Slashdot Mirror
Why PHBs Fear Linux
Tin Foil Hat writes "Paul Murphy over at LinuxInsider examines the role IT text books play in business school curriculums and the misconceptions and misinformation that they present to students. If you've ever wondered why your PHB just doesn't get it when it comes to UNIX and Linux, this article is for you."
He read in Windows Magazine that it was bad.
They can't afford the SCO License Fee
http://www.beyourowneviloverlord.tk
http://www.frozenchickenthrowing.tk
http://www.killercamel.tk
So when you remark "My PHB is a clueless, drooling half-wit." it's really a case of nuture over nature?
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=phb&r =67
Basically, it's a Bachelor of Philosophy.
My PHB says it's too hard to install printers
"If you think you have things under control, you're not going fast enough." --Mario Andretti
--
Twoflower
IIRC, AFAIK PHB means pointy-haired boss.
I remember when legal used to mean lawful, now it means some kind of loophole. - Leo Kessler
They have stock in Microsoft.
Karma whorin' since 1999
Keep in mind that these guys were pushing cobol up until about 3 years ago
Pushing COBOL after the Y2K scare? That's ballsy!
Trolling is a art,
But what's the excuse for this?
OH NO! FILE SHARING? WE'D BETTER GO BACK TO DOS!Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
You're aware that you can purchase commercial distributions of Linux that are quite pricy, right? Something like Red Hat's high end server product, Red Hat Enterprise Linux Advanced Server starts at $1500, for example. I'm reasonably sure you can find a Linux distributor that will be happy to do business with you if your primary requirement is high cost.
May we never see th
Hi, this is your PHB.
I warned you before about reading and posting on slashdot during work hours. Maybe you'll have better luck on your next job and your boss won't be a PHB.
ARe you kidding? Everyone knows that Linux is a hacker Operating System. They also know that hackers break into your computer over the phone line and steal your credit card information! Crackers are just what you put cheese on...
/sarcasm
Ignorance:1
Knowledge:0
There are quite a few bosses out there which are either thoughtful or well informed.
You know, today's not April Fools' Day. That was yesterday (just ask michael).
The only reason we have the rights we have is that people just like us died to gain those rights. -- Cheerio Boy
Pretty Hot Babe
Pipe-wielding Hoard of Baboons
Pierced Head Banger
Packed Hand Brush
Pickled Hypothalamus Borsht
Oh, there are so many more! Somebody Please put a Head in my Bullet!
> there are students in my classes who couldn't use a terminal to save their lives or work remotely without a GUI. They just don't understand the system commands
/bin/shields/
Do you perceive this as a problem? What do you think 30+ years of GUI development has been for -- isn't this statement a proof of its [GUIs] success (or, gasp, is it proof of MS Windows' success?) What am I trying to say here?
Not trying to be difficult or anything, but I think this kind of comment is redundant. Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly comfortable with command line tools, but hey, it's the 21st century. Imagine if the bridge of the Enterprise was commanded by a load of people typing 100-char length phrases into the computers:
Picard: "Worf! Red Alert! Shields Up!"
Worf: "Yes sir!"
~$ su -
incorrect password
*damn*
~$ su -
~# cd
~# shelds up
'shelds' command not found
*damn*
Picard: "Worf?"
*noise of klingon disrupter ripping through hull*
Anyhow, you get my meaning. Cmdline is great for nostalgia most of the time, and sometimes you can't do without it, but this is a failing of the GUI in most cases, IMO.
Thoughts?
- Oisin
PGP KeyId: 0x08D63965
Heh. A computer studies book at school here states that "Bill Gates invented BASIC".
Absolutely un-frickin'-believable.
From the article: For example if vendor A's product runs on the UNIX operating system and vendor B's runs on Windows NT, vendor A may try to influence the company to view the UNIX platform as a requirement. Simultaneously, vendor B might try to include features that are difficult to obtain through Unix. From this, our future MBA or CPA learns that Unix people are bigots..."
.NET and VB/C#...
It was mentioned in another thread that there is the definite stereotype of the superioristic, socially inept, f-you if you don't get it or cannot make it work by writing for {insert toolkit here} with {insert (scripting) language here} on {insert distro here}. Many *nix people come across as only being interested in technology as the means and the end, and only that technology which they approve of as being cool.
Your typical MBA doesn't care how cool one language/database/operating system is versus another, they want results, and they want you to spell it out in a cogent cost/benefit summary that they can understand. If all you can puke out is "I am a Unix God and Windows sucks monkey balls" why are you surprised when the consultant with half a clue, an expensive suit, and a degree in technical writing hands him a proposal that is in his native "MBA" language that wins the bid? Could it be that our consultant was not effectively unrefuted by anything substantial from the foaming-at-the-mouth *nix advocate?
It is true that Linux will not be a dominant force on the desktop until there is a pretty, easy to use, intuitive, and well supported GUI. In the same way, until someone does a better marketing job than the boys from Redmond, keep current on
Why do you need root to set shields? Worf's userid should be part of the security group...
Or in the GUI world....
Picard: "Raise all shields, 2/3rds power to the forward shields."
Worf:
Click on work with shields
Click on advanced properties
Clippy pops up with "I see you're preparing to defend the ship..."
Highlight the forward shields
Click on raise to power, roll the roller to 66%
Click on apply now
Click on confirmation box
Highlight the remaining shields
Click on raise to power, roll the roller to 33%
Click on apply now
Click on the confirmation box
I've no idea why my dungeons and dragons player's handbook is afraid :(
--I hate big sigs.
Boxes, plural form of Box: a usually self-contained piece of electronic equipment. My boss bought new Linux boxes for the data center.
Boxen, plural form of fuck all: a term used by goddamn IT morons to identify themselves to other goddamn IT morons. My boss fired me for inventing stupid words and using them in company wide emails; now who will administrate my boxen? See also: PEBKAC, ROFLMAO, User Friendly.
Hey freaks: now you're ju
I think it was all the people shooting at each other.
is the U.S. a republic, or a democracy? whats the difference?
Tick question! Gotcha! It's a corporate oligarchy.
I'm guessing that these PHB cadets don't find many errors in their textbooks.
If I could actually stand to be around these sorts of people, boy the fun I would have!
"We've secretly replaced this textbook's normal chapter 4 with this new chapter 4 that contains assertions like 'grass is purple' and 'gasoline tastes yummy'. Let's see if the PHB cadets notice the difference..."
It's been my experience that students with a genuine interest in their studies tend to view all textbooks with a healthy skepticism.
Agreeing with Mr. Murphy is hard. I can't accept that it is really 'ok' to be terribly opinionated (one way or the other) about topics with which you are unfamiliar. I'd say that many (not all) have a great chance of being genuinely moronic.