Robert, your link hints at the numbers: Mozilla claims 400 million users (see firefox on wikipedia). Regardless of their enterprise foibles, you can bet that most of those users don't even know they're using an open source platform every time they visit their favorite website. Regarding the media aside, this was only intended to demonstrate the forces behind this myth. They're much larger than those extolling the virtues of security in proprietary software, IMHO. Only a fraction of the computer using populace even cares about how their computer is secured. They only care that their banking info doesn't get out, and millions of them are using an open source platform to transfer funds at the bank! Those reading this may see it another way, but they're already looking beyond the egghead myth. I deal with it every time I speak to family, friends, and even colleagues. I'm regularly fighting an image that I'm some sort of freak for being a Linux user and you and everyone else here is too, whether it's expressed to you explicitly or not. The issue with this myth is that it IS an ideological hurdle. You can ignore this kind of lunacy until it becomes an issue in court as it did recently in a rhel case concerning switchable desktops. If it's of interest to you, see this summary: http://opensource.com/law/10/5/total-victory-patent-lawsuit-against-open-source-software The case no. is 2:07-cv-447 held by the us district court in beloved Marshall, Texas. Red hat Inc and novell were defendants, and won the case. Once you debunk the hippie/communist/egghead mentality, everything else becomes more human. Open source is everywhere, people just don't realize it's ubiquity. If your audience is more than just sysadmins, I don't see how you can even begin to address those other myths without making people see that every time they google something, they're using a platform that was built on open source, and yes, your mother, father, grandmother, wife, and ex-girlfriend, at least some of who are not eggheads, hippies, or academics, are using it without making a nod to those mythical ideals. :-) Sent from a locked proprietary device. I'm working on my freedom and I'll be there one day. On 2011-06-28, at 11:20 AM, "Robert P. J. Day" <rpjday [ at ] crashcourse [ dot ] ca> wrote: > On Tue, 28 Jun 2011, Paul B wrote: > >> Oops, forgot the rest of you. >> >> Begin forwarded message: >> >>> From: Paul B <red [ dot ] line [ at ] rogers [ dot ] com> >>> Date: 28 June, 2011 9:26:18 AM EDT >>> To: "Robert P. J. Day" <rpjday [ at ] crashcourse [ dot ] ca> >>> Subject: Re: [OCLUG-Tech] what are the "five myths about open source"? >>> >> >>> The most disturbing is that only eggheads, hippies, and academics >>> (as though that's some sort of STD) use open source software. >>> >>> Debunk: >>> >>> Millions use Mozilla's firefox without the need for pocket >>> protectors, petiole, or phds. > > i'm not sure firefox is the example i'd want to use right now to > demonstrate open source's spectacular glory: > > http://www.extremetech.com/computing/88116-mozilla-not-concerned-about-enterprise-firefox-installs-and-thats-just-fine > >>> Aside: WTF is with the need for right wing media to denigrate the >>> thinkers and explorers of today? > > i don't see this being a "right wing media" thing -- only an > education thing. let's not make it ideological when it doesn't have > to be. > > rday > > -- > > ======================================================================== > Robert P. J. Day Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA > http://crashcourse.ca > > Twitter: http://twitter.com/rpjday > LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/rpjday > ========================================================================