[datatec]

OBOS is now looking every day more and more secure.
Beunited is now working to focus all the open beos projects to have common factors so splintering will be hopefully minimized.

What we still need is some sort of Advocacy group with possiable help from the Creative Design team.

I would think that they should focus on several areas.

1. Promote OBOS everywhere
web fliers, buttons, interviews with writers at cnet, zdnews, byte etc.
get a buzz going. put out preliminary spec sheets so what if is just
a repeat of R5 (promote the extra fixes as well of course)

2. Try and entice developers and companies to develop for the project
hopefully some of point 1. will help the effort.

developers- if it needs a recompile- recompile
if it already works post obos compatable "certified" etc on web site
if just status que, update the website, add links to promos etc. restart webrings and professional program webrings.
convince developers who are discouraged or want to quit to release the source to the programs
start a source code of old apps website
get some of the better programs integrated into obos
create some applications similar to already apparently good ones like Harp and see about reviving the sales in a large or small fashion
http://www.byte.com/documents/s=510/byt20001212s0001/index.htm
http://www.betips.net/mp3box/
http://www.byte.com/documents/s=553/byt20010125s0002/index3.htm
lastly if nothing else works, bribe developers, promotion, food, money, fame (if possiable)

companies- some companies just focused on beos- if discouraged create NDA and get some people to help them out.
take over the operations and donate portion of sales back
update webpages, create online html manuals of their products
find companies that have developed products but never released, work some deals.
Example at one time the developer mentioned that bryce code had been sold not patents, if wanted they could not keep it of beos platform
find companies that have a product that depends on beos now and show them how they will be able to grow using obos
see if some of the hardware/software companies are interested in some form
http://www.edirol.com/
http://www.harmony-central.com/Newp/1998/Grabbo-09.html
http://www.harmony-central.com/Newp/1999/MIDI-Oxygen-44.html
http://www.ambienautica.com/ahmadi/beos/midioxygen44.html

3. Provide concise and easy ways for new users and potential new users to find everything at one site.

A PR site that would extol the virtues of obos, in a flashy image presentable form.
Potentally the best from other sites would be moved to one site to assure things like manuals, descriptions knowledge base available and don't disapear.
If want sponsored sections for each of the sites to get credit.
If have linked sites every week check sites are up and active
make sure site is small enought to navigate easily, focused on
pushing the os. many times the best "sales" are done by not
overloading the "buyer"
Post press releases even if not being sent out to others yet, will gain practice show others life

4. Get previous devotiee's back, and if not back at least reporting good things about OBOS, keep them updated with professional reports and communications, but don't go after them like crazed fans. These people helped out the beos in the past, and we would really like them back.

5. Find schools, educational outlets, beos was a great training tool and due to its API a good learning os, get people interested. Put together an official "educational" ISO with all the tools etc, such as the 5.04 cd but add a suppored hardware readme, a pdf/html manual, coding basics, a mockup lesson plan, demo programs with source,a good explation for teachers to want to use it.

What we would want to do is kill the 5 beos (obos) myths
1. beos is dead - YES but because of obos it is more alive and active then ever
2. there are no applications - BEBITS kills this, but a new user list of just compleated apps with documentation would help
3. No one uses beos - list the companies that have, list the companies that will say still interested. LIST THE COMPANIES WE CAN GET TO COMMIT for at least R1
4. obos is feature dead - R1 will be more bug free and featured then 5.03 and R2....
5. I've never heard of it - Thats what this group would be for

ok so just some of my ideas, Discuss, Flame, Do Something???

datatec

[looncraz]

Nice...

Nice going. I'm glad someone around here is interested enough in the future of this GREAT computer operating system to make a post, such as you have! It is promising to see the progress that the OBOS team has made. Unfortunately, we cannot as of yet go on my wild ride until we have a name chosen, approved, accepted, and seeped into the heads of reviewers and geeks.

Why wait for the geeks and others to know before goign all out with adverts? Well, because the geeks are the ones we want to get interested, so they in turn show others (normal users don't care about these things anough to brag and show off). After we get geek recognition, we need to go all out.

We need to do all that you said. And guess what! We are already preparing and planning for it. A new site is in the works, BeOS slate, which seems to be focusing on how many devices BeOS and its clones can run on. Not only that, but the possibility of How-tos and actual device images may be shared on this site to get BeOS / OBOS out there.

Wal-mart has just started selling Lindows-based PCs. While this may seem good, it really isn't as good as you might think for us. While the anti-Microsoft movement is growing, and this seems to show it, we need to step in and say.. hey.. "We have the best product, the newest product, and the easiest to develop for. Users will love it, and we don't have ANY silt that we work upon." We need to get our name out there.. whatever that name may become.

The biggest problem with Lindows-based PCs, is that they are Microsoft centric devices. Microsoft actually doesn't make its bread and butter from selling Windows... far from it. With the lawsuits et al, Windows has become a detriment to the company. It has permenantly damaged the company's reputation (though we all know it was their actions, not the product.. but they don't see it that way). Microsoft itself is like a virus. They have these massive resources that will drain any market they enter of competition.

