Dear Devs please consider...

Dear Logos Bible Software Company,

I have been a Logos user for 5 years. I have introduced a number of your products to friends, family, and co-workers based on the ease of use. After a quick review of the forums I have noted there is a distinct lack of response to one request: Linux or Ubuntu support. I want to point out some economic, technical and business stand points to take into consideration.

1. Economic: with fluctuations in the economy the number of perishes I help, with technology support, who can afford to keep up with the price of new tech and new OS licenses is diminishing. Further, the missionaries and other non-parish ministries I help are rarely able to afford to keep constantly up to date with tech. Ubuntu has quickly become the OS I choose to help ministries connect to the web and help make the most use out of the equipment they have. By denying the growing number of Ubuntu users this company is cutting off a growing market.

2. Technical: Linux and Unix are similar language bases. There is no reason that the programming for iOS cannot be ported for Linux. Plus there are Linux programmers around the world who would be more than happy to help. I have been unable to win Missionaries over to Logos and Proclaim because the programs need to connect to the internet.

3. Have you ever heard that Amazon takes every comment and considers it the equivalent of what ten users think. The thinking for this is that generally only one in ten people will take the COURAGE to speak up to a company or corporate body to offer a solution to a challenge or awkward issue. There are approximately 800+ comments regarding Linux on your user forums. That means there are at least 8,000 users who want Linux support but only 10% (only a tithe) of these users have had the gift of COURAGE to ask.

Note. I use and I have used the following OS:

Win95, WinXP, WinVista, Win7, Win 8, IPhone [up to version3], Andriod 2-4, Ubuntu 10-12

I interact with 5 of the above systems on a daily or weekly basis.

In all things tech I remember always Proverbs 3:1-8 and and theater saying "dues ex machina."

Megan M Herdrich

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Comments

Lee

First, to be absolutely clear about this, I am just a user.

I have been unable to win Missionaries over to Logos and Proclaim because the programs need to connect to the internet.

This is a separate issue, a whole different can of worms.

Concerns about the viability of Logos as a program to use in certain localities are two-fold:

the question of slow/intermittent/expensive internet
security and privacy issues regarding web traffic: i.e. browsing/ordering/authenticating/payment/downloading/syncing

Add to that the worry of appearing too rich/well-equipped/foreign.

Bradley Grainger (Logos)

Hi Megan,

Thanks for providing this feedback. When the topic of Linux has been raised before, Bob has replied that this is a business issue (we need to do projects that make sense financially, so we can continue to be in business to serve our existing customers):

In that first post, he mentioned that we would probably need to see Linux consumer marketshare reach 8% before writing a port. The current surveys I've seen tend to indicate 1-2% for desktop Linux (e.g., http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=10&qpcustomd=0 says 1.52%), and that's all distros combined.

FWIW, a similar situation currently exists for Logos on Windows Phone. Judging solely by UserVoice votes (not a very accurate metric, I'll admit), that's 7x more popular than a Linux port: http://logos.uservoice.com/forums/42823-logos-bible-software-5/suggestions/510027-logos-on-windows-mobile vs http://logos.uservoice.com/forums/42823-logos-bible-software-5/suggestions/3635847-make-logos-4-and-5-avalible-to-individuals-on-ubun.

Megan Herdrich

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/521558#Comment_521558

As a fellow IT, and a white hat I want to point out those are not accurate stats. I know how run programs to make my computer show up to any analytics like a windows xp from germany, or a mac 10.6 in mexico. The thing is those who use linux (Ubuntu, Kali, Backtrack, TOR) are more than proficient at screwing with analytics so that they do not get found.

Consider. If you were in China. Would you want your computer signalling authorities that you were spewing Christian propaganda.

Trusting statistics only is one of the most foolhardy business practices.

While this company has outstanding products there is incredible naivete about users and technology in use. I server 54 Christian concerns as a tech and I am faced with the following options daily. Talk the ministry into spending $300 of their money on software or use a open source OS so that their money can be used for the good of the KINGDOM. When I do install the OS I do not let it transmit passive stats to the internet. I don't allow this because often these computers are treasure troves of data for data miner. Those passive stats are little back doors for hackers.

I very rarely speak up like this. One, I hate the forum method of providing information or researching an idea before speaking up. Two, the forum method invites incredible negativity and squelches creativity. Three, one of my gifts is to speak truth, even when I don't want to. This particular topic has not left me alone. I have prayerfully ask it be lifted from and that has not happened. So I am delivering a message. I am also delivering with this message some particulars to consider. Technology and software like God can not be looked at within one category. There is more than one way to get your information. If you do not have someone like me in your ranks who is a white or grey hat hacker you need to find one. God does more with nothing than with riches.

Megan Herdrich

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/521469#Comment_521469

Thank you, these are all valid.