Pia Waugh wrote:
Hi all,
<quote who="alan c">
Your points are good ones, however, the continuing use of the word 'Free' rather than Freedom or Libre causes a lot of confusion to passers by. If you can get anyone to accept any popular live CD and leaflet you are doing very well. To actually get them to *use* it when they get home tired, even better! To differentiate between the concept of free of monetary cost and freedom itself, that is a tough one. If you can get anyone passing by to accept a CD on the basis that it bestows 'freedom' you will be doing amazingly well.
In fact at my regular information FOSS displays at my local computer fairs I always have headline poster references to 'Freedom from being Locked in?' And I use 'Freedom Software' as one poster. And I think it does have an effect. But my customers are regulars - I have been there a couple of years now.
Actually, this made me remember something that worked really well for the last few SFD events I've been involved in locally. We found that the term "socially responsibly software" was a great was to start a conversation with someone and to get them in the right frame of mind to talk about the freedom aspects of FOSS rather than the cost. People were really intrigued about the concept of socially responsible software as many of the people we spoke to are quite disillusioned with technology and found this approach refreshing.
Hopefully that is helpful :)
Yes that sounds good Pia, thanks. I can imagine that it will be a fine conversation starter. It also avoids that thorny matter of 'free' stuff which people think they get anyway by downloading any thing from the internet. -- alan cocks Kubuntu user#10391 Linux user #360648