So.. I say Microsft! We need to punch them out... By following what you said in your post, and waiting as well. All good things take time, right? Well, I've been fighting them for years, and I have not grown weaker. They have. I have now contributed to at least a few non-M$ boxes. I don't care what they run.. as long as it doesn't profit M$. As does Lindows. You buy Lindows instead of another OS for Windows compatibility. Meaning you buy M$ products, and still buy products written on M$ API, etc...

Of course, our plan isn't to take out M$ right?!? Well.. maybe that isn't your plan, but it is mine. I will do EVERYTHING in my power to see that company destroyed. Of course, should they start acting better, opening their closed standards, allowing you to not use IE or ANY other of their products in Windows.. then great. But if they have to be FORCED into this, then I will FORCE them out of the market. For good. Yes, I said *I*...

So.. how to start.

1. Get a name
2. Exploit Geeks.. get Geek name recognition
3. All the while, start web pages and design an advert campaign (on the way)
4. Start enlisting geeks to run FREE banner ads of their
....site, *OUR*NAME* logo banners
5. Pay for Theatre ads (large screen, just to get the name out there)
----The ads should be like:
--

Tired of Computers making your life miserable?

Try *NEW*NAME*
*LOGO*
*Web*Site*
--
----That is it! VERY simple
6. After that has happened, and we get a few sales under our belts. We
....should consider the cheapest TV / Radio ads we can get. Ask Dane
....(Tune Tracker) if it would be possible to offer a deal for the software
....(Which is already a bargain) if we can advertise on their stations.
7. All the while, we do EVERYTHING to improve developer relations. AND
....We go hard core to help companies who wish to get away from M$ but
....don't know how. I know a few. IBM, Intel, AMD, nVidia, ATI, Sun, ...
.... Of course Crash and virus protection companies will not like it much.
.... We get them onboard by not advertising Virus-free (as of now anyway)
.... and saying: "Hey, think about this... no/few virii mean you have less
.... work to do, but users from Windows will buy anti-virus software without
.... thinking twice. They have no concept of virii compatibility. And people
.... will be writing virii for us, and users will expect you to be there to protect.
---Such and so forth

This model will work. I know it. This is not something I just dreamed up... I was awake .. I think.

Anyway, I would apprecciate some brainstorming . Flames will be shot down by me, so don't bother BUT... if you decide to flame me, I will consider why first. You may very well have a good and valid point. SO *FLAME ME* ...

If you want to know how long this has been in my head, just remember I started using BeOS full-time over three years ago.

--The loon
.................
_________________
Signature? For what!?! .. Anyway.. M$ sucks!

[Zaranthos]

[Wombat]

Actually, if you take a look at beunited.org's Vision document (available under publications) you'll see that PR/Marketing and almost everything you mentioned above is in the "master plan"

[DaaT]

AS usual, Zaranthos had _nothing_ of interest to say...
_________________
"Windows 95 is a 32-bit shell for a 16-bit extension to an 8-bit operating system designed for a 4-bit microprocessor by a 2-bit company that can't stand one bit of competition."

[Guest]

Yes, just because the Vision document states OpenSource BeOS-compatible Operating Systems (OSBOS), it does not mean we aren't pushing specific ones. We only do not want to close any doors on alternatives (BlueEyedOS, Cosmoe - both of which have stated their intent to follow OSBOS standards), and since OBOS is likely to fragment into separate distinct distros, it makes sense to promote _all_ of them, so long as they maintain compliance to specific standards for interoperability.

beunited.org does plan on distribution of a "reference platform" of OpenBeOS, which will be a straight build from OBOS' CVS - OBOS in it's purest, non-modified form. Also we will have a beunited.org Member Edition, which will include extra applications, utilities and the like.

So, even though we didn't specifically state OpenBeOS, we, at this point, mean OpenBeOS, and may have other compliant OSes later as they become more concrete.

Deej

[SurGreen]

...... but such truth only adds fuel to the fire! I myself have been toying for some time now of the OPPORTUNITY provided by OBOS.

I have interested several individuals in BeOS R5, but am presently biding my time for the first release of OBOS. (i bow my head and admit my unintentional bias here). These people are aware of the commercial reality of Be Inc . Indeed, I tell them. [ also of M$'s bootloader scam, Be Inc's unrealised sales of pre-installed OS, etc, etc... ]

It is on this base I want to gather a group of existing Be users to assist me in forming what would amount to a New Zealand BUG [bug (e)NZ(?)]. I know of few Be users in NZ and none personally so am hoping to use this [da*n fine if i may say so] forum to elicit some response to, and hopefully, support for, this idea.

This BUG would not Be to promote the OS we know and love, but the new breed of OS.

An OS, not hamstrung by the constraints of fickle market perceptions, but based upon the innovation, not only of the exceptional talents of past Be engineers, but upon the dreams and DESIRES of a wonderfully talented and passionate Be COMMUNITY!

.....pheW! did I just say all that!

I any case, I have decided that I will NOT sit idly by while that afore mentioned "..2-bit company..." continues to stifle the true beauty and potential of the silicon chip microprocessor !

Assistance and MOTIVATION would Be Gratefully received..

...

[Jack Burton]

I just hope we are just not going the gnu/linux way (three thousand distros, all different one from another, with config files location different one from another, etc. etc.).

[Wombat]

[Jack Burton]