Slashdot Mirror
Perception of Linux Among IT Undergrads
iconian writes: "The Linux Journal has a story on IT students and their perception of Linux. One of the funnier myths perceived to be true is that 'Microsoft's technical support is the best in the industry and is superior to that offered by the Linux community.' It just goes to show how little real world experience students have. It's a bit disturbing considering they will be the next generation of technology workers."
Good support doesn't make up for poor products. I know a guy who frequently has to call Microsoft tech support with his job. Microsoft charge to call the number UNLESS it is something they can't fix or it's a bug in the software. He has called literally hundreds of times and NEVER had to pay a penny.
I know of one Govt department that hires an MCSE full time to literally wander round the site, rebooting NT boxes... Ive always said, the smart IT grads, are the ones that realise they dont know shit....
That seems to me the practical interpretation of RTFM. After all, what does the "F" stand for? It's not exactly a polite response. I suspect that a lot of the time the guy doesn't know the answer either and is just hiding his ignorance by saying "RTFM".
Am I missing something? RTFM means "Read Those Fine Manuals", right?
Slashdot: Failed Car Analogies. Amateur Lawyering. Anecdote Battles.
im so pissed by that story i dont know where to start. this is my first post to ./ ive been lurking about for a year. i usually get P.O'd be reading the stuff here on the rare occasion i get some usefull info. but i like slashdot. but this shit takes the cake. since when is linux hard to install? ive done about 30 installs no problems windows is another story take the last 10 or so i did the network programs like the ping tracert and a load of other stuff didnt install the first time and dont get me started on XP. i dont own a copy but my brother does nothing but problems. i havent used windows in a long time and have recently destroyed all my windows software i feel very liberated. ive been using Linux for about 5 years dual booting for a while the totally dumping it. and if you get confused by the different distros.... i cant comprehend how stupid you would have to be. and the kde vs gnome argument i have a feeling thats going to be like vi vs emacs competitions good. pick what feels good to you. kde 1x made me physically sick to use now its pretty good. im going to cut this short and close with that idiot statement about linux and the lack of development software anyone in software development that really belives that has to have been living under a rock for the past several years. when i first discovered linux i creamed my jeans when i saw what all it has in the way of dev tools... aw fuck it i need a beer
A little prescriptum: I sent this to Timothy because I assumed he either added the comment or had a chance to edit the comment. Iconian deserves to get a slap too.
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Dear Timothy,
This is in regard to your Slashdot post about students opinions of Linux. Your comment is biased, prejudiced and generally wrong. I would like you to append an apology, admitting you were acting from unbased prejudice.
One of the comments on the article sums up the case. 'Each class has those who exceed, those who do just enough to pass, and those who suck'. Look around at the IT marketplace, and you'll see the same goes for those in IT. Unfortunately, there are a lot of the ones that just pass or suck, and you're judging the whole bundle by them. How would you feel if some schmuck had a bad experience with Windows and decided all IT workers lived to screw the public? You'd go 'NO! Linux users aren't like that!'.
Some students work, most have realworld jobs (the lucky ones in IT) to pay their way and some students put in a lot of recreational time learning extra skills like Linux. I'm one of the ones that does all three. I'm on Linux right now, at a company employing me to write a dynamic website for Linux (it beats McDonalds). I go to my local LUG, and I help people solve their problems. I advocate Linux to staff. I've worked for three years on a degree and I know stuff about UNIX and programming already that I bet most 50-year old IT workers never learnt. I could write a virtual memory library.
Your comment tells employers that they cannot employ graduates to work on Linux. You're saying three years of study, in and out of school, are worthless. Come to that, you're saying Linus is worthless, because he's a graduate too. I'm not trying to say all students are potential Linus', but some are, and it's completely unfair to make statements of the nature you did.
One more quote: 'This is one more reason people turn to Windows instead of Linux: The uber-geek egotistical superiority complex of the loudest Linux users. And unfortunately, the loudest are the ones who get heard'. Quit abusing people on Slashdot, and please add a note to the article admitting prejudice.