Re: [chat] Re: [SLUG] Take 1.5 hrs to learn why linux sucks. ;)

[Felix Sheldon <dark_paw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 2003-07-12 at 03:17, Bret Comstock Waldow wrote:
> On Fri, 2003-07-11 at 04:39, Felix Sheldon wrote:
> 
> > And if Linux is an improvement on Unix, then how come there's still
> > Unixes? 
> 
> For the same reason we still have George W. Bush as President, M$ as a
> popular OS, and McDonalds as a popular fast food restaurant.  People
> don't do smart, they do convenient, they do superstitious, they do
> ego...
> 

Hopefully you realise I wasn't serious there =) One of the more
laughable creationist arguments goes: "If we evolved from monkeys, then
how come there are still monkeys?"

But yeah, the stuff in the slideshow just goes to show how well M$ have
learned that lesson. 

"Seek out the highest level 'business decision maker' who has some kind
of problems, 'align their vision' with a Microsoft solution and then use
them to provide 'executive sponsorship'"


> No, I don't think GNU/Linux is the right choice in all circumstances,
> but it's also true people don't commonly make the "right" choice (is
> there always only one?) - rather they make the choice they want to
> make.  And then spend enormous time justifying, defending, arguing their
> choice so they can attempt to reconcile their surroundings with their
> choice.  So they feel more comfortable, so their self-image isn't
> challenged.
> 

Yup, just like your average creationist really =)  

> It happens inside people's heads, but they pretend it's what's going on
> generally.  Reality is for people who are willing to accept that things
> are the way they turn out to be, rather than the way we find
> convenient.  (Although sometimes I find things to be convenient, too. 
> Bonus.)
> 

Agreed, and once they achieve a place in this warm fuzzy "reality", they
can be totally incapable of even thinking about something that might
throw them out into hard cold reality. But show them something which
reinforces their view and you have their full attention.


> And on behalf of the United States, I would like to offer my most humble
> apologies for the McDonalds virus.  Although, on reflection, perhaps the
> Clown shoud have tipped us all off...
> 

No worries, we've had our revenge already. (Thanks, Mr Erwin!)

> I like the approach of requiring non-proprietary formats in publicly
> owned software and data...it is ours, after all.
> 

Sure, but the sad thing is that half the time you can't get government
data in any form at all. Personally, I'd like to see "Big Brother:
Parliament House Edition". We've already got the voting out procedures
in place :) 

As a business, about the only argument I can see against open sourcing
your development work is that it might assist the competition. I fail to
see how this can apply to a government department though. Do we really
care if a Victorian local council gets a free ride with something
developed in Sydney?



-- 
Felix Sheldon <dark_paw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>