Linux Social Experiment...People Have NO Clue

We did a smilar experiment a couple of years ago - though it didn't involve the topic of Open software. But we tried to give away flowers and breakfasts for free - just in order to make people happy and give them a little kick off their daily routine... The general response was: flight. People don't want to be confronted with the unexpected. Most of them fear getting robbed or the like. Reading some of the forums on the net, this also applies to many of those who argue against free software. They actually are afraid of losing something. -m*sh-

mash -

You may be reading the wrong message into people's reaction -- in fact, I'm sure that you are.

More likely, many people reacted with well-justified suspicion.

How may marketing ploys have you seen that start off with something "absolutely free" ?

Maybe next time, try it in well-groomed in an obviously fine 3-piece business suit, complete with leather briefcase full of disks.

I've often wondered what would happen if you did the "standing on the streetcorner" thing while looking like some sort of successful business executive.

(Probably inspired by a cartoon I once saw of a business-suit-clad, cigar-smoking man standing on a streetcorner holding a sign that read "will consult for food"...)