Strike back?
|
| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| Libervis Sep 14, 2006 5:23 PM EDT |
What theBeez pretty much seems to be saying is that we should strike back rather than play a nice guy. I can definitely agree to that, unless it implies that we should be telling FUD as well. I think there may be a way to strike back without resorting to their tactics though. Is there anything more we can do than we've done already? Thanks |
| jimf Sep 14, 2006 6:19 PM EDT |
Other than debunking MS FUD artlcles on sites like LXer (I know, there are no sites the like of LXer), and, to positively promote Linux, there really isn't much. Here's where MS is their own worst enemy. The more desperate they become, the more FUD they spread. But, it starts becoming obvious to all but the most dimwitted that it's only more garbage. |
| dcparris Sep 14, 2006 9:52 PM EDT |
Jim, I agree with you. Call the FUD what it is, make note of the doublespeak, but focus on positively promoting GNU/Linux. |
| devnet Sep 15, 2006 5:04 AM EDT |
It would be interesting to have a news agency comprised of hundreds of small news sites all together under one banner to show the big boys what can be done. Of course, it would have to be a not for profit group with professionalism and people at the helm that actually know what they're doing :D |
| SFN Sep 15, 2006 6:56 AM EDT |
Quoting:Call the FUD what it is, make note of the doublespeak, but focus on positively promoting GNU/Linux. This brings up something that I've wondered about for a while now. Is using the term FUD lessening the point? Let's face it, saying that Microsoft spreads FUD is simply a gentler (and, to be honest, less legally actionable) way of saying that they lie. Wouldn't it be better to call what they do lying rather than spreading FUD? Wouldn't the average person be better able to understand the idea that Microsoft lies about their product than they would the notion that they spread FUD? By not calling Microsoft liars aren't we doing them a service? |
| dinotrac Sep 15, 2006 7:11 AM EDT |
SFN - That gets a little touchy. Part of the problem is that what I might call a lie, you might call marketing. There is even a legal term for it: puffery. It recognizes that there are some things we expect salespeople to lie about. A Microsoft marketer SHOULD say that Vista is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Shouldn't have the job otherwise. And...there are murky factual areas. There is no question at all in my mind that there are some things at some loads in some scenarios that work better in Windows than on Linux. Don't know what they are, but am sure they exist. So... What happens with benchmarks? If you're a smart marketer, you try to get benchmarks run that hit your strong points, especially if they aren't especially strong points for the competition. Lying? No, not really, but...there is an implied lie that those specifics mean better elsewhere, too. |
| SFN Sep 15, 2006 7:19 AM EDT |
Then perhaps a better way to explain it should be explored. Looking at it from the average person/can't remember my password/where's the "any" key/"my internet doesn't work"/I use Windows '97 point of view, FUD just sound like another one of those things that techies say when "us normal folk" are around so we can't understand what they are talking about. I agree that "lies" can be a sticky term but certainly a term with more universal appeal exists. |
| Scott_Ruecker Sep 15, 2006 8:01 AM EDT |
>It would be interesting to have a news agency comprised of hundreds of small news sites all together under one banner to show the big boys what can be done.< Well, there is one site I know of that is doing its best to show the "big boys" how its done...wink wink. |
| Libervis Sep 15, 2006 8:36 AM EDT |
LXer is usually mentioned among the sites which counter the FUD, but LXer is not itself a source of alot of these articles. Other sites are and LXer only links to them. It is a portal to those other sites, and quite a good one. So in a way, LXer is sort of an "agency" that you guys mentioned. Now could we do something even bigger than that, like a parent even to LXer... maybe.. but I'm not sure how practical would it end up being. We've once tried doing an alliance of small Free Software based sites, but the overall interest was vague and the whole project pretty much stalled. |
| Scott_Ruecker Sep 15, 2006 9:03 AM EDT |
