New Anti-Linux Propaganda from Microsoft

At what level of training and support effort does a customer become a liability? Considering the technical aspects of the training (none whatsoever) is a typical BB employee's "expertise" worth anything? Is it a benefit to have a clueless salesperson promoting your product for basis reasons to an even more clueless customer?

Clueless or not, it seems to drive a rather thriving business. There's really not that much difference training a sales person to support Ubuntu or any other "desktop-oriented" Linux as compared to having your sales force push Microsoft Windows latest flavour. The difference, however, is that you get bulk discounts if you train everyone on the same thing. Granted, I doubt that much training is going on, and it's largely a self-service issue; in this case, it should be more up to the sale person to take the initiative and know the real story, not just "The Facts(R)".

> ...in this case, it should be more up to the sale person to take the initiative and know the real story, not just "The Facts(R)".

In this case, knowing the "real story" is immaterial. As a sales person, your job is to get sales without getting an upset customer. Unless the customer asks for Linux, you can safely assume he/she has never heard of it, and won't object to being steered toward Windows.

Now, if you sell a customer a Linux box you get the sale for the Linux box. If you sell them a Windows box, you get the sale for the Windows box, Windows, a virus scanner suite, probably Office, and equally probably as service call every 6 to 12 months. Given that, what do you think you average sales person is going to sell them?

Unfortunately so Caitlyn....but it's getting better with the generation behind us. It's almost funny how the kids have to show parents how to change a browser setting.

> It's almost funny how the kids have to show parents how to change a browser setting.

Because the kids aren't afraid to break something by going and looking around.

Adults learn, through hard experience, that once broken some things stay broken. Thus the hesitation to "mess with what works".

@caitlyn, Actually, I'd disagree with you from the sheer high-number of technical-aware people OUTSIDE OF THE U.S. The ones I continue to meet from large population countries outside the U.S. downright SMOKE the entertainment-bound and consumer-oriented U.S. computer owners in just basic computer knowledge!! We in the U.S. are the most subject to this Micro$hafts marketing gambit of "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time" Could be that you just don't see this from where you are.... +1 vv fb

"...but you Can't Fool Mom." -- Captain Penny

Quoting:from the sheer high-number of technical-aware people OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.

Sorry, I disagree. Windows market share in Israel and much of Europe is higher than in the U.S. I've traveled to Asia and other Middle Eastern countries on business and always had to deal with Windows.

@caitlyn, Nothing to be sorry about; We'll just have to agree that we disagree. I've actually met the large numbers of technically-aware persons in areas OTHER than your less-populated "Israel and much of Europe". These days, I nowadays hear *nix mentioned from these persons as much as or more than Windows. Them's the facts on the ground regardless of the marketshare stats that you've been spoon-fed by those M$-allied "spinmeisters". We still get it... you just don't see this from where you are or where you've been.

I couldn't pass up the chance this weekend to hassle a Diebold repair tech who was working on an ATM.

Then again, my animosity towards Diebold goes beyond their helpless dependence on Microsoft....

@flufferbeer: You might want to ask Tracyanne about Australia. I think it's pretty grim there too. Regarding your "facts", provide some substantiating data and I'll gladly change my mind on this.

I've argued against the BS marketshare numbers in the tech press before and will again. I'm not so blind as you may think.

I can't get a job in anything but a Microsoft shop. In part that is because I've only ever worked in a Microsoft shop. Catch 22. Resume's are great, until you want to break out.

Where I live, I can't even locate any Linux shops. Even the PHP shops are programming on Windows, and running on IIS, or, occasionally apache on Windows.

Now I know there are plenty of Linux shops around, mostly hosting companies, but they are not pure FOSS, in the Big Cities.

> Then again, my animosity towards Diebold goes beyond their helpless dependence on Microsoft....

I'll just say agreed and note that they're not the only ones and leave it at that. :)

Tracyanne...

Don't make me come over there.....

h

> Don't make me come over there.....

Just what you need, Ken: A "vacation" in Australia. :)

I'm doing my best to "make' you do just that Ken.

Quoting:Now I know there are plenty of Linux shops around, mostly hosting companies, but they are not pure FOSS, in the Big Cities.

Sounds like somebody has to boldly go where no one has gone before. Big step for a human though.

I'm doing MY best, but can only take small shuffling steps.

Of course, it's not easy to 'create (FOSS) demand' I think.

Quoting:..but it's getting better with the generation behind us. It's almost funny how the kids have to show parents how to change a browser setting.

I can relate to that, I have quite literally hand held my Father on how, and where to type web addresses in a browser and how to find and use Google and such..then again it took me two years to train him how to say 'Linux' correctly too. Being tech support for strangers is easier than your parents that's for sure..lol.

Being tech support for strangers is easier than your parents that's for sure..lol.

Second only to teaching your 16 year old daughter how to drive.

I can teach any 16-year-old how to drive.

By way of bad example. ;-)

Another high-visibility recent MS propaganda: [url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_38/b4147076993366.htm?chan=technology_tech maven page - new_this week's column]http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_38/b41470769...[/url]