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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.mel.connect.com.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!feed1.news.erols.com!news-xfer.netaxs.com!news.mathworks.com!enews.sgi.com!gazette.engr.sgi.com!news From: Ron Fischer <ronf@studio.sgi.com> Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc,comp.sys.sgi.misc Subject: Re: no such thing as a "general user community" Date: Thu, 03 Apr 1997 00:49:39 -0800 Organization: Silicon Graphics Lines: 81 Message-ID: <33436F23.59E2@studio.sgi.com> References: <331BB7DD.28EC@net5.net> <5g9hjp$api@flea.best.net> <5gmb58$6jd$1@news.clinet.fi> <5gn3ig$83d@flea.best.net> <5goqrq$5ak$1@news.clinet.fi> <5hd29s$e7t@fido.asd.sgi.com> <333C1614.ABD@sgi01.grn.aera.com> <5hhv1k$jh9@fido.asd.sgi.com> <333E3530.794B@sgi01.grn.aera.com> <333EA3EF.41C67EA6@consys.com> <333EE416.ABD322C@FreeBSD.org> <5hn00k$dio@fido.asd.sgi.com> <333F45A6.41C67EA6@FreeBSD.org> <5hpolu$9t2@fido.asd.sgi.com> <3340CC28.167EB0E7@FreeBSD.org> <5hveu5$rhj$1@harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au> NNTP-Posting-Host: isdn-tesla.corp.sgi.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01SC-SGI (X11; I; IRIX 6.2 IP22) Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:38332 comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc:6559 comp.sys.sgi.misc:29631 I guess you could start by asking: what's the dynamic of an unmoderated "general netnews" group? "Mine's bigger|cheaper than yours" This is an engineering oriented discussion, and the bias toward technical competition in discussion is the same reason Unix failed to reach beyond its niche user bases in desktop computing. "GE: We bring good things to life" The more "general" the user community the harder to create a product which is universally understood, accepted and differentiated from that of competitors. The software company (or amalgam of companies) spends most of its time identifying what it is and communicating that to its general (but individually diverse) user community. "Marketing is a face talking" The more "general" a user community, the more dependant on marketing a product's success in that community will become. Simple messages are easier to get across so, no matter the underlying complexity, a more general product must present a simple unified "face." "Unix has no face" The Unix provider amalgam (free & otherwise) isn't acting "general." It doesn't need a "Maximum leader" but perhaps a "Maximum face," e.g. logo on the box, marketing team? But, usually only a leader/board can create these things. "Big and poor" or "small and rich" So the Unix market, instead of having large markets by working to appear unified/simple, has slammed to the other end of the axes, with differentiated vendors going for smaller markets with higher unit margins. "Why do they care?" How can a "general" customer respond, i.e. understand, agree & care about the value Unix & its supporters are bringing to a solution? "Just the facts" If its a niche problem (Unix strength) with a narrow audience then facts can suffice, insofar as metrics that characterize the solution can be agreed upon. I.e. what measurements have meaning for this problem's solution? Cost of purchase? Cost of development & support? Stability of companies? Reliability/Redundancy of staff skills? "Knee jerk" But as described above, the more general the problem the more likely its general user group will need a simplified emotional appeal, regardless of the underlying complexity of the actual solution. The techniques of propoganda roam here (see "GE theme" above). "Both sides now" And so we're back to the dynamic of "general netnews" i.e. the flaming style that this discussion dips into. Simplified or emotional appeals are the tools of marketing to broader user bases, but it seems to get used (and possibly accepted) even for narrower technical discussion, e.g. appeals to common sense. But beware: Unix is strong when it uses less easily refutable facts in narrow problem domains, if you get into broader areas you'll find yourself quickly arguing against the output of the bigger and slicker propoganda engines at MS/Intel. Of course, it might just be fun to throw epithets at cohorts ;) -- ron.f();