Re: SEUL: Hardware support for Linux

[Paul Anderson <paul@geeky1.ebtech.net>]

On Sat, 8 Nov 1997, Erik Walthinsen wrote:

> > 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.
> 
No, no, no, in the history of things Linux is VERY new.  Why, the Hudson
Bay Co. is 400 years old.  DOS is over 17 years old.  UNIX is 25.  North
America is a couple billion years old.  Gutenberg invented his printing
press a good, what, 400 years ago now?  Linux is 5 or 6 years old.  IMHO,
it is quite new.  Expecially Linux v2.

> > 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. 
>
A partner program for customers is a bad idea, but a dealer partner
program is a good idea.  oooh, create the LDN - Linux Developers Network,
and charge $2,000 a month to be a member.  A Hacker mentoring program may
be a good idea, and give free copies to local LUGs.



> > 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...
> 
Here's what you do with the box: Make it like flourescent green, with
weird fonts(Wired/MS style), on the back boast about linuxes
realiability("Running the popular database program, Microsoft Excel, under
emulation in Linux acheived a continuous runtime of: 50 days, under native
Win95: 0.0006 seconds", he he, that way you stab at them with their own
product).  Do demonstrations where you take a Linux box and a Win95 box,
and hang them, and show which one recovers best.  Get someone to put Linux
on a 386 with like 1 Meg ram and 10 Meg HD, and show it off.  

> > 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.
> 
Compared microsoft, we're small.  We need to ACT bigger than MS.  Have ads
in PCMag touting that everyone's switching to Linux(if you repeat
something over and over again with authority, people will beleive it)

> > 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. 
>
That won't give people the idea that everyone is switching Linux.  You
gotta go to the front lines, PC Magazine, Windows Magazine(THAT'D BE
FUN!), etc.  And Computer Shopper.  Advertise in all of them, full-page
ad, it'll cost out the nose but it'll be worth it.  Quote numbers, harp on
the fact that a large number of startup ISPs use Linux.  And, at the
bottom, for our slogan, in big, bold letters, capitalized, underlined,
quotated we'll have: "No wonder everyone's switching to Linux."  Tout that
it's internet-ready, and comes with a myriad servers, complete development
environment, open systems design, hurl buzz word after buzz word at them.


> 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.
> 
The way to go ISN'T Us->Iomega.  You can bet Iomega reads PC Magazine.  If
they read the ads long enough, they'll beleave them.  And have a big
rollout for SEUL, with tons of fanfare.  

> 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.  
>
There -SHOULD- be testing to ensure complience with Linux software.  Not
much of a test, basically get sent a loaner of the product and check it
out.  Then it gets our stamp of approval.

> 
> 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.
> 
I'll head up that department if it's okay and when it becomes necessary.
Also, we should charge $100 for SEUL.  People will look down on a product
that costs $3.  Luckily for us, "Open" is becoming a buzz-word.  Boasting
it's open architecture will help a lot, and we gotta find out how many
programmers worked on Win95...  Then we can tout that Linux has like
500,000 programmers working on it.  TTYL!



                            ---
                        Paul Anderson
		   paul @ geeky1.ebtech.net
    Author of Star Spek(a tongue in cheek pun on Star trek)
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I hear it's hilarious.               Maintainer of the Tips-HOWTO.
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