Is Ron Paul the New Linux? Will the geeks kill his chances?

[Yaron Nahari]

How RP can flop and how he can Succeed​

From digg: "Ron Paul has caught the early adopter bug. Geeks are like squealing school girls around him. Tomorrow they will shower him with cash. But is he going to be like Apple or Linux? Can he make it in the mainstream. A scary analysis and expert advice from a psychologist specializing in Marketing and Persuasion."

Most of the article focuses on the role of the grassroots - an analysis of how all our hard work may actually be tripping up the campaign + tips on what to do to succeed, including talking points.

digg! digg!

Also, link and spread it around.

http://blog.forcharisma.com/2007/12/16/ron-paul-linux-or-facebook/

 

[pcosmar]

Linux, Gets better all the time.
It's all about freedom.

Linux registered user# 412973

 

[hawkeyenick]

Linux has failed because of ease of use issues

Fix that and undercut the competition while keeping all the same features, and you'll see it take off

The recent opening up of video card drivers will help, but the reality is that the only OS rising significantly is Mac OSX because of the crossover effect. Good thing Mac OSX is Unix-Based huh?

 

[Neo189]

I don't think that you are correct at all. The Ron Paul movement is obviously made up of a much larger and more diverse group of people than just "geeks". Furthermore, he is much more well-known than linux (even at this point, but it will only get better after the press from the Tea Party, etc.). You are wrong, because you are basing your conclusion off of the assumption that Ron Paul is only supported by a small group of people on the fringe.

Also, I find your implication that we should "work less hard" to be disturbing. If anything, we should work harder.

 

[szczebrzeszyn]

Yeah, it's good to be free, on the OS and APP level too

 

[Yaron Nahari]

From the article:

Ron Paul may prove to be the GOP Energizer Bunny. As opposed to all the other candidates his momentum is growing, his polling numbers of consistently rising (tripling over the moth and a half), his fundraising is growing exponentially and could soon explode. His supporters are the most loyal of all the candidates.

In this respect, Mike Huckabee is a godsend. None of the other candidates can offer themselves as an Huckabee alternative like Paul can. If Ron Paul could position himself as the Anti-Huck, he could leverage Huckabee’s new front runner status to shed the contrariwise “Dr. No” persona and become suddenly relevant to the GOP mainstream.

 

[szczebrzeszyn]

Linux has failed because of ease of use issues

Fix that and undercut the competition while keeping all the same features, and you'll see it take off

That's a typical misunderstanding. Linux is not here to take over the world - it's not a commercial product like OSX or Windows that has to grow and earn more and more money to please its shareholders. So there is no failure you're talking about, because there was never a commercial goal.

 

[pikerz]

Not worried about this.

Its like asking the question "if we let everyone start their own business, wont bankruptcies ruin the economy?" The answer is of course not, the market will reward good ideas, and punish bad ones, and tons of wealth will be created in the process, benefiting us all.

The same goes for RP supporters. The geeks that get their message across effectively will strengthen the movement, and the ones that dont, well we can learn from their mistakes.

I think the claim here is that people need to see other people, in equal or greater social standing support this guy, or he wont get anywhere. Social proof, as it is called. As our movement gains strength, we will bring these people out. As more prominent patriots stand up for what is right, our gains will be solidified.

The trick is not to get caught up in the science of this. The trick is to use our numbers to persuade as many people as possible, and do it with heart, passion, and confidence.

 

[pcosmar]

Linux has failed because of ease of use issues

Fix that and undercut the competition while keeping all the same features, and you'll see it take off

The recent opening up of video card drivers will help, but the reality is that the only OS rising significantly is Mac OSX because of the crossover effect. Good thing Mac OSX is Unix-Based huh?

I believe you are mistaken. Linux is on the rise, and there are several very user friendly distros.
I switched after about a years of cleaning crap out of windoze. Great system, very secure, and LOTS of choices in apps.
It's Freedom.

 

[RonPaulVolunteer]

Come on!! Ron Paul uses an iPhone, so clearly he is the new Mac!

.

 

[Neo189]

Not worried about this.

Its like asking the question "if we let everyone start their own business, wont bankruptcies ruin the economy?" The answer is of course not, the market will reward good ideas, and punish bad ones, and tons of wealth will be created in the process, benefiting us all.

