The slogan needs to be something a little longer and more to the point.

"NetBSD is PAR -- Powerful, Advanced, Reliable.  Is your OS up to PAR?"

The answer, obviously, is that most Linux and Windows installations AREN'T.
While this is longer than I'd like, it addresses NetBSD's promise which "The
Power To Serve" does not.

People need a reason to change.  It's a big pain in the ass to migrate your
servers or your desktop.  The concepts in this slogan are, I think, what
NetBSD is really all about.  It should talk about what it is, not be
comparing itself to others.  Let them compare themselves against the high
water mark that NetBSD sets.

People whine continually about Windows limitations, crashes and fustiness.
NetBSD, and all BSD variants, should position themselves as what they are --
excellent, if different, alternatives.

The real problem BSD variants face is that most users are clods and "power"
to them is cute graphics and not having to do much.  For now, the appeal has
to be to IT managers, and when confronted with a slogan like the above,
they're going to start remembering the myriad NT crashes.

The real problem to getting widespread acceptance is an IT core that has
already adopted the OS and can provide tech support to an expanding user
base.

Is there a better way to put this?

-----Original Message-----
From: Matthew Orgass <darkstar@pgh.net>
To: Thor Lancelot Simon <tls@rek.tjls.com>
Cc: netbsd-advocacy@NetBSD.ORG <netbsd-advocacy@NetBSD.ORG>;
current-users@NetBSD.ORG <current-users@NetBSD.ORG>
Date: Monday, April 19, 1999 11:37 PM
Subject: Re: your mail


>On Tue, 20 Apr 1999, Thor Lancelot Simon wrote:
>
>> > 1) It does not identify what the product is
>>
>> Um, "The Power To Serve" does?
>
>  Yes, FreeBSD is an OS for your server... I think this is a great slogan.
>
>> > 2) It is the answer to a question which should not need to be asked in
the
>> > first place
>>
>> "should not need to be"?  Unfortunately, all too often it is.  And the
>> "answer" rather indicates that, of course.
>
>  The slogan should answer this question, but it should not be the answer
>to this question.
>
>> >   The two other slogans I have often seen used with NetBSD are much
>> > better: "The World's Most Portable Operating System" and
"Multi-platform
>> > OS".
>>
>> If you think those two are "good slogans" I think while I appreciate the
>> intent I'll have to consider your advice on marking is rather
untrustworthy...
>
>  I never said they were "good slogans," I said they were better.
>Actually, you are probably right that "Multi-platform OS" by itself would
>be worse then "Of Course it Runs NetBSD," but I think that "The World's
>Most Portable Operating System" isn't too bad (and "Multi-platform OS"
>isn't too bad as a shorter version).  On the other hand, if DOS were "The
>World's Most Portable OS," I still wouldn't use it, so it would probably
>be a good idea to associate some other quality as well.
>
>  Slogan design contest anyone?  :)
>
>Matthew Orgass
>darkstar@pgh.net
>
>
>