From: Rahul Dave <rahul@reno.cis.upenn.edu>
Subject: FUD, advocacy, and lack of information
To: lwn@eklektix.com
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 14:14:54 -0400 (EDT)

Hi,
I have been,
for the past week, after reading some of the plethora of linux related articles
that come in the press, been thinking that there is the desperate need for a 
presskit and associated glossies and web site.
There are so many fallacies abounding(Linux is shareware, dosent have
a GUI, dosent have support, etc) that there needs to be a single source
of dispensation(linuxnews.org or com). This would be news and press
material for the press, not for us(like LWN and slashdot).

The editorials at LWN have expected the rise of the FUD, and today, have bemoaned the knee jerk reactions of somne advocates. Some of the FUD is obviously set
up, but some of it is sheer lack of information. Linux Online does not do a
good job I think, being as it is a resource for those on the inside as well as those on the outside.


It would be nice if the LWN,
the SVLUG, which is preparing a press kit, and Linux companies press people
got together and did something like the following:

a) get a good domain--linuxnews.org is owned by WGS, they dont seem to be using it, for eg
b) establish a brochure glossy(pdf) and a web site with fundamental information.c) ask some people to tag certain publications as representatives of this site.
These people will email the tagged publication in case of errors. Other people
could be asked to send their flames to the representative rather than the
writer, hopefully reducing the "Linux is greatest, and by the way, you must
be Gate's servant' type ridiculous flames.
d) get linux company press people to send releases to the site. These
would be resent to subscribing newsmedia folk, relieving them of searching
the web, and somewhat prepackaging stuff for them, with important
catch phrases like "Infoworld Support of the year award winner", which
lot of these folks seem unaware off.
e) A press only mailing list could be used to push new announcement's out.

What do you think?
Thanks,
Rahul