IF you have not had a chance to watch the short intro video on the www.mojaveexperiment.com site you should take the two minutes and watch it so you get what I am about to say.
BASIC IDEA
Microsoft suspects that Windows Vista has a terrible reputation not because of legitimate user disappointment but because of user ignorance. So they bring in 140 people who have no experience with Windows Vista, ask them a bunch of questions to find out why they don't like it, then they run a demo to show them the upcoming new OS called "Windows Mojave". Which of course demonstrates that all of their issues with Vista will be resolved in this new release. They actually tailored each demo to address the negative feedback from the user. Once the demo is done you hear the users saying things like "WOW! I give Mojave a perfect 10!" or "I can't wait until it is released so I can go get it!". At this point the individual conducting the interview let's the user in on a little secret... Mojave is Vista. (cue sucker punch sound track)
CONCLUSION
The conclusion then is that the problems are not within Vista, but within the negative buzz. The users are making their decision on word of mouth rather than personal experience. The blog world is freaking out over this. Many feel that it demonstrates that the average user is dumb and trusts buddy #1 rather than personal experience and many feel that the test proves Microsoft is the biggest looser. Blaming the user, their potential customer, for buying into a negative buzz certainly to have been generated by a collaboration between a Linux geek and Apple snob.
APPLICATION
I have lost track of how many pastors or leaders I have heard say, "If these people would just get on board!" or "If these people would just get it!" or "The guy before me did such a bad job that we are fighting a negative buzz that is not based on today's reality."
The most powerful advertising has always been and always will be word of mouth. I trust my best friend way more than Sam Waterston. I even trust my neighbor more than him. He was a darn good attorney on Law and Order, but how does he know which fiber supplement will help me the most? Maybe that is why Jesus' method was to make more disciples instead of more preachers. Hmmm....
As a leader, what am I doing to teach, lead and guide people into a more full understanding of what it means to follow Jesus? What opportunities have I provided for people to experience who he is?
I don't know why so many of us, like Microsoft, point the finger and yell out, "See!! It's not me it's you!".
What a bummer. So much energy into proving I am right rather than into fueling the mission.
*** Editorial Note: I wrote this post using Windows Live Writer on Windows Vista Ultimate. Two products I enjoy. I use Vista on more of my computers than any other OS. My primary laptop is a MacBook and I run Linux on two machines.
3 comments:
Whether someone uses or likes Windows Vista, Mac OS X, or Linux doesn't says anything about what kind of person you are or whether you are cool or not, in my opinion. (Well, except that Linux fans do tend to be techie geeks ;-)
That's why I'm continually surprised at how many people get emotional about defending or criticizing Windows or OS X. It's just software! I know you aren't like that, Josh, but your post reminds me how many people do get worked up over the question "Is Windows Vista good?" or the endless, boring Mac vs. Windows debate.
And you know where I work and what I work on :-)
"He was a darn good attorney on Law and Order, but how does he know which fiber supplement will help me the most?"
LOL!!
Good point- The Bible does say that He gave "some" to be apostles, teachers, preachers, etc, but He told us all to go and make disciples.
Love your thought provoking posts, Josh!
Hey John, thanks for posting your comment. I love to hear your feedback on posts, but I was specifically hoping that you would pipe in on this one. I will openly admit that I threw in a couple stereotypes just for kicks.
It is interesting how emotional people get over issues like this. You hear the same type of reaction from a die hard WordPress user if you mention Blogger. It can be like walking into a road house on the outskirts of Dillon Texas and declaring that Chevy trucks rule.
If you read the comments to the blog posts on the site for the PR company who actually put this study together you will be blown away by how passionate people become over this issue.
My goal was simply to share with you, the readers, what type of stuff goes on in my brain when I read the paper and come across stories like this.
Anyway, Vista runs great on my MacBook. ;-)
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