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

[Doug Miles]

phaedrus at illogics.org wrote:
> 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

This is great!  I'm glad this turned out well.  I was home sick. :(

> 
>>>
>>>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
>>
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