My first conversion! [I'm so proud...]

[iancom]

I am forced (we-won't-pay-you-if-you-don't, not we-will-cause-you-unbelievable-pain-if-you-don't... errr, actually maybe both) to work with a team of devout Microsoft 'developers' (I think in this case the term 'application specialist' is more appropriate though still generous).

Without exception, every conversation I've ever had with any of them (computer-related, anyway) has concluded with no real progress in convinving them that Microsoft is not the be-all and end-all of software development (they only 'develop' in Visual FoxPro... draw your own conclusions).

However, a couple of weeks ago, after about a year of subtle pushing the open-source methodology, one of the more devout MS fans in my office, out of the blue, started asking about Linux and in particular open source databases (I use PostgreSQL for best all-round performance and functionality).

Naturally, I had a set of RedHat CD's at the ready for such an occasion, and quickly printed out a set of instructions on how he could set up his system with dual boot NT/Linux (slow and steady wins the race).

Over the last couple of weeks I've spent a bit of time with him helping him with his new OS and with how to get it to work with his legacy OS.

Now he's hooked. He has several Linux books (I offered last week to lend him some of mine, but he'd already bought two!) and is preaching the virtues of open-source software to the rest of his team after his successes with Linux.
I had a word with him today about what it was he liked about Linux (this would apply to any open-source OS), and it was the fact that all the tools you need are there, on the CD. You don't need to buy anything else. He's had a few problems getting it set up properly, but with a little help (from the books, and from me) he's now got a working system for free that does everything a $1500 MS system (and then per-client and per-processor licences) would do. And it doesn't crash.

So now I'm feeling good. If every one of us can convert a devout MS supporter to the path of righteousness, and even only half of those go on to do the same it will not be long before the momentum is such that not even MS can survive!

Go forth and multiply...!

[Heru]

I know how good it feels to convince someone about the truth about MS and Windows.
I managed to switch my dad over form WindowsMe to Linux just last week.  He is loving every moment of it!  He says he has noticed an major increase in stability and speed, and has not gotten nearly as many pop-up windows.  He also can do everything he did on Windows and do it faster, and just as easily.

[preacher]

Ive found that in computer software, like religion, converting someone to something new and different is very difficult. You get used to the way one thing works, and making a change is just too hard for some, thats why it will take time before linux is better accepted, even among IT groups.

[Calum]

my sister hates M$, but has never been able to take the leap of faith. She tried to install SuSE 5.2 way back when it came out, you remember, if i heard right it was their first public distro, and it was just a bunch of stuff randomly burnt onto the CDs. Anyway, she freaked and could not work it.

I recently sent her a copy of mandrake, and she's asked various partition questions et c, and will hopefully set it up in the next few days. She has an internal cdrw, and a normal monitor, and a real modem, so she probably won't have any of the problems that i am having with linux.

It seems to be taking an awful long time to get her to sort it all out though, considering how irritated she is at how crappy windows is. It's the old "devil you know syndrome". I'm happy that those "developers. developers, developers, developers. developers developers developers..." are getting a taste of linux. it speaks for itself if it gets a chance to, don't you think?