[KLUG Members] What makes Linux great?

[Bruce Smith]

> Microsoft sees Linux as their second greatest threat.  The first
> was the poor economy, so Linux may be #1 by this point.  The
> point is that Linux is the target they're training their guns on.

So you don't believe that M$ really wants to become friends and learn
from Linux?  They are going to pull a Battlestar Galactica on us?  :-)

> Their stated intention is to make sure that no computers run Linux.
> ("Windows Everywhere" leaves little room for alternatives.)

I'm sure a lot of companies would like to be the only game in town.  
A lot of companies have it as a goal. 

> They will do this by making sure your BIOS will only boot Windows:
> They will do this by making sure your CPU will only boot Windows:
> They will do this by making sure your Linux applications cannot
> interoperate with the applications the rest of the world uses:
> And they will do this by marginalizing free operating systems with
> their lies, to kill the hardware market for CPUs and BIOSes that
> run Linux:

OK, so maybe M$ goes farther than most other companies to accomplish
their goals.  :-)

> If you enjoy using Linux, why would you help Microsoft kill it?

Because it won't kill Linux.

I don't want the Linux community to become the next "Microsoft" and 
I don't want Linux to be the only game in town.  We can be nice, help
them out, and be a class act.  We don't have to fight dirty like M$.
We are still going to beat them at their own game because our
development model and product is superior.  The only way M$ will end up
staying in business in the long run is to make some serious changes like
embracing and becoming open source.  I believe that would be a good
change for everyone, and I don't mind telling that in their survey.

 - BS