Incoming from Andrew Graupe: > > In my probably 6 years of using Windows (since Windows 98), Windows has > only borked itself once. It came at a relatively convenient time, since > I wanted to upgrade to XP anyway. I have had my share of BSOD, but it > always boots back up. I think it would be better if the linux community > took the stance "linux is better because it was programmed to be > reliable and is incredibly stable, not to mention several other things" > instead of "linux is better because MS sucks". MS is not as bad as we
I never say Linux is great because MS sucks. Not to mention it's illogical, it's irrelevant. MS can, and does, suck all by itself with no help from free software. Your attitude is classical denial behaviour. You don't want to give up MS. It runs your games. Marvy. I think it would be smarter to buy a game console, but that's your choice. For me, free software is great for many reasons: - When I want something, I can "apt-get update ; apt-cache search BLAH ; apt-get install WHATZIT". I don't have to settle for something from a computer store that I can't try before buying, and can't return after it's been tried. If I don't like WHATZIT, the same tools remove it, completely, with no hidden after affects. If I find deficiencies in WHATZIT, the author/maintainer not only wants to hear about it, but also works with me personally to nail down just exactly what's going on so he can either fix it or better document it. - When I want to build something, I don't have to go buy development tools (which may or may not be adequate to the task). They're already here. - I won't have to throw away my machine when my vendor releases a new version of his product. I upgrade on my schedule, not his. - The software I use isn't a magnet for malware. - The software I use conforms to open standards. - I don't have to pay for a poorly implemented support contract for the software I use. - My software understands and interacts well with each other. I can use my editor with any language in which I happen to be developing. My tools behave and use standard, open file formats so the output from one can be the input to another. - I don't have to learn an entirely new interface everytime I want to do something new. - My software works the way I want it to work. It's not driven by inapplicable usability studies designed around people unlike me. If I want something to work in the background, it works in the background, no questions asked. - My software isn't marketing division driven. It's driven by feedback from its users, and the decisions of its authors. - My systems are safe from spy-ware, don't phone home, and consider me the boss. - I essentially own my software. You are licenced to run X number of copies of your software on Y number of systems supporting Z number of users. - The authors of my software are encouraged by competition from similar packages. Yours is suing the pants off anyone who may be attempting to infringe on their "space." - My software improves year by year. Your software vendor's excuses as to why it never seems to improve grow ever more tedious year after year. - The fact that it _never_ shoots itself in the head _is expected behaviour_, not simply an added benefit. -- Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced. (*) http://www.spots.ab.ca/~keeling - - _______________________________________________ clug-talk mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca
