RE: Proposal

[Tom Pfau <Pfau@maherterminals.com>]

>-----Original Message-----
>From: D Clyde Williamson [mailto:dclydew@interhack.net]
>Sent: Thursday, October 07, 1999 3:06 PM
>To: FUD Counter
>Subject: Proposal
>
>I would like to propose a shift in counter-FUD activities.
>
>(Very Rough Draft)
>
>I.	We Are A Community Service
>	Our counter-FUD activities need to encompass all parts of our
>community. This includes stuff that we individually may not like... like
>FreeBSD for example. We need to represent the community, not our
>opinions. (IE. DO NOT DRAG THE ESR/Bruce crap here... or the pro and
>anti GNU/Linux stuff)

We ought to enlist Free/Open/Net-BSD proponents to join this list.  I
personally haven't used any of them so I have no opinion on how good/bad
they are compared to anything else.  I'm satisfied with linux.  But if
someone else thinks OpenBSD is the best thing to come along since the
transistor, more power to him.  The problem here is not the BSD's.  I'm sure
they're good operating systems (I haven't heard much to empirically say that
they arent').  The problem is the misinformation being presented (mostly by
Microsoft) about linux.  Now that OpenBSD has commercial support, I'm sure
it will start becoming the brunt of similar FUD efforts.  We should be
espousing the TRUTH with evidence to back it up.

>IIa.	The Best Defense Is A Good Offense	
>
>	Responding line-by-line to FUD, such as the recent MS drivel, allows
>Our opponents to manipulate us. We cannot permit this. One postitve
>thing to do would be create the NO-FUD FAQ, this document would cover
>the many standard FUD points (Swap Partitions, Memory, Journaling
>Filesystem, etc., etc., etc.)

I propose that we not use the acronym FUD anywhere on the web site.  We
should just post the truth with pointers to the evidence whenever we see
FUD.

>	We also need to collect positive case-studies from companies that
use
>Linux. Not just "Cedant uses Linux... Burlington Coat Factory uses it
>too..." but real casestudies. Real case studies would include: 
>	TCO reports 
>	Interviews with CIO's etc. 
>	Charts of servers currently in use and uptimes associated with them
>	Cost of Training
>	Etc.

Here! Here!  I'd like to take another look at Microsoft's TCO study for
Solaris and see if their methods could be applied to linux.  Anyone care to
help?

>	Once we have these types of resources, FUD like this can be
deflected
>by simply pasting a URL. This will keep emotional line-by-line diatribes
>to a minimum. This will also create a resource for honest reporters to
>create a FUD-Free checklist for their reports. 
>
>	IIb.	We begin a Fud Free offensive aimed at MS and others. Good
>examples would be factual reports about "Microsoft's Response To
>Security Incidents", and "ActiveX Security Issues". Make Microsoft go on
>the defense. Force them to explain themseves. 

A competetive analysis, maybe?
-
Fud-counter:  Setting straight the facts
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