The reason is not that debian's installer crashes on my laptop and mandrake's runs perfectly. It is not that debian still uses the 2.2 kernel. It is not the ease of hardware detection and software installation in mandrake....If debian would simply shape up and work on their installer, upgrade their kernel, and their hardware detection method I would switch. A completely GPL distrobution is extremely appealing, but ease of use it what it boils down to.
er... Excuse me, but Mandrakes installer is GPLd, and you can use Mandrake without using any non-Free software... I know I do!
--------------------- Disclaimer: I certainly believe that RMS has made enormous contributions to Free/Opensource/name-of-the-month software, and that without him and the rest of the guys at the FSF, we wouldnt be able to enjoy the liberties we have now, however I strongly think the guy needs to take a couple of steps back in order to have some sense of proportion.
It doesnt matter what the masses call it. If/When Free software changes the world, Stallmans name will certainly be in the history books
(he is already mentioned profusely in all Introducing *nix type books, in the first chapters).
Same here in Mexico, actually the RedEscolar proyect was killed not for lack of support, but because the right wing, pro corporate PAN party came to power. RedEscolar was then replaced by the EMexico initiative, which of course is backed by Microsoft and Intel
Well, the guy didnt post an executable, he posted source. So if you know VB, you could read it over and over til you are sure it contains no malicious code.
Sadly people quickly forget the fact that they _have_ a paycheck. Many people at my department should remember that a crappy job is better than no job.
Answering your questions in order: It is a problem with most developing countries, but it's accentuated in Mexico due to its closeness to the US.
Now, about the negative consecuences...
1.- The goverment will spend ~30 million in unneeded software licenses, support, training, etc. The costs would be much lower if that money for support and training went to a free *nix alternative, largely because the 3 largest mexican public universities are strongly Linux oriented and can provide the training and support.
2.- Microsoft will gain the market share of all those people that have never touched a computer. They will then demand their (bootleg) copy of windows when/if they get to buy their own computer. You may say: "Microsoft will never see a penny from them, since they will not pay for the license," however, mindshare is more important here because it means that they will be much less inclined to try out an alternative (if they ever find out an alternative exists!)
3.- Instead of taking advantage of local talent and infrastructure (there are at least 2 mexican Linux distros), money and attention go to a foreign company that is known to give backdoors to the NSA and others.
4.- eMexico would be more prone to stability problems, specially if the service is to be remotely administrated from the state capitals and then from Mexico City.
As a mexican citizen, I am naturally leery of any plan made by my goverment with the support of private businessmen that supposedly is going to make my life better.
It has always been a scam.
It happened with NAFTA (where only the US benefits), it happened with the bank rescue (where only corrupt bankers and people with large ammounts of money in banks benefited), it happened with the privatization of the phone company... it has happened over and over and over again.
The fact that Bill Gates and Carlos Slim are involed only make matters worse. I fear for the future...
How Red Escolar will go in Mexico, I can't predict. I don't know enough about who is paying/doing what to whom.
The Red Escolar proyect died before it was born, Microsoft paid for its demise. e-Mexico is the name of the proyect now, and its heavily backed by Microsoft
That's pretty frightening. He really sounds like the Mexican Microsoft only with his hands much much deeper in the country's life. It seems that, at least until Vicente Fox came on the scene, nobody has been willing (or more likely able) to do anything about it.
We mexicans would wish Fox would do something about it. But they (Slim, Fox and Gates) are actually on very good terms.
Slim, besides having an iron grip on the fixed line and cellular telephony, owns the largest ISP in Mexico (prodigy.net.mx), a conglomarate of the largest mexican supermarket chains (Walmart Mexico, Aurrera, Superama and Sam's Club Mexico), 3 restaurant chains, several mining ventures, a large copper alloy foundry, an aluminum foundry, a copper wire manufacturer, a rubber and tire manufacturer, the largest tobacco manufacturer (making, amongst other brands, Marlboro cigarrettes for Latin America)... the list goes on and on.
He is also on the board for the national petroleum and electricity companies (which are state-owned but receive advise from private businessmen).
In short, this guy is not only the richest guy in Latin America, but one of the most powerful people in Mexico. All for a guy who has publicly said that he has no use for email or for a computer on his desk...
I say no one can compete against MS PR money! Specially when that money is being used to buy 3rd world politicians!
Look at the diverse US cases against MS. Bill will get away with everything without as much as a slap in the wrist. Money is power, and theres nothing you or me can do about it.
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The reason is not that debian's installer crashes on my laptop and mandrake's runs perfectly. It is not that debian still uses the 2.2 kernel. It is not the ease of hardware detection and software installation in mandrake....If debian would simply shape up and work on their installer, upgrade their kernel, and their hardware detection method I would switch. A completely GPL distrobution is extremely appealing, but ease of use it what it boils down to.
er... Excuse me, but Mandrakes installer is GPLd, and you can use Mandrake without using any non-Free software... I know I do!
But the question is, how do Debian users call it?
My bet is that they just call it Debian
---------------------
Disclaimer: I certainly believe that RMS has made enormous contributions to Free/Opensource/name-of-the-month software, and that without him and the rest of the guys at the FSF, we wouldnt be able to enjoy the liberties we have now, however I strongly think the guy needs to take a couple of steps back in order to have some sense of proportion.
It doesnt matter what the masses call it.
