RE: [chat] MS bashing - WAS: NZ Company resuses to duplicate Knoppix CDs

["Jon Biddell" <jon@xxxxxxxxx>]

E xcuse the "top posting", but this is probably the most sensible email I have seen on this list yet....

 

I still dislike their policies, and their bloated software and anti-competitive practices (like the NZ CD issue), but what Michael says (unfortunately) makes good sense....

> G'day.... 
>
> Jon B> Posting this wasn't meant to be M$ bashing, just pointing out 
>   a
> Jon B> ridiculous business practice.
>
> Unfortunately the most I've heard out of this article 
>   has been horrendous Microsoft bashing. 
>
> Now, MS isn't my most favourite company in the world, however whenever 
>   *anything* that may be perceived as negative happens regarding Linux - sooner 
>   or later it's Microsoft's fault - and almost always sooner. Does Microsoft 
>   really conspire that much???  Even if they do, is it worth our energy 
>   anyway? 
>
> Such a level of paranoia 
>   is remarkable!  It certainly isn't something that promotes our 
>   cause. 
>
> Not everything Microsoft 
>   does sucks - and even when it has, at least its been something and people have 
>   been purchasing. Others may do it better, yes, but MS has still played a part 
>   in our computing history - like it or not. 
>
> We are always the first to jump up and down regarding 
>   Microsoft anti-competitiveness and FUD - yet we ourselves act that way towards 
>   MS. This isn't always a bad thing - but you know it's tiring. (You know we 
>   don't always listen to the end-user when MS does - and sometimes that means 
>   dumbing things down technically, and we don't want to hear that.) 
>   
>
> I guess my point is for all their faults 
>   Microsoft must be doing a number of things right and we can learn from that - 
>   or at least not have to put them down in order to try to advocate 
>   Linux. 
>
> Part of the philosophy 
>   around Linux is the "we all win" concept - something I love!  It's not 
>   "we will win if Microsoft looses" - something that is only a hollow victory - 
>   but something that seems to be a common recurrent theme. 
>
> What else would we be doing if we weren't just trying 
>   to combat Microsoft's anti-competitiveness and monopolising pushes? Lets start 
>   focussing on that, as that is going to be far more attractive to people than 
>   just trying to outdo Microsoft. (Remember that kid at school who would always 
>   big note themselves by putting others down, while we could say that MS is 
>   doing that - isn't it time we were responsible for when we do that as 
>   well?) 
>
> Please don't misinterpret 
>   this, they're still may be a lot of smelly things around MS - but lets let 
>   GNU/Linux stand on its own merits rather than the shortfalls of others - it is 
>   after all a most brilliant OS with brilliant people and a brilliant philosophy 
>   behind it. 
>
> Warmest 
>   regards
>
> Mike
> ---
> Michael S. E. Kraus
> Network 
>   Administrator
> Capital Holdings Group (NSW) Pty Ltd
> p: (02) 9955 
>   8000