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ESR's Halloween XI -- Get the FUD
dave writes "In the newest Halloween Document (mirror), Eric Raymond analyzes Microsoft's 'Get The Facts' road show. The anti-Linux arguments they are using now -- and, even more, the arguments they're *not* using -- reveal how desperate Microsoft is getting. He explains why he thinks we need to focus more on government adoptions, and predicts serious ugliness during the next year."
In a quest for truth in advertising, it will now be called "Get the Spin"
Main Entry: perfervid
Pronunciation: (")p&r-'f&r-v&d, 'p&r-
Function: adjective
Etymology: New Latin perfervidus, from Latin per- thoroughly + fervidus fervid
: marked by overwrought or exaggerated emotion : excessively fervent
Yes, that's exactly what I was going to say.
I just emailed ESR about the gross misreference to GNU/Linux as linux in his article.
Let's see how long until your pants are sued right off of your legs.
You wear pants?
Did I miss the memo? What is "FUD"?
Until I realized, finally, belatedly, what had been happening to me. Until the Great God Pan reached out of my hindbrain and thundered "YOU!" And his gift is music and his chosen instruments the pipes and flutes. And his, too the power of joy; magic so strong that when it flowed out of me, even before I knew what I was doing, it amazed people into awe and incoherence and poetry.
That day I was reborn; from a skinny lame kid with a flute into a shaman and a vessel of the Goat-Foot God, the Piper at the Gates of Dawn, the Horned Lord. And the music was my first power, but not my last.
ESR is off the deep end.
Windows 2000?
This "Get the Facts" tour sounds like a Jon Lovitz "liar" sketch on Saturday Night Live.
...to show who says what.
Stallman GNU/linux Free Software Bearded Chaotic Good
Linus linux Open Source(?) Unbearded True Neutral
Eric linux Open Source Hitler Mustache Chaotic Evil
Bruce P GNU/linux Free Software Beardless Lawful Good
Alan Cox GNU/lin(mostly) Free Software Mighty beard Chaotic Good
Mass migration looms.
Big business senses problems,
Sticks finger in dike.
Rule #1 -- Politics always trumps technology.
I forgot the close sarcasm tag. ;) ;) ;)
+5:offtopic,but anti-American
Hopefully not literally.
I respond to your sigs
He explains why he thinks we need to focus more on government adoptions, and predicts serious ugliness during the next year."
Lone Ranger: "We are surrounded by hundreds of fiece indians. What should we do my faithful companion?"
Tanto: "What do you mean 'we' pale face?"
I'd like to see it, too, please. I've set my root password to "querty". Please ssh onto my box and run this fascinating software so I can look into it.
--
What short sigs we have -
One hundred and twenty chars!
Too short for haiku.
Whew! Glad you mispelled qwerty or that would be totally insecure!
the only conclusion I can draw ATM is that using software you are not familiar with take more time, especially for advanced stuff like data validation. Duh.
It's a wholly cromulent conclusion to draw, though.
An office that currently uses MS Windows and Office is going to incur larger migration and retraining costs if they migrate to Linux and OO.org than if they upgrade to the next MS versions.
Yes, a completely objective comparison would make sure that users had equivalent experience with both platforms prior to testing. But the real world isn't objective like that -- the laws of vendodynamics suggest that a company that licenses from a vendor will upgrade with that same vendor, unless acted upon by an outside force.
Linux advocates need to explain to companies, what is this outside force and why is it significant?
Even Schwann bred but I am not so sure about ESR's chances...
Sorry there, but besides Fud, what has ESR brought to the Open Source community ?
The aqueduct. . . and the sanitation! And the roads. . .
!#@%*)anks for hanging up the phone, dear.