Linux Community\’s unoffical mascot taken by Microsoft
2010-06-04
606 words
3 mins read
Ok, this is mostly a Linux advocacy and I kind of completely agree with <a href="http://linuxlock.blogspot.com/2008/11/congrats-linux-community-youve-been.html" target="_blank">this.
Here’s the main text, but dont forget to go to the page to read the comments( quite good and interesting thoughts by lot of people).
OK group…let’s see a show of hands…
How many people believe that the current way Linux markets itself is sufficient? That would be the combination of apathy, inertia and a smattering of guerrilla marketing.
Good, Good….yeah, that’s a majority all right. Thanks for taking your hand out of the Cheeto’s bag long enough to be inconvenienced. You might want to wipe it against your t-shirt before you begin your flaming response.
Which is unlikely. If you are reading this blog or any publication that might post this blog, you more than likely don’t fit into this group
Now, how many of you think that we need to get the word out to the everyday computer user and let them know they have a choice in the way they operate their computers?
Oops…Well, that was expected as well. Now you know what it’s like to be a Ron Paul Supporter.
So…one more question then we’ll wrap this up.
How many of you feel comfortable that Linux has a firm hold on the penguin as an unofficial trademark of Linux?
My goodness. There is a veritable sea of hands in the air. That’s a good thing. Well, at least we agree on something.
Now let me show you how a consensus of opinion is as reliable as an unbooted Windows server. Not to mention those that hold said opinion.
Many of you in the first group I queried can take pride in this. Congratulations to everyone who made this possible.
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_afk-Egip2qY/SSDg4vHX4HI/AAAAAAAABF0/uUfiJIIiO44/s1600-h/microtheft.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269458829348167794" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 509px; height: 136px;" src="http://blog.amit-agarwal.com/wp-content/uploads/4.bp.blogspot.com/_afk-Egip2qY/SSDg4vHX4HI/AAAAAAAABF0/uUfiJIIiO44/s320/microtheft.png" border="0" alt="" />
Excuse the poor photograph. This billboard picture was taken on IH 35 in Austin from the upper deck in a car doing 70 mph. Stopping on the upper deck for any reason is almost certain catastrophe. It’s good enough however to make the point.
Microsoft has now successfully claimed the penguin as their ”symbol”. Yep, I see it coming…”What’s the big deal helios? So they use a flock of penguins to advertise.” If those words come out of your mouth, I would make certain they weren’t heard too loudly. Ask yourself this. Why penguins? How many tens of thousands of other animals could they have chosen?
Why penguins? It’s obvious if you just spend a few minutes thinking about it.
These billboards are going up all over the United States. I’ve called Microsoft numerous times Friday to get a statement but they’ve yet to respond.
By the way, the rest of the text from that sign reads <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">”Life Without Walls”.
That is funny in itself. Microsoft trying to equate itself with freedom. They better hope people continue to ignore their EULA.
So…let’s keep on handing out cd’s, holding our Lindependence events, flooding You Tube with Cube videos ad nauseum and anything else we can think of that reaches hundreds of people in a months time. Microsoft is reaching millions a day.
And their doing it with <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">your penguin.
Guerrilla marketing…now that’s effective. Instead of getting the community organized into some sort of legitimate promotional entity, and Heaven knows we’ve tried… we’ve screwed around and let Microsoft take the one thing we thought they could never touch. Don’t forget…Linus chose the penguin himself as our mascot/symbol.
Congratulations to all who made this possible.
All-Righty Then
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Authored By Amit Agarwal
Amit Agarwal, Linux and Photography are my hobbies.Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.