You know Linux works great on servers. I know Linux works great on servers. But does your CIO know how great Linux works on servers? Chances are the answer is no.
You know Linux works great on servers. I know Linux works great on servers. But does your CIO know how great Linux works on servers? Chances are the answer is no.
So how do you convince the big “C” officials that Linux is not only the cat’s meow, but just what your company needs? Here’s some ways not to do it.
Don’t march into the office one day wearing a Slashdot t-shirt with a half-dozen O’Reilly books under your arm and loudly proclaim, “Windoze sucks, only a FUDdy-duddy could possibly doubt that we need to replace every copy of Windows with Mandrake Linux running GNOME.”
Ouch! That definitely won’t work. Here’s why.
First, you’re not going to convince anyone of anything with direct confrontation. Ever notice how the GNOME vs. KDE, BSD vs. Linux, vi vs. Emacs, and other “religious” wars never completely die down? That’s because they quickly become arguments about black and white, right and wrong, Linux and Windows. This makes for great flames, but flames only burn things, they don’t enlighten.
So, first things first, get rid of the “Linux is the one true faith” attitude when trying to convince managers that Linux is a better solution. You’re trying to persuade someone to make a change, not bludgeon them into submission.
Next, get rid of the jargon. We know what FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) is. Your boss probably doesn’t, and if she did,…
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