Why Doesn't Microsoft Have A Cult Religion?

rs232 writes "'Apple has one. So does the Java community, Oracle, IBM, and Google. Lord knows anyone who uses Linux or free and open source software is dedicated to spreading the gospel of St. Linus Torvalds and St. Richard Stallman. But does anyone really worship the Gods of Redmond?' While many Microsoft employees are pumped to work there, article author Michael Singer explores why even enthusiastic Microsoft-watchers acknowledge that customers and product developers are unenthusiastic about the software giant. He theorizes that it comes down to passion: Microsoft lost that a long time ago, he says, and so passionate people gravitate to other projects and products."

Comments

Use or abuse?

[xxxJonBoyxxx]

Lord knows anyone who uses Linux or free and open source software is dedicated to spreading the gospel of St. Linus Torvalds and St. Richard Stallman.

Dunno about that. I happily USE open source stuff because it generally means I never have to PAY the poor souls who spent lifetimes developing all the free and open source software I use for fun and profit. I'm happy to see other people work for me for free, but I can't say I'd ever try it the other way around.

Bad choice infliction == Cult

[twitter]

Microsoft isn't the underdog and Microsoft doesn't require a positive choice.

As a managed desktop it's a bad and irrational choice. The exercise of this irrationality is the hallmark of a cult.

Similar things can and have been said by M$ executives about major vendors and software developers. M$ is less under the spell of their own marketing and said back in 2002 that it was in Dell's best interest to sell and promote GNU/LInux. M$ also routinely misleads their developers, considering them "Pawns" and "One night stands" to be lied to and fucked over.

A billion dollars a month in marketing, the trading of secrets for power, lying to and robbing those who trust you ... there are lots of parallels between M$ and any other evil cult. Their adherents promote a immoral code of "sharp business", laugh at "do no evil" and openly advocate anti-social practices. What further evidence do you need?

Re:Slashdot is Microsoft's cult

[DerekLyons]

Slasdot is obsessed with MS, everything they do or say is subjected to unending speculation here, albeit negative. Outside of Slashdot I dont know a soul who really gives a rats ass what MS do and would never in a million years even consider discussing MS in the sort of emotive language used here.

Precisely. Slashdot is stuck in emotional adolesence - with Microsoft cast as the [adult|enemy].