On 10/1/05, Andrew Baudouin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> John Hebert wrote:
> ..snip...
> > Based on your logic, I could equally assert that they are buying
> > Microsoft software because they hate Richard Stallman's philosophy.
> > That may be the case for a very select few Microsoft zealots (Howdy
> > Andrew!), but not for most Microsoft buyers.
>
> While I do indeed hate Richard Stallman's philosophy, I take offense at
> being called a Microsoft zealot. Is that the same as an anti-(Linux
> Zealot) in your mind? - (parentheses used to indicate that I am
> anti-zealots rather than anti-Linux). I am a best-tool-for-the-job
> zealot. GNU/Linux wins handily in some places (webservers, routers,
> security, f/oss) and loses really, really bad in others (ubiquity, RAD
> development, ease of use and administration, availability of
> applications).
Consider yourself a victim of a cheapshot during a fire-fight. It was meant
more tongue in cheek than seriously. :)
Why do I keep having to explain this to you? Is it because I am an
> abrasive asshole?
Probably. But then you wouldn't bug me so much if what you were saying
didn't have a grain of truth in there somewhere.
You should read the content of my posts in addition
> to taking offense to the tone therein. ;)
>
> > Will, what I am doing is not to support Microsoft and its business
> > practices; far from it. What I am trying to do is to get you to
> > realize that you are an irrational idiot making wild, unsubstantiated
> > assertions that actually hurt the FOSS movement more than they help.
>
> I've made posts to this list that echo the above paragraph verbatim.
Duly noted.
John Hebert
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From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sun Oct 2 10:07:14 2005
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Will Hill)
Date: Sun Oct 2 10:06:53 2005
Subject: Microsoft vs. Google;
hopefully a reasoned debate was Re: [brlug-general] OpenDocument
formats?
In-Reply-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
References: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
On Saturday 01 October 2005 08:12 pm, John Hebert wrote:
> What you need to do first is get yourself a dictionary. When you say
> "proof" here you are meaning "assertion". A "proof" is evidence that your
> assertion in an argument is true
>
Patience, John. I've accepted your challenge and judgement. That's the whole
point of a list like this, peer review.
> [blah blah blah]
> If you haven't checked lately, Microsoft owns the majority of the IT market
> out there. Either there are lots of uninformed people out there, or people
> don't really take Microsoft's competitive tactics as a factor in their
> purchasing decisions.
>
> In fact, those people may base their purchasing decisions on something else
> entirely. I'll make an unsupported assertion that most people buying
> Microsoft software consider themselves "informed".
That's something different, but I'll answer that because it's easy and
informative. Most people have no idea how forced their use of Microsoft is.
Our silence makes us passive endorsers of Microsoft junk.
Microsoft makes sure that no major vendor will ever market a system with
another OS on it for less than it does one owned by Microsoft. Punishment
awaits those that try. This situation is well summarized here:
http://www.infoanarchy.org/?op=displaystory;sid=2001/10/23/17629/221
Few computer users understand this coercion and simply think that vendors
chose Microsoft, or have their computers "designed for version" due to
Microsoft's excellence. Endorsement is a powerful thing. I chose to wear
my feelings on my sleeve rather than connive with Microsoft.
When you combine that silent endorsement with FUD, few users will ever try
anything outside their start menu. Why would they bother to use something no
one even bothers to talk about, much less recommend? Beyond that, who would
fight the M$ monopoly for something that's a best an equal to what they have
now? Microsoft FUD would equate their software performance with free
software performance, and that's a very powerful smear.
An informed user knows that Microsoft is second rate in every way. They also
know that THE problem other OSs face is Microsoft created hardware problems
like Winmodems and file formats like DOC. I consider myself an informed user
because I've bothered to actually try out an alternative system or two and
think it's vastly easier to manage and use.
>
> Will, what I am doing is not to support Microsoft and its business
> practices; far from it. What I am trying to do is to get you to realize
> that you are an irrational idiot making wild, unsubstantiated assertions
> that actually hurt the FOSS movement more than they help.
>
I think you have lost your temper over nothing. How many of your friends,
neighbors, clients and acquaintances use free software? That is the measure
of your effectiveness. Stop beating yourself up and trust your instincts.
Your "reform" plays more into Microsoft's plans than my lack of it. At the
same time, our individual efforts don't amount to much. If everyone on my
contact list were to convert to free software tomorrow, I would have
succeeded in converting 200/250,000,000 of US citizens.
