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World Govs Choose Linux For Security & More
pjones writes "Government Technology reports that "For reasons of national security and national pride, government officials in countries like China, France and Germany are increasingly adopting the free, open-source computer operating system known as Linux." Noted in the article are China's Red Flag, NSA's Security-Enhanced Linux and much more."
"Our desire is simply to use software products other than Microsoft's."
Doesn't Bill have feelings too?
There have been a couple of articles on IX about the German parliament considering a migration from NT4 to either Linux or Windows, the latest news from that battle was that Microsoft promised to make the sourcecode of Windows XP available to the German government for inspection.
...
One thing that keeps me curious is how they (the closed source evil-doers) could possibly guarantee that the source code they give out to selected people is the code they build the actual system from, I mean do they actually say "build your own windows"?
A nation hell bent on suppressing free speech (China) embracing an operating system thats underlying belief structure is pure free speech. What next? Microsoft using the BSD TCP/IP stack? Oh... wait... ;-)
If you're having trouble forcing the Babelfish to catch the pop-up window, you're missing a real classic! For some reason, the Babelfish doesn't parse and catch the popup.
It's cached here: translation
It starts with
Respect husband / woman:
Hello!
If only it ended with "all your base are belong to us". =)
Oh
... that explains it - i've spilled cofee on my shirt
The problem with Fur Hat Linux is that it makes your CPU overheat when you use it in places where the local temperature above -20 degrees farenheit. However, this problem wasn't discovered until the Siberian hackers who developed it sent it to a more temperate part of Russia to put it into widespread government use...still, looking at the bright side, they are however looking forward to becoming the world's largest operating system provider in walk-in freezers everywhere.
In SOVIET RUSSIA... erm...NSA AMERICA, the Internet logs onto YOU!
I took the bait!
.jpgs.
1) Drop the CD in and type 'setup' and Windows installs itself, whereas you need a manual to tell you what should be installed for Linux.
So I've got this PC sitting here with no operating system or I just installed a new hard drive and I just drop in a cd and hit install? Like windows' comes on a CD that is bootable? Oh they finally got around to that with XP and 2000... gotcha
2) Hmm, all the best games and software are written for Windows, whereas Linux scrapes all of the leftovers and second class software from the people who don't get paid very well for their work.
*All* the best games are written for Windows? You are right. Linux doesn't have many big selling games available for it like Quake [I, II or III] The Sims, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Unreal Tournament, or anything else. Maybe this isn't anyone's fault except the game writers?
3) If you have a problem with your computer, you can always call the company who put it together for you, whereas with Linux you have to work your problem around the schedule of some pasty unshaven lout who is wired to explode after drinking one too many Red Bull energy drinks.
Always? After a year and a day most will tell you to go fuck yourself. You can't call M$ - most of the time they say call your builder. Have you ever dealt with anyone's tech support? Most companies either replace the part[s] or nothing. No one holds your hand - they sell you a book, yes there is books for Windoze. OH! If your hardware isn't supported yet it maybe supported one day under linux. Under windows, it either is or isn't. People at M$ don't just sit around writing drivers for fun, but the linux community does.
4) So what if Linux is cheaper? You get what you pay for, people. Why buy a used car and worry about getting the thing running (a problem with Linux) when you can buy a new car and not have to worry?
Unfortunatly you don't get anything with your cash when you buy windoze. Solitare, and other apps that you need to rush back to the store to upgrade... worth 99 bucks? And if your shit ain't supported in winbloze M$ will tell you to suck it and call the maker - which will tell you to suck it because they don't support windows X9000 or whatever.
Oh yeah, how many thousand of apps come with windows? How many CDs in the box? By far more software *comes* with Linux. I've always wondered... how much does the Norton [Symantec] stock price jump when a new version of windows is announced.
5) Does your computer crash when you install Windows on it? Maybe that's because you built the thing from the guts of obsolete machines. Also, if you want to buy your parts off of pricewatch.com, expect to get parts that don't work properly. Does this mean that Linux is better because it has a higher compatibility with different components? NO. It means that Windows has higher standards.
Windows is SUPPOSED to be the umbrella that all computer parts, and standards sit under! Higher standards - like memory leaks, daily 'defrags', no security, control over hardware makers? I once tried to install 98 on a machine of a friend that had recently lost all of his data because of 'registry' errors and the like. Pre-built system 2 months over warrantee. No recovery CD was supplied from the PC maker and his machine sat for months because 98 would not finish the installation. Now he bought XP, can't wait for that! PS: Pricewatch doesn't sell a fucking thing.
6) Windows users, on average, copulate far more than Linux users. Windows users also don't smell like cheddar cheese.
Bill Gates is laid daily by women of all races from around the globe! You could be as well if you bought Windows XP Professional and not Home Edition! Gimme' a break.
7) My mother knows how to use Windows. Does your mother know how to use Linux?
Leave my mother out of this! Actually she is a dual booter! RedHat on one drive [doesn't use] and Mandrake on the other. She got rid of Windows when she bought ME and it froze every hour or so. She would wake up... go to the PC and see that nice pretty blue-screen saver.
8) Nobody has -EVER- been able to hack my machine or install any virus simply because I turn off Active Scripting. You take scripting away, and suddenly my Windows machine is more secure than your bodged up Linux b0xen.
Mind sharing your IP address with us? How much did you get raped for your Anti-Virus software?
9) Programs written for Windows work in Windows, whereas you have to know the program inside and out to get the thing to compile in *nix.
Compile? That's so 20th century. Desktop users these days are apt-getting and rpm'n this and that.
10) Don't like the way something is running in Windows? Change it with the click of a button. Don't like the way something is running in Linux? Recompile the god damned kernel and pray the thing doesn't hex dump over your Sarah Michelle Gellar
I don't like how things stop running in windows frankly. How do I change that? You seem to be someone that when shown a DOS prompt you say WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?
Sound about right to you? Well, I thought so.
By the way, 'No Money' sounds more appropriate than 'National Pride' as a reason for using Linux.
When you pay for basic software on thousands, maybe millions of PC's then you tend to be lighter in the wallet.
Sincerely,
Linuxisforlosers
Drugs are for losers! Remember that and stay off the crack.
Otherwise, thank you for the amusing post even if you are a fanboy.
I'm not a fanboy - your argument is just silly.
Get your Unix fortune now!
I think that you're overstating things a bit. For example, one of America's most important contributions to world heritage is the "value meal". However, we only really added packaging and marketing to this phenomenon. At its core, it still is comprised of two European concepts: the French fry and the Hamburger.