Re: [Hampshire] Linux in need of articulate champions

Andy Random wrote:
> IME very few people (LUG members aside) care about software freedom, what
> they care about is how easy is it to do the things they want to do and how
> much it will cost them.

I think you're right. I also think that "we" are wrong to consider such
people a solid part of the FLOSS movement. They are more likely to move
to another OS, even a proprietary one, if it was more secure, or stable,
or flash. Especially if it didn't cost anything/much. A fair few Linux
users switched to Mac OS X when it came out as it was "UNIX that Just
Worked" (unlike this Linux thing that doesn't recognise cameras or
iPods). Of course, things have moved on a lot since then and the Linux
desktop has a lot of new functionality. Aaaaanyway, my point is that
users who don't appreciate the Freedom part of FLOSS are, IMHO, likely
to move away when something "better" but proprietary comes along.

> People will probably start to care more about DRM as it becomes more
> restrictive, but rightly or wrongly for most people it is still a non
> issue right now.

It's an issue for everyone who owns an iPod and uses iTunes, for
example. That's a *lot* of people. Perhaps most of them haven't yet been
"bitten" by DRM or continue to rip their CDs to MP3 or download from the
less legitimate backwaters of the 'net. We've had a few people moan
about it at work though. "You reinstalled your OS without backing up
your keys for your songs? Sorry, you'll have to buy them all again."

>> I'll probably post a comment myself later to try and redress the balance.
>
> That's all you can do really, but IMO it's also important not to come
> across as a zealot as that makes it too easy for people to dismiss you.

I won't take that personally. ;)

Tony