Linux evangelization

[Duncan MacGregor]

Most non-techies do not really understand what an "Operating System" is.
They understand lower cost, viruses, and software bugs, however.

Probably worth mentioning is the fact that many important FOSS application 
packages run equally well under Windows and the Mac. So consideration of FOSS 
need not involve wholesale migration.

A good approach to avoiding viruses and spyware is to completely avoid using 
Microsoft Internet Explorer and Microsoft Outlook. Use Mozilla or Firefox 
instead, along with any good "non-Outlook" email package, like, say Pegasus.
Note that the problems with IE and Outlook frequently involve email messages 
that can take control of your computer without any action on your part. 

If you stay with a Microsoft windows operating system, you must of course be 
very careful to keep up-to-date with every patch issued by Microsoft. You 
must be careful to run AdAware, Spybot, and firewall software like ZoneAlarm, 
along with an Antivirus package like Norton or McAfee. If you keep using 
Microsoft Office, you must reconcile yourself to never using macros, because 
macros are a favourite way of attacking a remote computer.
Instead of Microsoft Office, use Open Office or Star Office.  

You can try the new environment easily, using a Live CD distibution, like 
Knoppix, or Mandrakesoft Move.

Duncan MacGregor

On October 15, 2004 09:13 am, John Macdonald wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 15, 2004 at 07:24:56AM -0400, Francois Ouellette wrote:
> > > some managers of small businesses..
> > >
> > > they are not too techy so i must somehow equate everything to PROFIT..
> > > CASH...
> > > INCOME... you know what i mean...
> >
> > Talk about the cost of ownership of Linux vs. cost of ownership of any
> > other platform! For servers and clients. I just installed SuSE (personal)
> > on a desktop, to get the same set of tools for a MS workstation (i.e. all
> > of the office tools, etc) it would cost over $1500! This one costs $0. It
> > installs in a zip and looks awesome! And does not require a very powerful
> > machine to run, unlike Windoze. Everything boils down to lower costs.
>
> Especially if you frame this as "cost of owning Linux vs.
> the cost of renting proprietary".  The rights retained through
> the license agreement for much proprietary software restricts
> the amount of ownership you can possibly have.  So, include
> the relative cost of moving to a different system (relicensing
> effort at a minimum, possibly also there will be surcharges
> to the original costs) - most businesses at least hope that
> they will grow.
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