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

[Robert G. Brown]

On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 12:03:39 -0400, Adam Williams <awilliam@whitemice.org> wrote:
>>>>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.
Does he say so? It might serve to vlarify his position.

>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 $,$$$).

This is the key question, not what you're against, or what you hate, but 
what you expect to get out of using a computer, and what you've found that
serves that end.

I'm not particularly "against" anything, technically. I know what's worked for
me, and I know what my customers are trying to accomplish. All of that is quite
tough enough WITHOUT raining on what someone else is doing, or what they're
using to accomplish it. Sometimes I offer ideas to people where I feel they
can imporive their lot with better tool,.s but if they're not interested or
don't agree, that's their choice (maybe their lost opportunity), not mine.


>>>>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.

Sure, a lot of this is indeed atitude. I'm not really in the attitude-adjusting
business. I can make a good case for something, but if the audience insn't
going to change, I ain't gonna make 'em.

>>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.

Actually, it's completely American. What is isn't is self-involved jingoistic
nonsense.

>>>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. ;)
Oh, I was hoping there was a "Learn Nautilus in 6 hours" video class! :)

>>>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.

Another reason not to self-apply this label; everyone has their own impression
of it. 

>>>>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. :)
Progress! :)

>>and we have toasters, writing,
>>and the wheel... so we've gone somewhere in the last few thousand years...
>I think writing and the wheel were here more than a few thousand years ago.
Doesn'rt matter, thousands, tens of thousands...

>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.
Gee, sounds like more of that UnAmaerican talk to me! :)

>Could be the result of  spending so much on those flying-magic-head-spliting
>stones.
City-splitting, atom-splitting....
							Regards,
							---> RGB <---