[KLUG Advocacy] Lindows/"I Hate Linux" rant....

[Adam Williams]

>>>I think this belongs more on advocacy so I'll CC it there...
>>>> previously scratched plans to post a link and respond to the guy because
>>>> I'd pretty much decided it wasn't worth it. Rereading it, though, I
>>>> think maybe it should get a mention: http://tailsteak.netherweb.com/
>>>I read that little rant (as well as a few other articles on this guy's
>>>site).  Basically, the rant is saying "I hate Linux because I am too
>>>lazy to figure it out.  Change is hard."  (paraphrase)
>Very common; evidence of consumerism IMO. If something is good and needed,
>it's often worth figuring out, especially if there are no viable alternatives.

It could be that his Windows system just works for him,  there actually 
are happy Windows users - so he sees no motivation in moving to something 
foriegn.  It does make one wonder what he uses a computer for (he doesn't 
actually say), and how really technical it is,  because Windows is a really 
dreadful platform for network troubleshooting, administration, etc...(but 
you can make it work for the right amount of $,$$$).

>>>He could have learned all the useful commands in
>>>the time it took him to write that rant.
>You think so, clearly he doesn't. 

This is pretty common;  I have several friends who just think switching 
will be so incredibly hard.  And people who have tried (and some switched) 
that say "Oh... that wasn't so big a deal".   Success does depend alot on 
the mentality with which the "problem" is approached.

>It's the oldest story in the world, people
>spend so much energy fighting things, rather than learning about them. Even
>fighting ideas you don't like is better once you've learned about them! 

But that's entirely unAmerican.

>>Or he could have just done his file management via Nautilus.  I know the 
>>command line stuff,  but - what is easier than <click> <Del> (easier than 
>>cd /blah; rm -f file, IMHO)
>Dunno, look real scary to me! :)
>I don't know Nautilus... is there a certification course I can take to
>learn stuff like that? :)

Yea, Call Novell; or wait a week and ask. ;)

>>I notice the site's lack of deep technical content concerning ANY 
>>subject (including Winbloze).  So this guy can call himself a tech guru 
>>all he wants;  the proof is in the PDF.
>This guy calls HIMSELF a technical guru?!? Sheesh! Where I come from the
>term "guru" is applied by OTHER poeple! I NEVER bill myself as a guru or
>any other kind of honorific title; it seems arrogant. I've also had the 
>real honor of speaking to audiences where there were REAL gurus.

Right, but alot of people apparently mean less by "Guru" than I do.  When 
I think guru I'm thinking:  Andrew Tridgell or Jeremy Allison (Samba & all 
things CIFS), Howard Chu (LDAP), etc...  Every one else is maybe a mere 
uber-geek.

>>>Where would we be if everybody just took the path of least resistance?
>>Probably not too far from where we are.
>Well, we're not bashing stones over each others'' heads any more... well, 
>maybe we are, but we have more choices now.. 

Yep, we can drop stones from miles up, or hurl them thousands of miles. :)

>and we have toasters, writing,
>and the wheel... so we've gone somewhere in the last few thousand years...

I think writing and the week were hear more than a few thousand years ago.  
But I'll give you the toaster.  We still haven't accomplished much in the 
way of life-style/quality/duration equalization - a rather small 
percentage of the world population lives a life enviable by a low-order 
greek diety, and then there is everybody else.  Could be the result of 
spending so much on those flying-magic-head-spliting stones.