March 8th, 2005
How to fight the FUD
What the Open Source Development Lab (OSDL) needs right now is a little PR help. So start spreading the GNUs. (A little free software humor there.)
There are noenemies of Linux conducting a systematic campaign of disinformation aimed at undermining the enterprise credibility of the open source operating system. That’s how VNU reported recent statements of OSDL marketing director Nelson Pratt.
Instead, try this. Businesses threatened by open source will say anything to keep their customers.
There is no difference in fact between those two statements. But the first leaves an impression that is dark and political. The second is just business.
That’s what enterprise Linux is about, business. Linux needs to approach business customers in a businesslike way. It needs message discipline to succeed.
What do you think the OSDL message should be? Let us know what you think in TalkBack.
Dana Blankenhorn has been a business journalist for 30 years, a tech freelancer since 1983. You can follow Dana on Twitter. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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