Your story by Stephen
Evans entitled "Linux cyber-battle turns nasty" has left
me feeling somewhat astounded. It implies that "those who want
to preserve the open-source Linux operating system" are the
perpetrators of the mydoom virus. I work as an IT Manager, I am a
great fan of open-source software and a Linux enthusiast to boot. I
am a "run-of-the-mill geek" and now, by being likened
with vandals and an arsonists as in your story, an offended one. Of
course you might respond that this wasn't the intended meaning of the
writer. To which I might reply, come on now, he's an experienced
journalist. He should, by now, be able to write what he means in a
manner that doesn't, at least seem to, try to marginalise Linux
enthusiasts.
In contrast to the
impression your story gives, geeks, in particularly of the
open-source enthusiast variety are, generally speaking, the most
fair-minded and level headed people you can meet. We're not the sort
that go around invading people's computers with viruses and to use
them to inflict DoS attacks. On the contrary, we're the sort of
people that give the best advice on and develop the best strategies
for protection against data loss, denial of service, malicious code,
social engineering tactics and privacy invasion. Such things are our
passion.
If I thought like
Stephen Evans did then I might conclude that the agenda of this story
is obvious, "lest anyone be in any doubt," it is
contrived to gain sympathy, or at least publicity, for SCO. I might
also speculate that he's in SCO's pocket in some way. Or, perhaps,
that there was some other deal struck somewhere by an individual or
individuals with more influence over the BBC than they should have.
Someone with shares in SCO perhaps.
When the BBC puts out
one-sided, oppinionated and 'Hackerist' stories such as this then it
doesn't do itself any favours. Now, more than any other time I would
have thought, the BBC needs all the friends it can get.
And I agree, clean rooms are no fun. Ever trying typing on a plastic-coated miniature keyboard with two pairs of gloves?
That sounds awkward but you ever tried typing 2000+ lines of hex code on a ZX81?
Santa brought me one of those, a rubiks cube, a metal detector and the 1982 Guinness Book of World Records (Train spotter's edition I think) for christmas. I think my mum must have told him I was doing poorly in school or something. I do recall though, I specifically asked Santa, at his grotto in the local Co-op, for a BMX, a swingball, a skateboard and the single "Pass The Dutchie" by Musical Youth.
Regardless of all of that, I came to love my proper, if somewhat temperamental, little computer and after many a marathon session of learning Sinclair Basic and even some Z80 machine code I grew up to become, even if I say so myself, a very proficient IT Manager/Database Developer.
It does make me think though, if Santa had actually brought me what I wanted, then how dramatically different my life might have been...
And, I also can't help but think...
what a fat, white bearded and overly jolly bastard Santa really is.
Slashdot Mirror
Your story by Stephen Evans entitled "Linux cyber-battle turns nasty" has left me feeling somewhat astounded. It implies that "those who want to preserve the open-source Linux operating system" are the perpetrators of the mydoom virus. I work as an IT Manager, I am a great fan of open-source software and a Linux enthusiast to boot. I am a "run-of-the-mill geek" and now, by being likened with vandals and an arsonists as in your story, an offended one. Of course you might respond that this wasn't the intended meaning of the writer. To which I might reply, come on now, he's an experienced journalist. He should, by now, be able to write what he means in a manner that doesn't, at least seem to, try to marginalise Linux enthusiasts.
In contrast to the impression your story gives, geeks, in particularly of the open-source enthusiast variety are, generally speaking, the most fair-minded and level headed people you can meet. We're not the sort that go around invading people's computers with viruses and to use them to inflict DoS attacks. On the contrary, we're the sort of people that give the best advice on and develop the best strategies for protection against data loss, denial of service, malicious code, social engineering tactics and privacy invasion. Such things are our passion.
If I thought like Stephen Evans did then I might conclude that the agenda of this story is obvious, "lest anyone be in any doubt," it is contrived to gain sympathy, or at least publicity, for SCO. I might also speculate that he's in SCO's pocket in some way. Or, perhaps, that there was some other deal struck somewhere by an individual or individuals with more influence over the BBC than they should have. Someone with shares in SCO perhaps.
When the BBC puts out one-sided, oppinionated and 'Hackerist' stories such as this then it doesn't do itself any favours. Now, more than any other time I would have thought, the BBC needs all the friends it can get.
And I agree, clean rooms are no fun. Ever trying typing on a plastic-coated miniature keyboard with two pairs of gloves?
That sounds awkward but you ever tried typing 2000+ lines of hex code on a ZX81?
Santa brought me one of those, a rubiks cube, a metal detector and the 1982 Guinness Book of World Records (Train spotter's edition I think) for christmas. I think my mum must have told him I was doing poorly in school or something. I do recall though, I specifically asked Santa, at his grotto in the local Co-op, for a BMX, a swingball, a skateboard and the single "Pass The Dutchie" by Musical Youth.Regardless of all of that, I came to love my proper, if somewhat temperamental, little computer and after many a marathon session of learning Sinclair Basic and even some Z80 machine code I grew up to become, even if I say so myself, a very proficient IT Manager/Database Developer.
It does make me think though, if Santa had actually brought me what I wanted, then how dramatically different my life might have been...And, I also can't help but think...
what a fat, white bearded and overly jolly bastard Santa really is.