I live in Washington state, home to Microsoft and a long way from New York City. I contributed and here is why.
The issue is getting exposure for OpenOffice.org. With no retail presence, few people are aware that OOo exists. NYC may not be the center of the universe but it is certainly one of the nerve centers of our world. The demographic cited in the project description makes it a pretty good place to start. Keep in mind also that the intended audience likely exchanges lots of email with people in other places.
As to why not publish the ad in Washington DC, it strikes me as a waste of time to target lawmakers who have largely become vassals to corporate lobbyists. You only have to look at the Massachusets experience with ODF to see how viciously they will attack anything that threatens their grip on the consumer's pocketbook. This battle will be won from the bottom up, not the top down, when people realize that they don't need MS any more.
BTW, does anyone else find it ironic that MS is also the acronym for a deadly and debilitating disease?
Mike Perrin
No calling names, please
Posted byAnonymous Userat
2006-06-26 09:52
'OO' (Officers Only?) is usually found as the mark for toilet rooms. Using derogatory nicknames will get the free community nowhere. Personally I don't think much of M-S. But I try to express it in a more mature way.
Publicity is not local
Posted byAnonymous Userat
2006-06-26 23:36
I'm in New Zealand but I'm still prepared to make a small contribution. The advertisment is in a New York paper and will be seen by a lot of people.
But publicity about the advertisment is already world wide in scope. This secondary effect is even more important than the original advert.
Reasons to contribute
The issue is getting exposure for OpenOffice.org. With no retail presence, few people are aware that OOo exists. NYC may not be the center of the universe but it is certainly one of the nerve centers of our world. The demographic cited in the project description makes it a pretty good place to start. Keep in mind also that the intended audience likely exchanges lots of email with people in other places.
As to why not publish the ad in Washington DC, it strikes me as a waste of time to target lawmakers who have largely become vassals to corporate lobbyists. You only have to look at the Massachusets experience with ODF to see how viciously they will attack anything that threatens their grip on the consumer's pocketbook. This battle will be won from the bottom up, not the top down, when people realize that they don't need MS any more.
BTW, does anyone else find it ironic that MS is also the acronym for a deadly and debilitating disease?
Mike Perrin
No calling names, please
Publicity is not local
But publicity about the advertisment is already world wide in scope. This secondary effect is even more important than the original advert.
Gordon (gordonf@xtra.co.zn)