Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 26th Sep 2006 15:56 UTC
A common heard question in the operating systems world is, 'if the alternatives to Windows are so much better, why aren't people en masse switching to them?' People come up with all sorts of answers to this question, but in fact, the social psychology world already has a fairly simple answer to this question. This answer also happens to actually explain why Zeta sold so well through the usually superficial television retail channel.
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Member since:
2006-01-01
But then I remembered that I don't want to use the BeOS.
Switching isn't just a matter of processing arguments. It doesn't, for example, matter if you can persuade someone to move to a different operating system if they cannot use that operating system. If they cannot install an operating system, regardless of whether they purchase it or not after being persuaded by your argument, they may never actually use it. If they cannot run the operating system without buying a new computer, they may simply not be able to afford to buy it no matter how thoroughly you have convinced them that it is a better alternative. There is also the problem of them not being able to switch if they depend upon software or hardware that does not work with the operating system, no matter how compelled they are to switch by your argument. If they switch to the operating system, and find that it is completely alien to them and they cannot do what they want, they may simply go back no matter how thoroughly you have convinced them that it is superior.
Argument processing is simply the initial phase in any movement, because outside of purely ideological things, after someone has been persuaded to a position they need to actualize the position and that has many of its own impediments.
Though it is interesting how fringe operating system and programming language fans have similar hang-ups with the activities of others. Why don't the "stupid" get how totally awesome my $OBSESSION is? It's like, totally better.