Home opinion-and-analysis The Linux Distillery Move over PC and Mac; it's time for "I'm Linux"

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The Linux Foundation hopes to succeed where Microsoft’s short-lived Jerry Seinfeld experiment failed, namely landing a glove on Apple’s unrelenting "I'm a Mac" ads. And not a moment too soon with fear of anything not Windows at a high as demonstrated by this week’s news about a young lady dropping out of College "because of Ubuntu Linux."

Apple’s “I’m a Mac” ads have gone viral, and are well known around the world, even in countries where they have never aired on television.

It’s a slick marketing strategy that certainly troubled the Redmond juggernaut, who spent a whopping $10m to hire the star – Jerry Seinfeld – alone. If you’re a Windows user, consider where your licensing fees are going!

Of course, one notable operating system has been absent from these comparisons and productions – until now!

The Linux Foundation think, and rightly so, that a Linux advertisement is overdue. They’ve taken on the challenge to bring it to life.

That said, there’s a world of difference between billion-dollar proprietary software companies and a grassroots community of mass collaboration. For one thing, the available budget is enormously different, but making up for this, Linux arguably has a far more passionate and enthusiastic fan base. (Well, moreso than Microsoft anyway; I think we all know Apple fans are in a league of their own!)

Consequently, and considering these two points, the Linux Foundation have opted not to embark on their own production but rather sponsor a community contest, exploiting the minds and talents of Linuxphiles globally.

The contest begins January 26th and entrants are asked to showcase their take on “I’m Linux” within 60 seconds or less.

The content ought to be inspirational and explain why you love Linux, and infect the viewer with your passion. Despite the theme, it’s not necessary to mention, or even refer to, the Apple or Microsoft commercials. This contest will have its own life apart from the competing products.

What are the rules? And what's all this about a girl dropping out of college? Read on to find out just why Linux ads are a necessity!

CONTINUED





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David M Williams

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David has been computing since 1984 where he instantly gravitated to the family Commodore 64. He completed a Bachelor of Computer Science degree from 1990 to 1992, commencing full-time employment as a systems analyst at the end of that year. Within two years, he returned to his alma mater, the University of Newcastle, as a UNIX systems manager. This was a crucial time for UNIX at the University with the advent of the World-Wide-Web and the decline of VMS. David moved on to a brief stint in consulting, before returning to the University as IT Manager in 1998. In 2001, he joined an international software company as Asia-Pacific troubleshooter, specialising in AIX, HP/UX, Solaris and database systems. Settling down in Newcastle, David then found niche roles delivering hard-core tech to the recruitment industry and presently is the Chief Information Officer for a national resources company where he particularly specialises in mergers and acquisitions and enterprise applications.

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