KCLUG?!?!?!

[Smith, Mark W.]

Thanks, Sam. I thought I was the only one here that felt a penguin-colored
jack boot on the back of my neck.

I administer and use Microsoft products daily. I have neither warm and fuzzy
feelings nor venomous hatred towards Microsoft. They currently have the best
products for the job that they are used for in our environment. Currenty
there are more choices in certain areas for the bank I work for with
Micosoft compatible products than any other platform.  In cases where other
products, including Linux, do as well or better, they are used. We use the
best tool to accomplish the job that we need to do.  

I like the Open Source idea of Linux, not to mention the product. I use it
at home. I still have a long ways to go before I become anything close to an
expert but I actually look forward to going home and "playing" on my machine
again. Before Linux, that had been a while. 

One thing I am growing weary of, though, is this politically correct "Ya
gotta hate Microsoft as much as we do or you ain't shit" mindset that I'm
seeing more and more often in Linux-land. Like or not, kids, you live in a
Microsoft-dominated world. If Linux developers can come up products that do
all that the business world (you remember them - the whole reason folks like
us exist) need them to do in a cost efficient and user-friendly manner and
companies can find a way to profitably distribute and, just as important,
support those products after the sale, then Linux will be a player. If not,
Linux will continue to be the blip on the radar screen that it currently is.
Personally, I hope that more rational minds prevail and the Linux Nazis are
quieted. The Linux community needs to be inclusive not exclusive if it is to
grow. I'd love nothing more than to see Linux beat Microsoft at its own
game. But we're not going to do that pushing away curious folks that stop by
for a look-see only to be made to feel stupid for using and liking Microsoft
stuff. 

And, Rich, Exchange does a fine job for us, too. Well...OK, I guess the
boxes do need an occasional reboot.  :)

My 1.5¢ worth.

Mark Smith 

-----Original Message-----
From: Sam Clippinger [mailto:samc at silence.org]
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2000 10:17 AM
To: kclug at kclug.org
Subject: Re: kclug - KCLUG?!?!?!

What follows is rather long and is not really directed at Mike Coleman.  His
is just the one message I replied to in a rather long thread of flames that
I
couldn't ignore anymore.

This message is directed towards every Linux "advocate" who thinks that
flaming
newbies is the best way to promote Linux.  This will probably generate a ton
of
flames -- you should probably read it just so you'll understand why everyone
is
screaming at me for the next three weeks.

When last we left our heroes, Mike Coleman had just said:
> You and I must live in different universes.  My painful experience with
> Exchange is that it is a shoddy piece of crap.
<snip>
> Repeat after me: Don't use Microsoft for anything that matters.

Wow.  Sometimes I wonder to myself, "Linux is great, but why don't more
people start using it?"  Then I read stuff like the rabid messages in this
thread (or ANY post in c.o.l.advocacy) and I have my answer.

<CLUE LEVEL=25%>
Let me make an analogy to explain what I see.  Imagine you're going to buy a
car off a dealer's lot.  You drive up in your old car and start looking
around.
A salesman walks up to you and starts chatting with you.  He asks you what
kind of car you're interested in, nods sagely and proceeds to show you a few
models that he says he thinks are best.  Now somewhere in the conversation,
he
has asked you what kind of car you drive now.  If you've ever been in this
situation in real life, you know how car salesmen respond to your answer.
They nod and ask, "How do you like it?"  If you liked the car, they'll agree
with you and praise you for being smart.  If you hated the car, they'll be
sympathetic and help you find a better one.

You will never hear a (successful) car salesman say "Oh, you have one of
those?!  You must be some kind of MORON!  Only a complete IDIOT would buy
one
of those!  That's the WORST car you could have bought!  Everything about
those
things are HORRIBLE!  They don't have a SINGLE redeeming quality!"  How fast
would you leave if you heard that?
</CLUE>

<CLUE LEVEL=50%>
Now imagine you're a new computer user.  Or maybe you're a sysadmin.
Perhaps
you're even a CIO.  You're using Microsoft because it appears to work for
what
you want to do.  Whether it does it fast, does it cheaply or even does it
well
is IRRELEVANT TO YOU.  You have something that needs doing, so you got a
product that does it.

Imagine you've read about Linux in the newspaper.  You did a little surfing
online and you read some good stuff about it.  You even read CatB.  Even
though
you didn't understand everything it was talking about, it made a good
argument.

You decide to participate, but the first contribution you make to the
community
gets STOMPED ON by some asshole who has NOTHING BETTER TO DO than attack
your
choice of TEXT EDITORS!  "You must be an IDIOT to be using
Frontpage/Exchange/
Outlook!  That's the WORST decision you could have made!"
</CLUE>

<CLUE LEVEL=100%>
This is basic human psychology.  NO ONE likes to be made fun of in an
unfamiliar
arena.  NO ONE likes to be held up to ridicule in front of strangers or
their
peers.  And most importantly, NO ONE likes being made out to be an idiot.

How many new users do you think you're attracting by criticising their EMAIL
CLIENTS before they've even had a chance to ask two questions?  How many
CIOs
do you think will take you seriously if the ONLY thing you have to say is
that
they've made all the wrong decisions?

If you're really serious about advocating Linux, you must behave like a car
salesman.  NO MATTER WHAT the new guy is driving, praise him for showing up
on the lot.  DO NOT make fun of his old car, even if he decides he doesn't
like what you're selling.  You think Linux advocacy is a war?  It's not, but
feel free to continue fighting if you want to.  Just get some new weapons.
Instead of venom, spite and anger, try patience, sympathy and kindness.

"You can attract more flies with honey than with vinegar."

It all comes down to credibility.  Why will ANYONE trust ANYTHING you say if
their first impression of you was belittling?

After the school bully beat you up and picked on you every day for a year,
were you willing to accept half of his sandwich on the last day of school?
No!  In fact, HELL NO!  Even though you knew there was nothing wrong with
it,
you wouldn't take HIS offering to save your life.

Consider THAT the next time you're flaming the new guy.
</CLUE>

<DISCLAIMER>
Your first impulse is to hit 'R'eply and flame me into cinders.  Go ahead.
My
skin is plenty thick, and I've been using both Linux and Microsoft long
enough
to judge the validity of your arguments for myself.  I don't need any
examples
of ways in which Microsoft products suck -- I've got my own list of examples
that's a mile long.

I also realize the hypocrisy here.  I'm STOMPING on you for what you wrote
and
expecting you to suddenly see the light just because I say so.  The
(marginal)
difference is what I'm stomping on.  I'm criticising the WAY you're
delivering
your message, not your fundamental message.  Linux needs advocates now and
always will.  But Linux is better off without the white-hot anti-Microsoft
rants
that every newbie gets greeted with at the door.

On behalf of all the future Linux users out there, all I'm asking you to do
is
THINK before you flame a newbie.  Once you're done flaming, they'll still be
a newbie, but they won't be interested in Linux anymore.
</DISCLAIMER>

                                -sam

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 Sam Clippinger               For PGP public key (KEY ID: 431C5529), see
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