Welcome, everyone, to the second episode of the “Think about it!” series.
For several years I have been following discussions about which operating system to use. In this post, I will try to offer a different point of view that might serve as a reference for IT managers making decisions. My only goal, though, is to encourage discussion and reflection.
Before getting to the topic, take a look at the image below:
It represents the reality of the first user interfaces, which used punched cards. The system told users what they should do; in other words, the rules for using it were imposed because of the technological limitations of the time. If the rules were not followed strictly, problems would arise and lead to extensive rework.
Over the years, technology and interfaces were improved, bringing us to today’s systems, which are well represented by the image below, where the interface has increasingly adapted to the user.
During this period of adaptation, helped by a unique market opportunity that was not wasted, Microsoft Windows’s interface became synonymous with a desktop interface in the minds of most users. The same thing happened with Word, which became synonymous with a word processor.
Over time, an open-source operating system called Linux was created, offering another option for use in businesses, as did BrOffice Writer, a free and open-source word processor. (2012 update: The BrOffice project has ended. OpenOffice is one alternative.)
I will not get into the technical details of either operating system, because my focus here is on the relationship between people, managers, and employees.
As I mentioned earlier, when a manager decides which platform to adopt, among other options they can make a decision that focuses on the resource (the infrastructure and system) or on people.
When the focus is on the resource, there are two options: Windows and Linux. But when the focus is on people, things are a little different, as I will show below.
I have been having an experience—not as a manager, but as a member of a team—that is adopting free software for documents and spreadsheets, in this case BrOffice. Over the last two years, I have noticed users becoming dissatisfied with having to use an interface they were not accustomed to, as well as experiencing some formatting problems when Word documents were edited in BrOffice.
The decision to switch to BrOffice was a sensible way to start using properly licensed software, since we had been using a proprietary word processor without licenses. But our greatest concern was to make sure it was not imposed under any circumstances. The software was installed because it was legal and free, but if a department really wanted Microsoft Office, it was entirely free to request the purchase of a legal copy in the annual budget.
I also had a family experience. I left Windows on my home computer, but installed only BrOffice as the word processor. A few months later, my mother asked why I had installed that program instead of Word, since she had been having a lot of difficulty with it for months. At the time I only used Writer (BrOffice), and out of selfishness I told her I could only help solve a problem in BrOffice; I would not be able to help with Word. But after reflecting on it for a while, I put that childish selfishness aside and installed Word. That immediately improved her performance, productivity, and satisfaction—and consequently made me happy, too.
So, manager, let me ask you: how do you want to be remembered when your time as a leader is over?
Depending on the decision you make, you could be remembered in one of the following ways:
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As Chávez, the dictator, who shut down a television station, infringing on freedom of expression in Venezuela. In IT management, this is a metaphor for imposing software that will frustrate employees and make it uncomfortable to work because of the effort required to relearn an imposed interface (Linux and BrOffice) instead of using the intuitive one—in this case, Windows and Office.
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As Spielberg, who creates dreams in the imaginations of moviegoers, moving, fascinating, and inspiring them with different themes without imposing anything, and instead giving them freedom and satisfaction. For our target audience, that would mean using Windows with Microsoft Office, since those programs are already familiar to them. Their effort can then go toward departmental routines and problems, increasing productivity and ensuring user satisfaction.
However, the roles can be reversed when the context is different, as in this job ad for developers and designers published by Visie, which described the profile needed for the position. In that case, it created a dream of joining a team that has been building a solid position in the Brazilian market over the years, for a particular kind of user. Again, I emphasize that nothing was imposed. That dream was now about Linux and open-source programming languages (the “Spielberg” approach). The “Chávez” approach would be a fictitious job ad seeking people with experience programming on the Windows platform, only for them to arrive and find that everything was the complete opposite.
You might now ask me: will it always be this way?
To try to answer, I’d like you to look at the Datafolha “Top of Mind 2006” survey below, for the margarine category:
Can you see how Qualy has grown over the years? This was certainly the result of very well-planned, innovative, and consistent marketing and advertising. As you can tell, it did not happen overnight, and consumers were not forced to use the product. The brand won them over gradually with innovative campaigns and slogans such as “Quality of life is with Qualy.”
Now I’ll ask you: what has the Linux community done to look beyond the code and the product, focus more on software from the perspective of business and the market, and try to establish the brand among new users?
Whether it has done something or not, this is the fact I take as a reference: According to a Positivo survey, 75% of consumers who bought a computer with Linux replaced it with Windows within three months.
Until this changes, the best option for office users will be Windows with the Office suite, because using Linux, even if its interface looks more and more like Windows, still causes discomfort and a sense of being forced into something for users who already have enough problems to worry about.
Of course, in day-to-day work, managers will face tight budgets. Even so, they should think carefully before using Linux with BrOffice, because they will have to spend on training and patience in response to complaints that inevitably arise, as well as on a learning curve that will be steeper than it would be with Windows.
Here is a thought to consider:
Let’s create inspiring environments for employees, or users (the “Spielberg” approach), instead of creating barriers through impositions that may cause dissatisfaction and reduce team productivity (the “Chávez” approach).
Until the next “Think about it!”
Best wishes to everyone.