Mailinglist Archive: opensuse-ambassadors (132 mails)

[Stuart Tanner <stuart@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tuesday 26 Jul 2011 13:37:58 Kim Leyendecker wrote:
> Am 26.07.2011 14:00, schrieb Andreas Jaeger:
> > Let's not market the patent side at all.
> >
> > If we promote the patent side, we will just have lengthy discussions with
> > open source advocates.
>
> sure, just have a look at Pro-Linux.de. I read a few comments on the
> 2006 deal of Novell, and it was really... unfriendly.
>
> Promoting the patent side inside the Linux/Open source community doesn´t
> make sense at all. The people who really know about the details, are
> also know about the fact, that Microsoft is just trolling about the
> patents. I don´t believe that they really have such patents. They just
> want to make us (and our consumers) unsure about Linux and take revenue
> from the Linux companies.

The problem I see is this, if it were down to FSF they would have no branding 
registrations, they would have no firmware registration, they would have no 
software registrations, but live in the misguided belief that microsoft 
wouldn't take the Linux code stick a (C) Microsoft 2011 on it and then 
litigate against Linux for using its own code.

If the FSF and its followers believe MS will leave us alone if we surround 
ourselves in this ideology then something needs to stick a pin in their 
magnetic media!!

MS would love nothing better than to "own" Linux and close it down.. 

Patents and arrangements like SUSE, Fedora and Debian do represent a realistic 
approach to computing and that is why we will never be on the FSF christmas 
card list.

> > If we promote it, we tell people that there might be something fishy -
> > and there's nothing fishy about patents in open source.
>
> That´s all a question about how we promote it. When we tell people, that
> SUSE´s having a contract with Microsoft to protect our customers from
> such patent stories, they will believe that there such patent issues.
>
> But if we tell them, that there aren´t such patent issues, and Microsoft
> is just trolling about, they easily understand: SUSE is not doing a deal
> with Microsoft to protect customers from patent issues, SUSE is doing a
> deal with Microsoft to protect customers from Microsoft and arbitrary
> attacks against Linux.
>
> That is my main concern.
>
> Quite frankly, even if we know about the non-existence of such patents,
> other people doesn´t do.
> And quite frankly, there some trolls outside on the internet who are
> distributing comments like
> "Don´t use Linux! Linux is just a crappy piece of software with many
> Microsoft patents inside. Oh praise Windows!"
> I know, such people needs to get real help in mental institutions, but
> something common against such allegations would help at least me
> enormously.
>
> I know, don´t feed the trolls, but sometimes it´s time for some flaming.
> Arguments against their theories to convince the crowd about the
> non-existence of such patents would kill the joy of the trolls.

I have never heard of any MS Patents, either but with the FSF approach of lets 
leave everything open and free it get abused by industry. 

Why do we have GPL 1 2 3 etc? because every time we release software under 
Licence, somebody takes it literally and not in the spirit it was intended and 
as such we end up in the situation we are in now.

If Linux is full of MS Patents, Apple Patents etc, doesn't that just mean that 
we are working together for the future of computing? Rather that fighting 
against each other?

> > Microsoft will not go after e.g. Fedora, Debian or openSUSE users.
> >
> > Ambassadors, have you really seen potential fear here? Then let's create
> > a common language against that - but not one that our competition can
> > use against us,
>
> If a common language is really created, it should be a work of *all*
> Linux distributors and projects. At least the main distributors.
>
>
> thanks
I aggree we need to work together - there is too much infighting amongst Linux 
Distros to capture each others users.

Time after Time I see the arguements amongst the mailing lists of how to 
attract new users and it all seems to be aimed at "experienced Linux users 
from other distrobutions" because "Linux is too hard for newbies"

Linux is too hard for newbies only if you take away KDE 4 and Yast..

If you stick them down in front of a konsole and make them use commands yes of 
course it will be hard, but then if they tought DOS as well as Windows at 
school's college's and other education institutions then it wouldn't be such a 
shock to the system to type mv instead of move.. cp instead of copy etc :)

I wish i could do zypper in blah in windows.. Far better than Next, Next, Next 
to install software!!!

Why do I love Linux? Because I don't have to use Manufacturer's bloat ware 
when I connect a device...

I want to talk about promoting Linux to New People outside of "Linux Community 
at large".

How do we as ambassadors and as members go about doing this? Overcoming all 
these myths that Linux is hard or Microsoft Destroyed it?
-- 
Kind Regards
Stuart Tanner

Bolton Linux
24 Vincent Street
Bolton
BL1 4SA

Tel: +44(0)1204 410474
Mob: +44(0)7868 028028

www.bolin.org.uk

Distributing openSUSE in the UK

Registered Linux User: 529825
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