Arch Linux

Berticus

Member

Registered: 2008-06-11

Posts: 731

Why brand?

I've always hated branding, but it seems a lot of people like it, so I'm curious about why they like it so much. Like you see branding, literally, everywhere! When you look at people's computer, it'll have a sticker with Intel or AMD. PC's and notebooks installed with Windows will have a Windows sticker. Heck, when you order components, they give you stickers to put on your rig. I've got a few Enermax, Antec, AMD, EVGA and probably even a Corsair sticker in my box filled with random PC stuff. You see menu buttons, wallpapers and display managers boasting what's under the hood whether it's Arch, Gentoo, Debian, Slackware, Fedora, Ubuntu, Windows or just Linux in general. You even see branding happening to things that have nothing to do with companies. For example, my ex-roommate has an electric guitar, and he's got an apple sticker on it. Last time I checked, apple didn't make guitars... If anything, I'd have a Fender sticker on it, but as I said earlier, I hate branding, so I'd really leave it alone.

Personally, I think branding looks ugly.

tlaloc

Member

From: Lower Saxony

Registered: 2006-05-12

Posts: 359

Re: Why brand?

It is a symbolic construction of communities (each community is a symbolic construction).
And no, it is not superfluous - if I take off the "designed for XP" sticker from my laptop (or my guitar) and replace that with something else, I am making kind of a statement - where I belong to. I agree that is it somewhat silly, but hey - this sense of belonging is important! That is why we have a great wiki, good forums, TUs, and patches on the MLs.

sniffles

Member

Registered: 2008-01-23

Posts: 275

Re: Why brand?

Personally I don't want to have anything to do with branding. I don't need to show anyone what operating system I run and I don't need to make any statements. Hardly anyone except me ever actually sees my computers and/or takes a look at what my monitors are displaying anyway. And I don't need no "Arch Linux" desktop background either.

dyscoria

Member

Registered: 2008-01-10

Posts: 1,007

Re: Why brand?

I should get paid by Logitech for advertising their stuff. From where i'm sitting now I can see their logo 7 times

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flack 2.0.6: menu-driven BASH script to easily tag FLAC files (AUR)
knock-once 1.2: BASH script to easily create/send one-time sequences for knockd (forum/AUR)

JeremyTheWicked

Member

From: Poland

Registered: 2008-05-23

Posts: 193

Re: Why brand?

I think tlaloc hit the nail right on the head - it's the sense of belonging people are looking for. We're social animals after all - it's important to most people to know where they belong.

I, for one, don't need to brag about the things I use with huge bumper-stickers, schwag or whatever but I like my Archlinux GDM theme

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arch(3) adj amused because you think you understand something better than other people ;P

Dusty

Schwag Merchant

From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Registered: 2004-01-18

Posts: 5,986

Website

Re: Why brand?

I, for one, don't need to brag about the things I use with huge bumper-stickers, schwag

Schwag isn't just advertising; its support... monetary feedback, but unlike a donation you get something you can use. :-)

Dusty

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** Arch Linux Apparel and more ** Arch Linux stickers, laptop bags, jewelery ** I wrote a book on Python 3 ** and one on mental health **

JeremyTheWicked

Member

From: Poland

Registered: 2008-05-23

Posts: 193

Re: Why brand?

@Dusty: sure, you're right about that. I didn't mean to undermine your enterprise

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arch(3) adj amused because you think you understand something better than other people ;P

emphire

Member

From: Canada

Registered: 2007-03-21

Posts: 203

Re: Why brand?

I think sometimes it's to stand-out rather than to belong to a group too.  I've seen people at work put-up linux penguins everywhere in our Windows-only environment.
I think sometimes it's to project an image too.  Hmmm... My girlfriend used to have a play-boy bunny on her guitar...

Berticus

Member

Registered: 2008-06-11

Posts: 731

Re: Why brand?

Hmmm... My girlfriend used to have a play-boy bunny on her guitar...

Because she was in part of the playboy community or she's got a playboy image

jk

sniffles

Member

Registered: 2008-01-23

Posts: 275

Re: Why brand?

Maybe she just liked the magazine

iBertus

Member

From: Greenville, NC

Registered: 2004-11-04

Posts: 2,228

Re: Why brand?

Speeking of which, does anyone know where to get a spiffy Arch case sticker for my laptop? All the schwag site has is round stickers like you put on a book or unsuspecting bullitin board.

Cerebral

Forum Fellow

From: Waterloo, ON, CA

Registered: 2005-04-08

Posts: 3,108

Website

Re: Why brand?

I brand because it makes me feel cool.

This post brought to you by Microsoft Windows, Arch Linux, Canada Dry Ginger Ale, Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboards, PunBB, and Phrakture.

Dusty

Schwag Merchant

From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Registered: 2004-01-18

Posts: 5,986

Website

Re: Why brand?

Speeking of which, does anyone know where to get a spiffy Arch case sticker for my laptop? All the schwag site has is round stickers like you put on a book or unsuspecting bullitin board.

This question comes up a lot. Zazzle has no support for case badge style stickers aside from the round stickers you saw and these: http://www.zazzle.com/archlinux/product … 8394303693 (both of which you can cut with scissors into the case badge shape.

