Luke Stutters wrote:
> The success of any business depends completely on providing the
> best value for its customers. Any business can be aided by monopolistic
> and illegal practices but no business will succeed if it is seen as offering
> poor value.
Sadly that's not true. The success of a business depends on making a
profit. Long-term success depends on continuing to make a profit.
Providing good value to ensure that customers return is only one
strategy for achieving this. Selling the goods with the biggest mark-up
will work too if the number of customers who complain or realise they've
been ripped off is small. And effective marketing (such as making sure
your operating system is packaged with every PC sold) will overcome all
sorts of failings in the product.
(I'm self-employed, and I do worry about providing best value for my
customers. That's why I'm barely making a living despite having plenty
of work.)
> 8<
>
> I really can't agree that subtle and gentle promotion is what is needed. I don't
> think awareness or availability of open source software are its key
> drawbacks. There is no linux shortage, there is no secret free software.
Free software is a secret from most people -- they only hear about the
stuff that's advertised on the telly.
On the other hand, there are some who are getting the message. A bloke
phoned me the other day saying "I've just bought a laptop. It's got
Vista on it, but I don't want that. Please can you install Ubuntu on it
for me?". So I did (and got paid for it).
cheers
Chris
--
Chris Dennis cgdennis@???
Fordingbridge, Hampshire, UK
