[ImoLUG] Why Linux Doesn't Spread - the Curse of Being Free

[sberla54@yahoo.it]

Why Linux Doesn't Spread - the Curse of Being Free

http://blog.anamazingmind.com/2008/02/why-linux-doesnt-spread-curse-of-being.html

Linux isn't very popular on the desktop. It's a far
third behind OS X, which is a very far second behind
Windows. Most people cite pre-installed operating
systems as the reason. But as a student of psychology,
I see something most people don't. There's one big
factor in why Linux isn't popular on the desktop.
Linux is free. I know this sounds like complete dog's
bollocks, but hear me out before judging my sanity.

We can all remember the story of Tom Sawyer. At one
point, Tom had to whitewash a fence. When one of his
friends happened along, Tom tried to persuade and
bribe the friend to help him. Needless to say, it
didn't work.

A few moments later, as Tom was unhappily whitewashing
the fence, another friend stumbled along to jeer at
Tom's misfortune. This time Tom decided on a cunning
plan. He ignored the friend, and seemed very absorbed
in the whitewashing. Soon the friend became intrigued,
because what could be more interesting than talking to
a friend? Shortly thereafter, he started begging Tom
to let him whitewash a bit of the fence. Tom wouldn't
give in.

The friend offered Tom some of his most valuable
possessions if Tom would just let him whitewash a
little bit. Tom reluctantly agreed, secretly jumping
with joy on the inside. More friends happened along,
coming to laugh at Tom for having to whitewash a
fence. Tom simply did his act, and they all stayed to
help whitewash, and paid for the privilege!

The above story illustrates a basic human nature. We
don't value things we can get easily. Yet we'd climb
mountains, cross rivers and travel across deserts just
to reach something we can't easily get our hands on.

The computer world

The same thing applies in the world of computers.
Humans are naturally suspicious of that which comes
too easily. Imagine you were promoting an expensive
brand of champagne. If you were running around forcing
free samples into people's hands, they would be very
wary. But if you set up a stand where you would offer
small samples for $10 each ("Special promotional
price! Normally costs three times as much!"), people
would see your champagne as posh and valuable.

It's still the same champagne. Yet your presentation
radically changes people's perception of it.

Which brings me to Linux. There's one problem with
Linux getting to new users. It's free.

That's right. Linux being free is a problem in
reaching new customers.

Why Windows pwnz Linux - an imaginary case study

Let me show you an example where Windows is better
than Linux (I don't mean better as in actually better
:p).

Ignore for a moment all the crap about Windows being
pre-installed and such. Let's say you have a
computer-newbie friend, called Compy McNewb, who's
just bought a new computer and is getting ready to
install an OS.

He's got two computer-savvy friends. You, who urges
him to use Linux. And another friend, who urges him to
use Windows.

Which one will Compy pick? Let's go through the
reasoning.

    * Linux is being offered for free. Good.
    * He can get a pirated copy of Windows from his
friend. Also for free. Good.
    * But Windows is sold for over three hundred
dollars, while Linux is offered for free.


Here's what Compy McNewb sees. He can get both OS's
for free. But one of them is worth over three hundred
dollars, while the other one is worth nothing.

"That's not true!" I hear you scream. "Linux is worth
a lot! It's just being offered for free!" I know it's
not true that Linux is worth less than Windows. It's
far more valuable to the end user in terms of getting
things done.

But that's not what Average Joe Computer Newbie sees.
He sees a free product versus a three-hundred-dollar
product he can get free. It's all about the
perception!

    In the 1970's, a record label in Britain was
selling albums containing cover versions of
contemporary songs. Although the records sold for less
than a pound a copy, hardly anyone bought them and the
record company was suffering.

    A whizz-kid joined the board and announced he
wanted to more than double the price of the records.
The other executives were shocked, but eventually
agreed to his plan. Within a few weeks, the records
were flying off the shelves.

    When the records didn't cost much, people didn't
value them. The record company was saved by redefining
people's perception of their product.


Taking Action

So here I am, wondering how to turn the tables around.

And I've got an idea. In the past, I tried to convert
people to Linux (specifically Ubuntu). None of them
really stuck. Back then I focused on all those great
aspects of Linux. Being purely factual and objective.

But I have since learned people don't act rationally.
They act based on irrational emotions - like in the
above examples. So here's the question. Could I turn
the perception around? What if I presented Linux in a
way that makes people drool? Make it look more
expensive than Windows, more cool than a Mac, more
posh than a ten-million-dollar villa in the Caribbean?

Here's my plan:

I'm going to present Ubuntu as a very expensive posh
OS. I'll mention it sells for upward of five hundred
dollars in the States. I'll say I managed to get an
illegal copy off a Polish guy I know over the
internet.

Only THEN will I mention all the positives. Multiple
desktops, bullet-proof security, stunning visual
effects. Somehow all of it makes sense in the context
of a super-expensive elitist OS. I'll see how many
people I can convert when advertising Linux this way.

I'll post exactly a week from now, reporting back on
how my Linux Preaching v2.0 went. Hi yo, Silver,
AWAAAAY!
Posted by Vlad Dolezal at 18:42
Labels: linux, marketing 


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