The same goes for RP supporters. The geeks that get their message across effectively will strengthen the movement, and the ones that dont, well we can learn from their mistakes.

I think the claim here is that people need to see other people, in equal or greater social standing support this guy, or he wont get anywhere. Social proof, as it is called. As our movement gains strength, we will bring these people out. As more prominent patriots stand up for what is right, our gains will be solidified.

The trick is not to get caught up in the science of this. The trick is to use our numbers to persuade as many people as possible, and do it with heart, passion, and confidence.

+1

 

[NewEnd]

My only issue is this statement:

In the first place most people’s tastes on most things are not rarefied. One need only switch on a television for ample evidence of this.

Television is an illusion as to people's tastes. Rarely does a tv show draw in 1 out of 30 americans, and as cable expands to more and more channels, television actually begins to disprove the writers hypthesis. People's tastes on most things are now rarefied.

 

[user]

I think some of you are missing the point. That blog post is similar to

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/lopez2.html

and Ron Paul supporters should understand what is being said.

 

[Neo189]

I think some of you are missing the point. That blog post is similar to

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/lopez2.html

and Ron Paul supporters should understand what is being said.

This is exactly what we will be trying to do with the Tea Party. We're trying to cross the chasm, in a single giant leap, if you will.

 

[BeFranklin]

How RP can flop and how he can Succeed​

From digg: "Ron Paul has caught the early adopter bug. Geeks are like squealing school girls around him. Tomorrow they will shower him with cash. But is he going to be like Apple or Linux? Can he make it in the mainstream. A scary analysis and expert advice from a psychologist specializing in Marketing and Persuasion."

Most of the article focuses on the role of the grassroots - an analysis of how all our hard work may actually be tripping up the campaign + tips on what to do to succeed, including talking points.

digg! digg!

Also, link and spread it around.

http://blog.forcharisma.com/2007/12/16/ron-paul-linux-or-facebook/

We need a Ron Paul Linux distribution

 

[Yaron Nahari]

I think possibly some of you are misreading the article. it is not against Ron paul or the supporters - in fact it is very supportive.

Read and digg.

 

[NewEnd]

I think possibly some of you are misreading the article. it is not against Ron paul or the supporters - in fact it is very supportive.

Read and digg.

Im disagreeing with the writer academically.
I think pointing to the television as proof to that which is popular is fallacious, because many old people have no clue who Luke Perry was, and many other people do not know who Paula Dean is.

television is not the powerhouse it once was, allthough targetted advertising is still as effective.

 

[Yaron Nahari]

Im disagreeing with the writer academically.
I think pointing to the television as proof to that which is popular is fallacious, because many old people have no clue who Luke Perry was, and many other people do not know who Paula Dean is.

television is not the powerhouse it once was, allthough targetted advertising is still as effective.

Are you serious? First that was such a tiny little point - just a minor turn of phrase. Second, TV is still the most popular medium of mass communication. Third, the article mainly deals with grass roots.

 

[NewEnd]

Are you serious? First that was such a tiny little point - just a minor turn of phrase. Second, TV is still the most popular medium of mass communication. Third, the article mainly deals with grass roots.

Yes I am serious.

1. no it was not just a minor turn of phrase, it was a crux of the argument, that people generally want to fit in, and are not rarefied. "most people’s tastes on most things are not rarefied." The only evidence presented is television. I disagree. There are the type of people who want to fit in, on one hand, and there are the type who like to do their own thing on the other, and I do not think one largely outnumbers the other.

One could try to bring up Windows, but the popularity of Windows is not for the sake of popularity, but because people are afraid programs will not work with Linux or Mac.

2. TV is the most popular medium of mass communication, but the message is still rarefied now, due to cable. Do you know who Paula Dean is? There is a circle of people that would be astonished to know you didn't.

3. I dont know why you brought up the "third" part, sinc eit is not relevant to my point.

The basic point of the article is appeal to popularity. This works for half the people... the other half, you must appeal to their individuality.

 

[Yaron Nahari]

Oh, ok. Now I understand you.

The basic point of the article is appeal to popularity. This works for half the people... the other half, you must appeal to their individuality.

Exactly, that is just the point - up until now the revolution has been just that, it has appealed to the individualists. the article makes the claim that it is time to appeal to the other half- and explains just how to do that.