LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: <richardrussell@mail.com>
  To  : <linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au>
  Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2000 11:58:08 +1000

"Advertising" on the list.

Can I suggest that we all take a little think about this Advertising issue... I
would like to suggest that as SA's Linux User's Group, our role is (as seen on
www.linuxsa.org.au/linuxsa) "To promote and support Linux in South Australia".
This is very broad, and means that we should be supporting users, developers,
retailers, customers, and pretty much anything that has the word Linux in it.

In relation to Ads and Plugs (they are different), surely these are generally a
good thing. The more businesses that support and use Linux, the better. Surely
we should be encouraging businesses to support linux, and surely we would want
to know about them, so tha we can use them when we need to, recommend them when
asked, and generally know the state of affairs in the Linux world in Adelaide.

BTW: an Ad (in my mind) is unsolicited, and blatantly trying to sell or promote
something. It's sent by the marketing person at a company, and looks like an ad.
A Plug (again, in my mind) is relevant to the topic of conversation, and comes
as a digression from the real subject of an email (eg: Answering a question
about something, and then mentioning/recommending a company that one works for).

I think an appropriate behaviour is for people, when advertising, to either:
1) send via the organisers@linuxsa.org.au address, asking an organiser to
forward it on their behalf.
2) send it direct, with the subject prefixed with [AD].
personally, I think 2 is the best option, as it is more open...

When plugging, people should make it clear that they work for or are associated
with a certain company (or their sister company -- Internode and Agile are
separate, but _very_ close). Likewise, it would be a good idea to mention that
you are _not_ associated with a company if you are just plugging a company you
have heard to be good....

As an eg, I would suggest that Leigh's stuff about ADSL has generally been of
the Plug type -- it has been in context of answering questions about ADSL, but
is plugging a company he is closely associated with. IMHO, perhaps he should
have just made it clear that he was plugging, and that he has an association
with that company, and that would be acceptable. The SeNET mail was actually not
an unsolicited ad, but in response to a request for info... ("Senet are
reportedly getting close, but can anyone from Senet confirm or deny this
report/rumour?" -- from Dan Shearer) The person stated that they were from
SeNET, and it was obviously a plug, and was not, in any way sly or underhanded.

Anyway, That's all from me.

rr

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