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Converting Users to Open Source- Why Do You Care?

Posted by Cliff on from the stuff-to-discuss dept.

mack knife asks: "Here's a question for Slashdot readers: Why do you care what web browser/email client/etc people use? What do you care if Firefox catches on or not? Why do some people feel the need to convert others to their pet applications? Personally, I am a convert to Firefox/Thunderbird, but I understand that many users are happy with their Microsoft products; I'll mention what I use and why, but I won't harangue them on their apps' shortcomings, nor will I try to push an unfamiliar open source app on someone who is more comfortable with a 'mainstream' product. Some open-source proponents can be quite obnoxious about this, and I'm interested to hear why it is taken so seriously."

18 of 926 comments (clear)

  1. I do it for the ladies by HMA2000 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Nothing says Romeo like a guy who knows the ins and outs of an open source email program. Line forms to the left ladies.

    1. Re:I do it for the ladies by winkydink · · Score: 4, Funny

      Cue "Sound of Crickets Chirping".

      --

      "I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey

    2. Re:I do it for the ladies by FidelCatsro · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yes the ladies are always PINEing over me , It's as if i were a THUNDERBIRD or perhaps its just something to do with the EVOLOUTION of the species

      --
      The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
    3. Re:I do it for the ladies by Procrastin8er · · Score: 1, Funny

      You do remember your on /.?

      There are no ladies here, at least none that would be interested.

      --
      Slashdot - Where the slash is most definitely to the left.
    4. Re:I do it for the ladies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Except I can't get a sound driver working with this seven year old computer.

      Cue the sound of a 60mm fan.

    5. Re:I do it for the ladies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Even with those clever puns, your Outlook doesn't look too good...

  2. For the most part... by Formz · · Score: 4, Funny

    I don't care. I just hate Microsoft.

  3. Duh! by NanoGator · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Converting Users to Open Source- Why Do You Care?"

    Because I want to look good in my fellow Slashdotter's eyes.

    --
    "Derp de derp."
  4. Re:Well by foxfyre · · Score: 2, Funny

    Um yeah, so Jesus himself was a self-important asshole according to your logic. Get over yourself.

    --
    -- Not a /. dude.
  5. Re:I care because... by mopslik · · Score: 5, Funny

    And you want someone to switch top open office because its "Adequate"? These are not very compelling reasons for people to switch to open source applications.

    But the upcoming OpenOffice.org 2.0 will be more adequate than ever!

    Ummm...

  6. Re:I care because... by numbski · · Score: 4, Funny

    But the upcoming OpenOffice.org 2.0 will be more adequate than ever!

    That's right, because it just went out and bought a huge SUV to compensate for its indequacies...

    --

    Karma: Chameleon (mostly due to the fact that you come and go).

  7. Re:That's easy by Cat_Byte · · Score: 2, Funny
    Many other OS projects are not so lucky, which leads to far too many incomplete, half-ass projects.


    My project is a one-man-when-I-have-time project. It's more like quarter-ass.

    --
    Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one the bus load of girls just went down.
  8. converting people to emacs by DrKludge · · Score: 2, Funny

    I've never had a problem with spyware/adware/malware running emacs. If only people would listen to me .... sheesh.

  9. License keys are a PITA; vendors kill software by emil · · Score: 2, Funny

    Properly typing in a 50+ character alphanumeric key is stressful. Managing a collection of dozens or hundreds of these keys is also very stressful. With BSD/GPL software, I can throw the keys away.

    I have lots of Oracle 7/8 databases. Oracle would like me to upgrade right now (and send them a big check). If I was on an old release of Postgres or MySQL, I would have the option of contracting out maintenance of the code to a 3rd party. I have no options for code updates to Oracle 7 (apart from writing a potentially much bigger check to Oracle).

    For these reasons (and others), I'm beginning to believe that friends don't let friends use proprietary software.

  10. Re:I care because... by at_slashdot · · Score: 2, Funny

    The more people that are using a product, the better it is.

    Yeah... take for example Windows... ah, wrong example.

    --
    "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." -- Prof. Dumbledore
  11. Re:Easy. by jd · · Score: 2, Funny
    I also recommend a model where you assume that some percentage of the end user desktops are hostile.


    Well, what do you expect if they're using Windows? :)

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  12. Re:I care because... by An+ominous+Cow+art · · Score: 2, Funny

    I consider IE to be simply the first stage of the Mozilla/FireFox installer, and thereafter used only for Windows Update, on my dwindling number of Windows machines.

  13. OCD by armentage · · Score: 2, Funny
    1) They care because they suffer from some form of obsessive compulsive disorder.

    2) Self-validation by projecting themselves into the apps (if you think Firefox is good, you think I'm good too.)