Re: [school-discuss] Death of Windows?

[Bill Kendrick <nbs@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, Jun 22, 2009 at 12:01:20PM -0700, jj2kk4@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
> It looks like FLOSS still has a ways to go
> in getting into the minds of enough people....

I've noticed this, even recently.  Being steeped in open source
(I've written numerous games and Tux Paint, and co-founded
and still help run a LUG that's been around for 10.5 years),
and having lived in either a University town or Silicon Valley
during the past 11 years, I often forget that others out there
are completely unaware of the "FLOSS movement."

Sadly, I'm sure a lot of people don't care, or think using OSS
will be a painful experience, just because it's 'different',
and have feelings like "if it's free, there must be some gimick."

I have a little text on the front page of the Tux Paint website
that tries to briefly explain why it's free ("labor of love")
and that it's completely volunteer-driven.

My LUG also occasionally goes out and does hands-on Linux demos around
town, to try and make people aware of FLOSS alternatives and the fact
that there's a local resource (the LUG) for getting tech answers and
socializing with like-minded folks.  And I try to put out
"what's Linux?", "what's open source?", "what OSS software can _I_ use?",
and "what's the point of this computer club?" handouts at our meetings
and other events. :)

I'm curious (and I realize the answers here will be mostly from a K-12
point of view), but what kind of stuff are other folks out here doing
to try and make FLOSS more understood by the general public?


-- 
-bill!
Sent from my computer