An Open Letter To The Linux Enthusiasts. 4171

Because you're reading an *.advocacy newsgroup. It's deliberately designed to shunt unwanted traffic away from better forums. People who think they are promoting Linux by posting in *.advocacy groups are rank amateurs at marketing. Real marketers do not waste their time in cesspools like this. They construct disciplined marketing campaigns, use real artists, and talk to real suits with real businesses and real money on the line. None of these people do it here. If you want to move and shake for Linux, in any kind of serious way, get off of Usenet and go get a proper job to do that sort of thing. Microsoft has *many* Technology Evangelists, it's a known and widely recognized job breastle. I don't know what the equivalent in the Linux world is, or what the funding model is. That's left as an exercise to the serious reader.

I would take Linux marketing discussions seriously if a moderated comp.os.linux.marketing newsgroup existed. But that won't happen. Only a smaller number of people can get real work of that sort done. It's more of a mailing list sort of thing. I've gone through a rough ride in the Python universe, trying to do that sort of thing. I'm sure you'll find people who will say I wasn't useful in the slightest; well, neither was Guido or the PSF, and I was hardly alone in that point of view. Tried again with OCaml; it wasn't so rough, but nothing got done. After that, I figured out the only thing I can market is myself. All I can do is ship a game and make lotsa money at it. The only thing industries respect is money. If you make the money, and then articulate what you did, people will pay attention.

In case you're wondering, I'm here to "slum it" and waste my time. Some people space out in front of the TV; I crank up c.o.l.a. Or play Freeciv.

-- Cheers, www.indiegamedesign.com Brandon Van Every Seattle, WA

T-shirt that landed someone a job: "I'm not an butthole,