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."

Comments

new name

[A_GREER]

In a quest for truth in advertising, it will now be called "Get the Spin"

Perfervid?

[burgburgburg]

Anyone who thinks I'm being perfervid

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.

Re:Perfervid?

[NaugaHunter]

Why not? It's a perfectly cromulent word that embiggens his point.

Corrections in the ESR documents.

[Anonymous Coward]

I just emailed ESR about the gross misreference to GNU/Linux as linux in his article.

Um

[Requiem]

Can we stop giving a soapbox to a man who claims to channel Pan?

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.

Re:Um

[BenjyD]

How is that any more or less valid than any other religious belief? Should we ignore all Christian people because they believe someone walked on water? Or muslims because they do streching exercises every day as a form of prayer to their god?

Just because a religion sounds silly to you doesn't make it any less valid than any other religion.

I made a little chart...

[Anonymous Coward]

...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

Re:You're missing the point of gov't adoptions

[southpolesammy]

Mass migration looms.
Big business senses problems,
Sticks finger in dike.

Re:The clueless userbase to propagates the worms.

[Mirk]

I would be very much interested in seeing it. Could you email, or make it available through http/ftp/whatever?

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.

Re:The clueless userbase to propagates the worms.

[ejbst25]

Whew! Glad you mispelled qwerty or that would be totally insecure!

Re:ESR, again.

[PhxBlue]

Sorry there, but besides Fud, what has ESR brought to the Open Source community ?

The aqueduct. . . and the sanitation! And the roads. . .