LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: Richard Russell <richard.russell@bigpond.com>
  To  : Adam W <woja@optushome.com.au>
        Richard Sharpe <sharpe@ns.aus.com>
        <LinuxSA@linuxsa.org.au>
  Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2001 00:11:37 +0930

RE: MS Curriculum at schools and TAFEs ...

> > 1. It creates a perception among future technologists that there is only
> >    one solution, one way of doing things: The Microsoft way.
>
> Although when you show them linux, they may sway their opinion. All
> microsoft is doing is showing them their product - show the public our
> product.

I have to disagree... Microsoft is getting in at the top, forging agreements
that restrict choice, and generally using their financial clout to persuade
the decision-makers to choose Microsoft. Your MS rep is not just dropping by
to show you Windows ME/2000, Word and a few other things to see if you would
like to purchase them, they are agressively competing to win 100% of the
business available. They do this by making people think that there is no
alternative (well, that's one way they do this).

Sure, showing them Linux will help, but many people are prejudiced against
Linux, or rather, towards Microsoft. Reasonably recently, I met my first
true MSoid. I thought real advocacy was only for OS's like Linux, MacOS,
OS/2, VMS and AmigaDOS. The also-rans and underdogs. The alternatives. But
apparently not, and I've been discovering that this is not just the MCSEs
that are like this, but the masses as well... It struck me as strange at the
time, but I guess that that's what to expect from such a marketing
machine...

rr

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