[Linphone-users] How to promote the use of Linphone?

[David]

I'm just wondering whether there is any kind of strategy in place to 
promote the use of Linphone, in place of other VoIP/videocalling 
systems, which often have problems such as limited platform 
availability, less security/privacy, advertising, using non-open 
standards, etc?

Depending on the social circles that you move in, many of your friends 
might not be very technically-minded, and so might not have much 
interest to switch from closed systems that they might have already 
become familiar with (although with gradually increasing awareness of 
privacy issues and irritation about internet advertising, perhaps there 
may be some more possibility for encouraging change). Any communications 
technology, from telephones to email to any number of closed systems, 
lives or dies on its own "network effect" by building up a sizable user 
base and then continuing to expand it through word of mouth or media 
coverage.


I wonder whether the name Linphone perhaps doesn't help in itself. The 
name itself is obviously based on the word Linux, and although Linux 
distros are absolutely fantastically useful systems (I don't need to 
evangelise here, I'm sure), any "non-techie person" who hears the name 
may perhaps be put off as they might (still, even now) get the 
impression that anything Linux-related may be complicated and difficult 
and so not worth experimenting with?

Given that Linphone seems to be, as far as I am aware, the most 
multi-platform internet phone (including, very importantly, mobile 
OSes), does it perhaps need a more neutral and inclusive-sounding name 
(that doesn't relate to any particular OS)? The fact that Linphone is 
very multi-platform really ought to be a huge selling point! So many of 
the competing systems have limited platform availability.


Does there also perhaps need to be some further 'polishing' work on some 
of the Linphone clients? For example, although the iPhone client looks 
quite professional, the OS X client doesn't feel very native, and so may 
be off-putting to some who might otherwise want to give it a try. Might 
there be scope for crowdfunding some improvements? This also often seems 
to be a good way to raise awareness of projects in general.


Also, have the Linphone developers tried to engage with technical 
journalists in the mainstream media to feature Linphone where 
appropriate? For example, in the UK, the BBC has a weekly TV programme 
"Click" which covers internet-related technology and I think is 
reasonably popular. I am sure there are similar programmes in other 
countries as well.

It possibly also pains me to say it, but does Linphone have a presence 
on Facebook and Twitter, etc? We might not like how these have become 
the predominant social networks, but part of the reason they have 
achieved this is by organic network growth and by strong marketing, the 
things that Linphone perhaps also needs, otherwise people will continue 
to use internet phone platforms that they already know about and that 
their friends already use?


I hope this maybe inspires some useful thoughts, keep up the good work!


David.