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

[phaedrus at illogics.org]

Thanks to everyone who showed up! We all had a good time roving around and
gabbing. Reactions were great. They ranged from "OH yeah, I hate Microsoft"
to "Yeah, I know about Open Office" to "Oh yeah, our engineers all use that"
to just plain "Interesting, thanks".

This was definately a different crowd than the AZ Business Expo. More small
businesses were representing themselves with their own engineers there,
and more sales people were knowledgeable about their product and in closer
communication with the engineering division. Everyone knew what Linux was.
A few people commented that Linux wasn't useful as a desktop platform,
prompting delivery of a Knoppix live-boot CD to their waiting hands and
minds ;)

If you didn't make it this time, the next date is listed on 
http://illogics.com. While you're there, follow the instructions and create
a page for yourself and link to your homepage/resume. If nothing else, its free 
google juice.

The OpenOffice CDs we handed out also promoted this website (if you can still
say "promoted" and "website" and not get shoot). If anyone wants to chip in
on mailing/media expenses, I'll be mailing copies of this CD around to area
businesses.

I don't know at what point I skipped "evangalist" and went stright to
"zealot", so I'm sorry =)

Thanks,

-scott

> 
> > 
> > 
> > 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
>