Taking Linux advocacy to the "mainstream" tech press

[Patrick]

I wrote a blog post regarding the amount of Linux hate these days:
http://pdavila.homelinux.org:8080/blog/?p=292

I feel we need to step up our advocacy of Linux to reach more people. TWIT seems to be one of the worst offenders of Linux hate. Leo Laporte is not a bad guy but I think he misses the boat on Linux telling grandmas to spend $1100+ on a Mac to simply read email and browse the internet. I think we should line up at least 50 people and call Leo's KFI radio show live. The show goes out live on Saturday's and Sundays (2-5pm, EDT):
http://techguylabs.com/radio/pmwiki.php

He takes a bunch of calls from listeners and and helps people with their tech related questions. The callers tend to be Windows centric. Should we be devious and lie to the call screener just to load up the callers or should we be honest and tell the screen we want to talk about Linux? I have a feeling he'll take a couple calls on Linux and then not take anymore. If we had 60 minutes of Linux calls he might get a clue. What do you think?

[greggh]

You should have made it a multiple choice poll. I wanted to vote for both choice 1 and 3.

[weex]

How many people listen to TWIT? If you want to take Linux to the people, go to MySpace and Facebook and go very meatspace. Print and post flyers. I also like those plastic signs that you stick into the ground with wire as an advertising tool...

Slow computer? Try Linux today. Ubuntu.com

[Tsuroerusu]

I strongly believe in honesty, if lies are part of the game, we sink to the same level as Microsoft.

[Patrick]

How about this idea? For the first 15 callers we'll be honest about our Linux topics to gauge to see what percentage Leo and company let on the air. If less than 3/15 make it on the air we go guerrilla on him and lie to the call screener. What do you think about that proposal?

[eddie]

Now that xp is at end of life, it might interesting to ask what should a user replace it with? There are a ton of questions that could be asked honestly and backdoor into linux. Another question might be what open source apps are recommended for windoze and then backdoor into how do the same apps run on linux. Creative semi-subterfuge.

[metrolinux]

What if we did more of an advocacy campaign? To be honest, if we look like we are targeting Leo, we'll end up looking like a bunch of crazies. Especially on the KFI show, where he has sponsors to say "What the hell are we paying you for?" If Leo doesn't want to get on board, he's screwed himself. We'll go around him and tell people not to listen to his advice.

[dann]

Now that xp is at end of life, it might interesting to ask what should a user replace it with? There are a ton of questions that could be asked honestly and backdoor into linux. Another question might be what open source apps are recommended for windoze and then backdoor into how do the same apps run on linux. Creative semi-subterfuge.

Yeah, try to get on the show by asking something like:

"I'm getting ready to buy a new computer, probably a Dell. I've been reading different reviews and websites and am kind of leary about having to go to Vista. I have heard Dell sells laptops/workstations running Ubuntu Linux and was wondering what your opinion would be on this. Should I stick with Microsoft and move to Vista or should I give Ubuntu a try?"

[eddie]

As Arturo Fonzerelli aka the Fonz might say "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" ....... Exactamundo!!

[Patrick]

O.k., so we'll be honest with Leo's call screener since he was nice enough to come on our show 3 years ago. Hopefully they don't shut us out after 2 calls. Maybe we should start a wiki page where we can sign up for this endeavor. List the questions we're going to ask. I really like the idea of back handed Linux questions.

[Patrick]

"I'm getting ready to buy a new computer, probably a Dell. I've been reading different reviews and websites and am kind of leary about having to go to Vista. I have heard Dell sells laptops/workstations running Ubuntu Linux and was wondering what your opinion would be on this. Should I stick with Microsoft and move to Vista or should I give Ubuntu a try?"

We need to add the caveat of spending $650 or less. That would de-fang Leo's typical "go buy a Mac" response.

[shopRatt]

I am all for being honest in the calls to Leo's show. I don't want the Linux users to come across as twisted as some of the Mac zealots. Many people that do not know much about computers and have heard a little bit about Linux think we are a bunch of either a) too 1337 for Windows and are bitter geeks or b) too cheap to purchase an OS. Pat, I really like the idea of trying to call his show because when I have listened in the past, most of the callers are frustrated M$ users. Since Leo isn't going to give them any recommendations on trying out Linux this might work a little bit to get the word out. Even if only a couple of people with a little bit of ambition decide to investigate Linux, it would be deemed a success in my eyes. Just getting mentioned a few times would be cool.

Like some of the others in this forum, I am skeptical that many of them will get through, and if they do, they will be quickly dismissed. Radio is about money, and many (if not all) of the sponsors will not want the show promoting Linux.They make most of their money relying on some of the 'little old ladies' and other people that either don't want to learn, or are too afraid to try something new.

You should have made it a multiple choice poll. I wanted to vote for both choice 1 and 3.

I also would have voted for this.

[Patrick]

I've created a page for this project on the wiki:
http://tllts.org/wiki/index.php?n=Main. ... mTechPress

Please feel free to update it. The wiki password is "nospammers"

[Patrick]

You should have made it a multiple choice poll. I wanted to vote for both choice 1 and 3.

I also would have voted for this.

I've changed the poll to accept up to 2 responses per user. I don't think you can re-vote once you've done it once?

[shopRatt]

Pat, you might want to put this on a mailing list or something. If the screener is tipped off on this page, then nobody gets through.