Re: Informal survey (was Re: Banner ads)

[Gary Lawrence Murphy <garym@canada.com>]

>>>>> "t" == terry  <terry@animats.net> writes:

    t> Gary, "inevitable" social change happens because communities
    t> support the change. The LDP represents a community supporting
    t> free documentation.  If commercial entities also support free
    t> documentation then we will welcome them with open arms.

No, the 'inevitable' social change happens because it is a good idea.
Plain and simple.  What Bucky Fuller called "First Class Evolution"
We all use flush toilets and most of us have central heating because
both are really good ideas.  No one had to lobby for flush toilets.
No one had to launch an advertising campaign.

I'll go one further: Show me one, just one, political action that
lead to a social solution.  Even the human rights movement can be
argued to have been won, like women's sufferage, not because of the
demonstrations but because of the recognition that ethnic equality
means more tax payers and consumers.  Social change happens as a 
result of invention and engineering, not politics.

If we have bad press, and if that press has valid concerns, then we
should fix those concerns.  If we were victims of a slur campaign,
we won't win anyone by spending our resources in debate, but we
will win if we respond with a better system.  If the red light goes
on, do you argue with the car or check your oil?

I learned something this year, something really quite embarrasing
considering I have a quarter century experience with computers.  All
summer, my computer would spontaneously develop this feedback howl.
Drove the dog nuts, drove the neighbours nuts, drove me up the wall.
I found all sorts of work-arounds and instructed the wife to "open a
console and cause a beep by pressing Tab twice" for when I was on
the road.  

The real cause: Cables had jammed the CPU fan, and this new-fangled MB
has a temp alarm of all the crazy things to put into a computer.  I'd
tried IRQ conflicts, DMA conflicts, strange soundcard settings,
crontabs to effect regular console beeps ... who'd a-thunk it was the
CPU screaming because the temp in there was over 78C!!!  The fan, need
I say, was well melted.  For the old-timers, they should put a big
banner on the box that says "Screams when hot" ;)

The moral: Treat the disease, not the symptoms.

    t> It is self defeating to build unnecessary bridges. The swim
    t> across the river will help them better understand, no?

If they see some swimming well, others floundering, they will ask
"why does Terry swim so well" and copy him.  They will try his hair
style, the brand of beer he drinks, but as soon as they discover it
is because he read the free docs for the free software, they will
know it is the Right Thing the same way you and I both recognized 
our more efficient path to learning Linux was the free docs.

-- 
Gary Lawrence Murphy <garym@linux.ca>: office voice/fax: 01 519 4222723
TCI - Business Innovations through Open Source : http://www.teledyn.com
Canadian Co-ordinators for Bynari International : http://ca.bynari.net/
Moderator, Linux Education Group: http://www.egroups.com/group/linux-ed


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