[KLUG Advocacy] WorldNetDaily Breaking up with Bill

[Adam Tauno Williams]

>  http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=35163

"Now, understand that Microsoft is not a monopoly. The fact that it does a very
good job of hooking the technologically clueless makes it an astute competitor,
not an antitrust violator."

Well, they *ARE* an antitrust violator.  The court system said so.  One can be
both an antitrust violator AND and astute competitor (which they certainly are).

"It is, nevertheless, an evil empire, and moreover, one that is antithetical to
human freedom."

Quite a claim!

"Whereas Microsoft once represented freedom of choice,"

Eh?  When?  Once upon a time I could run NT on x86, MIPS, or Alpha.  That didn't
last long.  Otherwise what choice?

"One week ago, after wrestling with a nasty virus that took down my entire ISP,"

Geeesh, there is an ISP that runs NT?  Still?

"It was the realization that Microsoft is building the Great Eye That Never
Sleeps, which, in combination with your government identification number, will
be used to track you, verify you and determine if you are a properly obedient
little wage-serf"

I disagree with this logic.  There is no *HARD* evidence of any kind of
collusion between M$ and the gub'ment.  In fact,  I think they look like
competitors for much the same space.  One doesn't need a single hook in any OS
to build the "Great Eye",  that wire that stretches out of your house goes
somewhere....  and everythign coming into/outta your house rides it.

"It wasn't a piece of cake, but it honestly wasn't hard and I was fully
operational by the second day. In fact, I'm writing this column on
OpenOffice.org 1.1.0 Writer, which reads and writes to all of my Word documents
without a murmur of complaint."

Finally a bit we agree on.  Of course this depends a great deal on the hardware
he was using.

"Four days into Linux, my conclusion is that the casual computer user will not
be able to make the switch yet, but the power user can. And should."

At least a brief summary as to why he things this would be nice.

"Vox Day is a novelist and Christian libertarian."

Ah, a libertarian! :)  That explains the 'tude.

Adam Tauno Williams
Network & Systems Administrator
Morrison Industries
Grand Rapids, Mi. USA