com/xunil/j4phases.html
  • http://metalab.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTO/mini/Advocacy.html
  • http://www.10mb.com/linux/
  • http://www.mwsoftware.com/linux/whylinux.html
  • http://www.linuxos.org/Why-Linux.html
  • http://www.ncworldmag.com/ncworld/ncw-04-1998/ncw-04-nextten.html
  • http://www.jimmo.com/Linux-NT_Debate/index.html
  • http://www2.computerworld.com/home/print9497.nsf/All/SL42migrat1692A
  • http://mnemo.mcs.muohio.edu/computing/linux/advocacy/
  • http://www.opensource.org/for-suits.html
  • http://www.redhat.com/redhat/reasons-for-linux.html
  • http://www.unix-vs-nt.org/kirch/index.html
  • http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Haven/6087/
  • http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~conradp/linux/pr/
  • http://www.opensource.org/faq.html
  • http://directory.mozilla.org/Computers/Systems/Linux/Advocacy/
  • http://www.anatomy.usyd.edu.au/danny/freedom/ip/aidfs.html
  • http://www.linux-hw.com/~eric/fud101.html
  • http://www.exaware.com/linux/LNXBGOV.html
  • http://LinuxMall.com/Allann/lxsig.txt
  • http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Hills/9267/fud2.html
  • http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Hills/9267/fuddef.html
  • http://www.KenAndTed.com/KensBookmark/linux/index.html
  • http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Hills/9267/sstactics.html
  • http://www.linux-hw.com/~eric/fud101.html
  • http://members.aa.net/~swear/pedia/promotion.html
  • http://LinuxMall.com/announce.html
  • Links, unprocessed




    Draft Maintainer: Pete St. Onge (pete@seul.org)
    $Id: advocacy.html,v 1.1.1.1 2001/02/08 20:09:05 arma Exp $