Belgium: A Computer in Every Home

joost writes "In an article published online by Belgian newspaper 'Het Nieuwsblad' (sorry only a dutch link), Belgian minister Miss Laurette Onkelinx speaks about her plan to provide every Belgian household with a computer. The minister is (amongst other things) responsible for 'equality' and therefore pushes the plan to provide the less fortunate with a pc. In the same article, she said she already started talking to Compaq for the hardware and Microsoft for the OS. Belgian Linux users are starting a campaign to petition Miss Onkelinx's departement, explaining their concern about the decision, and advising to look towards linux for an alternative.(more on be.comp.os.linux) You too can send an email by clicking here."

Comments

.. and they all will run Windows!

[SlaveTroll]

Something that a lot of these Linux folks don't understand is that people do NOT care to learn how a computer works or how to set it up or how to make it do anything else besides what they want it to do. People use computers as a TOOL, just like a stove or a microwave. I believe that this is one of the main reasons that *nix users find so much distain for Microsoft's products and thier vision of what a computer is supposed to do. It somehow takes away from their l33t status as a basement-based computer geek. What? Regular people are using using a computer in their day to day lives? You have to be a geeko like me to use a computer!?!

The sad fact is, computer's are becoming a part of average people's lives in the same way that all other technological advancements have been integrated into culture since the beginning of humanity. The only people that know how a television works are TV repairmen and the people who build them (hobbiests aside). Likewise, people who only know how a computer works are those that work on them or build them.

Quite simply, Microsoft developed a product that regular people could learn how to use in a relatively short amount of time with the least effort possible. It's just like people learning how to use a remote control or drive a car. So, in this light, the true computer geek's world has been tainted by the "sheep of the masses." So be it. Because even if they are sheep, they make the world turn. They have all of the money, they make everything happen. How many flames, posts, articles have you read that say, "I like Linux but I program with MS technology...hey I gotta put food on the table."

Technology adapts to people, not the other way around.

Re:Thoughtless Hemos...

[Mister Snee]

That's always been the Linux Advocacy Paradox, hasn't it... Microsoft has their "New Windows Whateverthehell Makes What You Do Even Faster, Easier, and More Orgasmic!", and we have "WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU USE WINDOWS?! IT IS SO DUMB AND HAS TEH BUGS. YOU SHOULD USE LINUX!! HERE HAVE A REDHAT CD IT IS FOR DUMB PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO USES WINDOWS AND IS DUMB. OKAY NOW GO USE LINUX GO!"

The fact is that you catch more flies with honey.

Aw well. The Linux way is more fun. :D

Re:Thoughtless Hemos? Bullshit

[Erris]

Unless the e-mail address is intended for receiving huge amounts of e-mail, it IS inconsiderate to post it on the front page of a news site that gets several hundred thousand viewers a day.

We would hope the minister of a good size country would have a big email box and that /var/spool/mail is a seperate device. Then again, she might be running IIS, and the M$ astro turfs took it out yesterday.

One Os

[ayjay29]

Recently one of my friends, a computer wizard, payed me a visit. As we were talking I mentioned having recently installed Windows 98 on my PC and that I am very happy with this operating system. I also showed him the Windows 98 CD, to my surprise he threw it into my micro-wave oven and turned on the oven. Instantly I got very upset, because the CD had become precious to me, but he said: 'Do not worry, it is unharmed.' After a few minutes he took the CD out, gave it to me and said: 'Take a close look at it.' To my surprise the CD was quite cold to hold and it seemed to be heavier than before. At first I could not see anything, but then on the inner edge of the central hole I saw an inscription; an inscription finer than anything I have ever seen before. The inscription shone piercingly bright, and yet remote, as if out of a great depth:

4F6E65204F5320746F2072756C65207468656D20616C6C2C 20 4F6E65204F5320746 F2066696E64207468656D2CDA4F6E65204F5320746F2062726 96E67207468656D20 616C6C20616E6420696E20746865206461726B6E6573732062 696E64207468656D

'I cannot understand the fiery letters,' I said.
'No,' he said 'but I can. The letters are Hex, of an ancient mode, but the language is that of Microsoft, which I shall not utter here. But in common English this is what it says:

One OS to rule them all, One OS to find them,
One OS to bring them all and in the darkness bind them