There has been so much interest in custom case badges though, that I'm thinking of reinvesting some of the schwag profits into some custom metalic and/or domed badges and I would mail them out to users themselves. They'd probably be about $3 + shipping (from Canada to wherever you are).

Dusty

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** Arch Linux Apparel and more ** Arch Linux stickers, laptop bags, jewelery ** I wrote a book on Python 3 ** and one on mental health **

faelar

Member

From: Amiens (FR)

Registered: 2007-12-18

Posts: 232

Website

Re: Why brand?

Branding is fun for many people, it proves your ability to find new stickers
For companies, it's an easy way to do advertising.
I removed as many branding logos from my computer as I can, and I'm still feeling bad 'cause I cannot get ride of the serial number under my laptop...
What I have done is sticking little kitten (LU powered) on every window at school.
Conclusion, sticking is fun, but doing like anyone else is not !

I don't need to show anyone what operating system I run and I don't need to make any statements. Hardly anyone except me ever actually sees my computers and/or takes a look at what my monitors are displaying anyway. And I don't need no "Arch Linux" desktop background either.

To many people asked me what was running on my computer. Arch logo is great, so I made a nice wallpaper which fills my tastes and answer for me

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ArchServer

Berticus

Member

Registered: 2008-06-11

Posts: 731

Re: Why brand?

Well I see the commercial aspect of branding. But why would you do it was my question. I suppose the community thing would make some sense... The only problem is nobody else really sees it... Once in a while you may have a passerby who is in the same community and exclaims, "oh you have one too?!"

Maybe she just liked the magazine

Not quite as fun for us...  Unless she was in a playboy mag enjoying her playboy mag

peets

Member

From: Montreal

Registered: 2007-01-11

Posts: 936

Website

Re: Why brand?

Here's an unverified observation based on personal experience: seeing mentions of something all over the place increase one's chances of trying that thing. Of course some dialectic effects are bound to occur in the extremes... I initially tried Mozilla because I kept on reading about it on the internet; it was the first free software that I consciously used. Passive advertising of a product/thing I think is great is not a bad thing.

heleos

Member

From: Maine, USA

Registered: 2007-04-24

Posts: 678

Re: Why brand?

To display opinions... or sweet hardware

peets

Member

From: Montreal

Registered: 2007-01-11

Posts: 936

Website

Re: Why brand?

Berticus

Member

Registered: 2008-06-11

Posts: 731

Re: Why brand?

To display opinions... or sweet hardware

Yeah, but sweet hardware doesn't usually last long..  Within a few months, top of the line become midrange for CPU's and GPU's. PSU's, RAM and mobo on the other hand, keep them for a year and it'll still be sweet.

funkyou

Member

From: Berlin, DE

Registered: 2006-03-19

Posts: 848

Website

Re: Why brand?

I think the KDE people are doing it right in terms of branding...

- In KDE4, they have a sexy default setup (the "oldschool look" of KDE3 was the only reason for us to create a completely new theme and new app defaults for KDEmod)
- Their stuff supports branding directly, so no hacks needed. Just add your picture and you are ready to go... Its still in its beginnings, but it already shows the potential (tm)

All in all, i like branding. But it shouldnt be uglier than the default

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want a modular and tweaked KDE for arch? try kdemod

droog

Member

Registered: 2004-11-18

Posts: 877

Re: Why brand?

I never used to brand my stuff but since i put arch stickers and posters over everything i noticed all the ladies have alot more interest.

arch_nemesis

Member

Registered: 2008-12-19

Posts: 115

Re: Why brand?

I konw I'm dredging up an old thread, but it was referenced elsewhere...  http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php? … 62#p474362

With most things I really don't get into branding.  There are no stickers or other markings on my vehicle or anything else I own proclaiming that I bought merchandise from whatever company.  All the stickers on my laptop that said AMD and etc are gone (and were gone 30 mins after I brought it home). 

But I tend to be excited about whatever distro I'm running -- or I'm not running it.  For this reason alone I'm happy to have the Arch logo on my menu button and wallpaper - not as a reminder to me of course, but as one outlet for my enthusiasm.  Stylistically it can provide a certain common element to several components of your system.  My GDM uses the same colors and background as my desktop, and it gives a consistent feel.

And also, because I AM excited about Arch, I love to talk about it or would love to be the one who turns someone else on to it.  Anyone who chances to use my  computer knows immediately what to ask me about if they like it. (and hopefully my build is never in such bad shape that I'd drive someone away from Arch... )

I can see why people may choose not to use branding, and I have many wallpapers that I love that don't have anyone's logo on them.  I get as annoyed as anyone that 75% of the wallpapers at Gnome-Look have the Ubuntu logo on them. (But I wish more of them had the Arch Logo. )  I just tend to gravitate towards finding something I like that also has a logo for the distro I'm using, and where the logo doesn't detract from whatever it's on.

Last edited by arch_nemesis (2009-01-04 05:25:25)

skottish

Forum Fellow

From: Here

Registered: 2006-06-16

Posts: 7,942

Re: Why brand?

arch_nemesis, looks like you get the last one in.