Phoenix.pm: ITEC expo Wed. & Thurs - hand out OpenOffice CDs!

[phaedrus at illogics.org]

> 
> 
> Scott Walters and I will be at the ITEC tomorrow handing out copies of
> Open Office to whomever will talk with us, and generally talking up Free
> Software.
> 
> I'll be the one in the PLUG t-shirt...
> 
> November 13 and 14 at the Phoenix Civic Plaza, 10-4.
> 
> http://events.goitec.com/overview/default.asp?ec=PHX02
> 
> \\/
> 

This didn't seem to have gone through.. lemmie try again.

Tomorrow, Bill and I are meeting noonish to hand out Open Office
CDs. I've burnt 100 mini-CDRs.

Why are we doing this?

1. Business. I want more business. More awareness of the high quality of
   Free Software available means more people using the products that I
   know, I like, I have experience in, and I want to continue to support.

2. Awareness. Free Software is being systematically outlawed. If you thought
   the DMCA and UCITA were bad, just wait until you see whats coming down the
   pike. In the past I didn't care what anyone else was doing. Now I realize
   that businesses using and depending upon Free Software means Free Software
   has an important ally in Washington.

3. Good Will. From talking to people at the AZ Business Expo, Microsoft
   is almost universally hated by everyone that has to use them right now.
   People are itching for alternatives. Heavy handed tactics are making
   people itchy. However, people are very misinformed. All they have to
   work with is Microsofts FUD because no one has ever told them otherwise.
   People are very eager to ask questions about Free Software and Open
   Source and they respect and value the opinions of people that work with
   it for a living. The members of the BSA have sent letters to everyone.
   What have we done?

Heres the catch. I want *you* to help me hand out these CDs. I don't 
want to throw them all over the place. I want to talk to people, answer
their questions, gauge their interest, and possibly give them a CD if I
think it would help them. Outnumbered thousands to two, thats a tall
order. I need your help. I also have copies of Knoppix's Live Linux CD,
which runs Linux (complete with a huge number of packages installed)
off of CD without require an install to HD or any setup whatsoever.
The mini-CDRs also contain Mozilla.

"Whats in it for me?"

1. Print off a pile of business cards and pass them out with the CDs. 

2. More business for the Free Software, Open Source communities means
   more business for you. If we all don't make an effort to advertise
   together, no one will, and we eat Microsoft's crumbs.

Re: MS, I'm not advocating abolishing them, just don't want the 
operating systems and languages I love to be crushed at their hands like
so many an OS/2.

I'll be wearing my black Amiga death vigil T-shirt. See ya there.

-scott