From my experience with the Ubuntu community, our main push to get people to switch to Ubuntu has been convincing and helping them to install it and try it themselves. I don't deny that this is important since at this point almost anyone who can install Windows can just as, if not more easily install Ubuntu, and we want these kinds of people to have experience with Ubuntu, but it should not be our only effort, or even our main one, to spread the love and joy that is Ubuntu.
As a side note to those who prefer other Free operating systems: i promote Ubuntu because it is in the best position to reach out to the masses which will benefit all of us as a whole. That's about as far as my loyalty extends. I'm sure your Linux distro is awesome too!
What percent of Windows users actually install it for themselves? If we spend more time reaching out to the users who don't, those who can install it will do so anyways. That being said, we shouldn't stop converting friends, because those personal connections are what help grow the community, but there is enough noise being made across the web about Ubuntu that if we completely shifted how and who we promote Ubuntu to, we could advance to solving Bug #1 much more rapidly. Individuals and Local Community advocacy groups are already in a perfect position for this.
As a side note to those who prefer other Free operating systems: i promote Ubuntu because it is in the best position to reach out to the masses which will benefit all of us as a whole. That's about as far as my loyalty extends. I'm sure your Linux distro is awesome too!
What percent of Windows users actually install it for themselves? If we spend more time reaching out to the users who don't, those who can install it will do so anyways. That being said, we shouldn't stop converting friends, because those personal connections are what help grow the community, but there is enough noise being made across the web about Ubuntu that if we completely shifted how and who we promote Ubuntu to, we could advance to solving Bug #1 much more rapidly. Individuals and Local Community advocacy groups are already in a perfect position for this.
- Sell Ubuntu Pre-installed
This should be the most obvious target for us. We should help provide free marketing to promote companies that supply hardware with Ubuntu Pre-installed, specifically companies that are dedicated to supplying only Linux like System76. Buy a machine for yourself and show it off as much as you can.
- Offer paid conversions and support services
Some people say we need to distribute Ubuntu with a price tag to increase its perceived value to potential users, but this is an even better option. While maintaining that Ubuntu costs nothing, we can sell conversion and support services. Marketing Ubuntu as a business can be much more effective. You talk about the same things you do as an activist (freedom, quality, security, and price), while selling a service that makes the unfamiliar software much less alien and intimidating. All you need to do is start offering this service on your own as widely as possible, and join together with others to start a small business around it.
- Marketing, marketing, marketing!
Focus on marketing using the same activism tactics you should already be familiar with to additionally promote the aforementioned targets: make videos for YouTube, hit the streets, distribute materials, appeal to businesses, organizations, and educational institutions, contact PC manufacturers and retail stores, get media coverage, lobby your government, get creative!
9 comments:
I think that at this point the best way to invest in Ubuntu is to improve it directly. We've got some very material catching up to do to match OS X.
Snow Leopard won't run on PowerPC. What is Canonical doing to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity?
And by the way, don't buy an Ubuntu Dell like I did. They're still a Windows company, and supporting them in any way is counterproductive. It's going to take a major event to get major manufacturers to reconsider things. One of them is going to have to go under while Apple laughs at them from atop their pile of money. Maybe it's Dell. Maybe it's HP. Maybe it's Lenovo. Whoever it is, the sooner it happens, the sooner the rest of them will get with the program, and it's not in our best interests to delay that.
Is not about MacOSX is about XP. Ubuntu (well Kubuntu for sure ;) ) is far better than Windows XP and IMNSHO better than OSX. Except for the one thing (which is where I am disagreement with Danny's post, or at least the order he lists them.
We've had PC builders with Linux pre-installed for many years (DNUK for example since at least 2000); more recently we've had the bigger wins of companies like Dell publicly listing Linux as an option. We've also had people offering support services, like Canonical.
What we don't have enough of and is needed now is marketing, and not so much the direct to public but to the manufacturers of hardware, services, and even software that people will want to use with their computer. From the ISPs to the plethora of hardware that uses a computer in some way. we need these people to openly support Linux; provide the instructions, list the OS as supported on the box. Without that, every new Linux user is a disappointment waiting to happen.
My friend that uses XP has a Crossfire rig, two ATi 4850's. Enabling any 3d under Ubuntu immediately crashes Xorg. That's not a marketing problem.
Aside from System76 there's also ZaReason. They have a base in California (San Francisco area...maybe Berkeley?) and another in Germany. I think they now have a walk-in shop in SF (well, they were acquiring one, but I don't know if it's open yet). Anyway, that means they've got ways to cover both North America and Europe.
Thank you for that insightfull post (I totally agree)!
I'm in the middle of building a ubuntu based business and allready am doing #2... #1 can't survive without #3, so I'm woking on the marketing part so I can start selling pre-installed systems in september (benelux region).
So if I can add some additional advice... If you want to be able to build up a ubuntu based business, find a second source of income (consulting, selling other stuff, wathever) And focus on organic growth by delivering good, no-nonsense service. No compromising for the quick buck and you'll get there!
Regards
ed at omts dot be
Excellent post. I concur that conversions are a key success factor. I encourage all LoCo's worldwide to host two "conversion-fest" style events in the next quarter. (One for PC's, the other for Macs/other). Use the results of these events to educate local PC builders/retailers on how to offer these services. Partner with them to make Ubuntu very easy to get LOCALLY.
Thoughts?
#1 is what is going to drive change. #2 will just add drops to the ocean and #3...well, #1 will do a lot for #3. The vast majority of computer users know nothing about computers and less about installing an OS. They will only run what comes when bought. Marketing alone isn't going to work. I saw a recent survey that points out that only 8% of the general population knows what a browser is...what hope is there for other 92% willingly switching to Linux?
Carl or someone from System76 should sell those stickers outside of the US.
I am sick and tired of printing my own and giving crapware to enthusiasts around... it's a lot nicer to have those ready and pretty stickers to hand out.
That should be an option.
And of course putting the material in our beloved SpreadUbuntu site.
I, myself, would start a campaign to encourage ALL LoCo teams to distribute the stickers if we could buy them outside the US.
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