I have been doing my best to network with people in "the biz" so to speak, and I want to get to a point where I can report on stuff that originates with LXer.com I have been asked to join a KDE Author list and I have couple of other things up my sleeve, I don't want to say something that may turn out not to be true..;-) I hope that in time LXer will become a place where news originates from. |
| devnet Sep 15, 2006 9:16 AM EDT |
It would be nice...it's a huge undertaking. I was suprised to see a magazine spring up out of mypclinuxos.com and I've seen proofs for the second issue...I honestly don't know how these editors do it...but they're experienced (one was the editor for the Hong Kong Observer in the mid 80's) so the quality goes up, the articles get better, and it churns out. I'd hope that with all the great contributors you have here at Lxer that one could really churn out the good as well :D |
| Libervis Sep 15, 2006 11:25 AM EDT |
As one of Libervis moderators tends to say "be the news, don't talk about the news". It's quite true. Relaying news from others is great, but being the first one to deliver news is even better. The holy grail for any web publication, though, is to BE the news and not just the news bearer, be something people talk about. :) That magazine sounds like a great thing too. |
| jimf Sep 15, 2006 12:14 PM EDT |
> The holy grail for any web publication, though, is to BE the news and not just the news bearer, be something people talk about. :) that's great, as long as it doesn't follow the Wolf Blitzer pattern of "It's our job to create news"... A very fine but critical line being crossed there. |
| Libervis Sep 15, 2006 2:50 PM EDT |
I had to search a bit on Wolf Blitzer and his "make news" incident (as I don't watch CNN actually), and yeah that is not what I was thinking of. He wants to make news even where there is nothing really newsworthy to talk of. I was thinking about actually doing something interesting enough to be newsworthy, a cool project, something people would want to talk about simply because they think it is interesting. Rather than being a mere observer, we could be the ones who are observed, not by making silly stunts and make up hot air, but by actually doing something that by nature demands attention. |
| Scott_Ruecker Sep 15, 2006 3:45 PM EDT |
>We've once tried doing an alliance of small Free Software based sites, but the overall interest was vague and the whole project pretty much stalled.< In a way we are doing that already only on a more personal scale. The conversations we have are more interesting than the articles at the end of the day, I think. We read and discuss the subjects even if they are bad, in a manner that serves us as a place to get information both from the article and the discussion. And we all know that the discussions are FUD free that's for sure. :-) |
| Libervis Sep 15, 2006 4:02 PM EDT |
True, discussions are a great way of dispersing FUD cause FUD is then usually seen through and dissaseminated. :) |
| jimf Sep 15, 2006 4:03 PM EDT |
> I had to search a bit on Wolf Blitzer Sorry about that. I don't watch it much either. Just happened to watch the interview with Clinton, and, was totally floored when I heard him say that. I fear that all too many 'reporters' in the mainstream media are now doing that. Really scary... |
| dcparris Sep 15, 2006 6:31 PM EDT |
> Of course, it would have to be a not for profit group with professionalism and people at the helm that actually know what they're doing :D Hmmm... Know of anyone like that? Seriously, I would like to see us spread our wings to an international scope. I hadn't exactly thought of "LXer News Agency", but more like a network news org, with affiliates around the world - a news desk in Europe, Asia, etc. The problem seems to be finding dedicated individuals who just love being newshounds. I would most certainly welcome more contributing or even volunteer "staff" authors and editors. I'm still working on my "professional" guidebook for those who come aboard. I have two basic rules: 1. Do it because you love it. 2. Love doing it (or more accurately, "have fun!") Actually, the news agency isn't a bad idea. Maybe we'll work on that devnet. Give me time, I'll be right in over my head. ;-) |
| devnet Sep 16, 2006 10:28 AM EDT |
Yet Another Linux Blog would be more than happy to contribute :D |
Posting in this forum is limited to members of the group: [ForumMods, SITEADMINS, MEMBERS.]
Becoming a member of LXer is easy and free. Join Us!