If/When Free software changes the world, Stallmans name will certainly be in the history books
(he is already mentioned profusely in all Introducing *nix type books, in the first chapters).
Thanks, I'll add it to my sig... : )
Episode II is being released here on July 4, so Im going to drive tomorrow to the border and watch it in a San Diego theater.
Same here in Mexico, actually the RedEscolar proyect was killed not for lack of support, but because the right wing, pro corporate PAN party came to power. RedEscolar was then replaced by the EMexico initiative, which of course is backed by Microsoft and Intel
10 dollars is a HUGE ammount of money given the quantities these guys must handle.
That is so sadly true. Junior is spoiled.
Then you would be violating copyright law.
And only slightly less readable!
Well, the guy didnt post an executable, he posted source.
So if you know VB, you could read it over and over til you are sure it contains no malicious code.
I think you are over-simplifying and assuming the Sorenson people actually want to support the open source community...
However it would make a very cynical bastard (me) very happy if even half you say turns out to be true.
Anonymous coward says:
It is so kewl when people lose it over grammar...
Its even better when dey looze it over zpeling
Sadly people quickly forget the fact that they _have_ a paycheck.
Many people at my department should remember that a crappy job is better than no job.
Answering your questions in order: It is a problem with most developing countries, but it's accentuated in Mexico due to its closeness to the US.
Now, about the negative consecuences...
1.- The goverment will spend ~30 million in unneeded software licenses, support, training, etc. The costs would be much lower if that money for support and training went to a free *nix alternative, largely because the 3 largest mexican public universities are strongly Linux oriented and can provide the training and support.
2.- Microsoft will gain the market share of all those people that have never touched a computer. They will then demand their (bootleg) copy of windows when/if they get to buy their own computer. You may say: "Microsoft will never see a penny from them, since they will not pay for the license," however, mindshare is more important here because it means that they will be much less inclined to try out an alternative (if they ever find out an alternative exists!)
3.- Instead of taking advantage of local talent and infrastructure (there are at least 2 mexican Linux distros), money and attention go to a foreign company that is known to give backdoors to the NSA and others.
4.- eMexico would be more prone to stability problems, specially if the service is to be remotely administrated from the state capitals and then from Mexico City.
The RedEscolar proyect was replaced with the eMexico proyect, largely due to the influence of Gates and Slim on our business-friendly president Fox.
There was an initiative to use Free Software in the Mexico City goverment(ruled by another party), but that proyect was frozen in the local congress.
As a mexican citizen, I am naturally leery of any plan made by my goverment with the support of private businessmen that supposedly is going to make my life better.
It has always been a scam.
It happened with NAFTA (where only the US benefits), it happened with the bank rescue (where only corrupt bankers and people with large ammounts of money in banks benefited), it happened with the privatization of the phone company... it has happened over and over and over again.
The fact that Bill Gates and Carlos Slim are involed only make matters worse. I fear for the future...
A better translation would be, a country in the road to developement... Which we are not, incidentally : (
"Poor Mexico, so far away from God and so close to the United States"
- Porfirio Diaz, the day he was banished from Mexico
How Red Escolar will go in Mexico, I can't predict. I don't know enough about who is paying/doing what to whom.
The Red Escolar proyect died before it was born, Microsoft paid for its demise. e-Mexico is the name of the proyect now, and its heavily backed by Microsoft
There is lots of Linux in Mexico.
Not nearly enough. Besides, the free beer argument is pointless in Mexico (and most other poor countries) as 90% of MS software is pirated.
That's pretty frightening. He really sounds like the Mexican Microsoft only with his hands much much deeper in the country's life. It seems that, at least until Vicente Fox came on the scene, nobody has been willing (or more likely able) to do anything about it.
We mexicans would wish Fox would do something about it. But they (Slim, Fox and Gates) are actually on very good terms.
Slim, besides having an iron grip on the fixed line and cellular telephony, owns the largest ISP in Mexico (prodigy.net.mx), a conglomarate of the largest mexican supermarket chains (Walmart Mexico, Aurrera, Superama and Sam's Club Mexico), 3 restaurant chains, several mining ventures, a large copper alloy foundry, an aluminum foundry, a copper wire manufacturer, a rubber and tire manufacturer, the largest tobacco manufacturer (making, amongst other brands, Marlboro cigarrettes for Latin America)... the list goes on and on.
He is also on the board for the national petroleum and electricity companies (which are state-owned but receive advise from private businessmen).
In short, this guy is not only the richest guy in Latin America, but one of the most powerful people in Mexico. All for a guy who has publicly said that he has no use for email or for a computer on his desk...
On the other hand, RadLight installs shady spyware(helpware,whatever)
- without
the users informed consent.From IATA.org:
OSX: Kosciusko Airport, Attala County, MS, US
So Apple is Still in bed with MS... ooops! that is MS as in Mississipi, right?
You are so slow you are almost going backwards!
I say no one can compete against MS PR money! Specially when that money is being used to buy 3rd world politicians!
Look at the diverse US cases against MS. Bill will get away with everything without as much as a slap in the wrist. Money is power, and theres nothing you or me can do about it.
Your points are valid, but actually this plan was originally Linux based, but MS bought the right goverment officials and now its MS only.
See my previous posts on the matter.
They tried, but MS spent a lot of money to make sure they got the deal. I explained it in above posts.