Reaching the Linux community

[Doug Loss <dloss@csrlink.net>]

I've been contacting educational software manufacturers and 

entreating/urging/requesting that they make Linux versions of their
programs.  I've presented some arguments as to why this might be an
easy, relatively inexpensive addition to their product line and why it
might be a good thing for them to do.

Evidently I reached someone interested in some of the companies I
contacted, because I got 4 responses asking for more information.  Out
of ~40 companies cold-contacted that's a pretty good return.  One of the
standard questions they asked was (generically), "We're a small company,
and the educational software market isn't an extremely profitable one. 
How could we make the Linux community aware of our products if we did
make them available on Linux?"

This seems like a very valid question, not only for the educational
software manufacturers but for _any_ mid-level software company that is
interested in supporting Linux.  Off the top of my head I advised them
to post a message about the availability of their products to slashdot,
to freshmeat, and to Linux Weekly News, as well as posting such a
message to comp.os.linux.announce.  I've no doubt that I've missed some
good venues for getting the word out to the Linux community; I'd welcome
some discussion on this topic.  I'd also like to use whatever
information comes out of such a discussion in the HOWTO I'm going 

to be working on dealing with advocating Linux ports of commercial
products.  I won't be able to do serious work on that till the end of
August, so there's time for some thought and discussion that ought to
help keep me from screwing things up too much.  Thanks for your
comments.

-- 
Doug Loss                 My sources are unreliable, but
Data Network Coordinator  their information is fascinating.
Bloomsburg University          Ashleigh Brilliant
dloss@bloomu.edu