Re: SEUL: Hardware support for Linux

[Erik Walthinsen <omega@omegacs.net>]

> 1. no threats. kiss their ass.
I dunno about the latter, but the former sounds right. :-)

> 2. don't pretend anyone knows about linux. pretend it's "all new". If
>    someone says they already know it and hate it, ask them if they've used
>    "linux 2?" You're not lying: 2.x really is better.
That'd be misrepresenting the OS by using the versioning of the kernel.  What 
we need to do is say "SEUL is all new", which is true.

> 3. "invite" people to "join the growing numbers" of people in the
>    "partners program". Make the program cost money -- they'll feel
>    important.
Requiring it would be a bad thing, we'd get into the same bind as I2O and 
similar M$ elitist organizations.  Request money (after we get tax-exempt and 
non-profit status, of course) to further development and deal with 
marketing.  If we're going to do any serious marketing, it'll be our partners 
(application vendors, etc.) paying for it (either directly or via an SEUL 
bank account).

> 4. don't mention microsoft at all. in any way. 
Not directly at least...  I wouldn't rule out references (subtle or not) to 
the "evil empire", as long as we don't attach the obvious name.  Let everyone 
else do that (they do already)...  ;-)

> 5. use numbers, but make them believable.
Is the Linux Counter Project going to be of any use?  Or should we try to get 
some numbers on boxed set sales from RedHat?  In fact, those numbers are more 
likely to do us good than FTP stats, because people who buy the boxed set are 
people who would be spending money on other apps...

> 6. take advantage of the fact that there is no structure in the linux
>    community: pretend you're writing representing a big group.
I'm hoping that we won't have to pretend.  SEUL already weighs in at over 130 
members, and when we start getting other projects (toolkits, apps, etc.) 
involved, our roster will be quite long.

> 7. never let up. melt their resistance with repetition.
Exactly.  Maybe we should organize people through this project to send 
[sve]-mail to companies who don't support Linux, like Iomega.  If enough 
people hammer on these companies often enough, they have to listen.  Iomega 
claims (in their page on the new Zip<i>Plus</i> drive) that they listened to 
their customers when they designed it (nifty features, though: faster, auto-sw
itching parallel/SCSI interface, even a power switch!).  Let's make them put 
their money where their mouth is.  The only way to do that is to let them 
know that people want them to support Linux.

At this point, I wouldn't doubt that there are hundreds, likely thousands, of 
people with the 2GB Insider who want to use it under Linux, but can't.  I 
also wouldn't doubt that only a small fraction (<1%) of them have said 
anything to Iomega.  This has got to stop.

> while we're at it, we need a better sticker than "cool it runs with
> linux". That one looks dorky. We need holographic stickers that say 
> "Linux 2.x system compliant"
Agreed.  I've seen the logo and it's mighty lame.  We have a mascot (the 
penguin), we should use it.  If I have time I might play around designing one 
on my most recent (but not permanent) hardware acquisition.  I also have 
plans to one-day make a POV-Ray (animatable) version of the penguin, if I can 
get some sketches from Larry Ewing (he said he would if I reminded him).
And there was talk of calling daemons 'paenguins'...  I like it!  ;-)

> -- like there's a big lab with technicians in white smocks testing things
> to make sure they're linuxy.
Careful..., we must not misrepresent anything.  If we're going to project an 
image of the development of Linux, it should be an accurate one, showing all 
aspects: the "casual" code hacker, the professional code hacker 
(*@{redhat,caldera,pht}.com), and the testing that goes on in both realms.  
Luckily there's another side to development that no one else has: the 
professional in some random field who writes some code to enhance how they do 
their job.  These people can only exist in an environment like the one Linux 
or FreeBSD provide.  That is one of our biggest strengths: openness.  But I 
digress.


Basically, we'll have to have a whole 'department' to deal with this stuff, 
but we don't have to worry actively about it just yet.  Let's build something 
first.

      Erik Walthinsen - SEUL Project infrastructure/system architecture
        __
       /  \           omega@sequent.com         Work: (503)578-5314
      |    | M E G A  omega@aracnet.com         Home: (503)281-4281
      _\  /_          psu12113@odin.cc.pdx.edu  Majoring in CS

       SEUL: Simple End-User Linux - creating a Linux distribution
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