I have just been watching a daily Monday-Friday BBC Television business/consumer program called "Working Lunch".
In it, there was an item about Microsoft's Windows source code being on the Internet. During the item, which concentrated on how this would affect we computer users, the following statements were made:
"You can't just go out on the High Street and buy a different Operating system".
"There are others, but Windows is the best".
After dwelling on Windows and briefly mentioning Mac, their "Consumer Affairs Correspondant" said, "There is a third system called Linux. However it is very complicated and you have to be a computer expert to be able to use it. I certainly couldn't use it"
With a large influential company (the BBC) making such pro-Microsoft and anti-Linux statements such as this, we have quite an opposition to overcome.
It's no good writing to them and complaining, as they won't want to know.
I sign myself "A disgusted viewer".
It varies from programme to programme. Their IT programme, "Click Online", tends to give Linux and OSS a good press, and far more coverage than you'd expect, given that it's designed very much with computer newbies in mind (a typical line might be "So what is ADSL, and why is it better than a normal modem?"). In fact, when they did a series on building a computer from parts (presumably with the slightly less newbie audience in mind), Linux was recommended for the OS. They've also done features on non-IE browsers, with Opera and Mozilla getting good press.
It's just a matter of who is praparing and presenting the programme in question. I know one the guys behind the scenes of Click Online is a veteran Windows-hater (he's a Mac lover, but I don't believe in prejudice against people's sexual preferences). He used to appear on .TV's "Chips With Everything" answering questions like "How can I use my Windows 98 computer as a router?" with answers like "For that, you need a real Operating System."
Incidentally, the penguin has landed in Turkey. We've just started getting the Turkish version of Tech TV, and they've started a programme called "Penguin Diary" (or rather, the equivalent in Turkish, which I can't type in ASCII characters!).
Sir Robin
--
"Telling disgruntled employees that they are always free to leave their jobs seems no different in principle from telling political dissidents that they are free to emigrate."
- Stephen Newman
Robin Turner IDMYO Bilkent Univeritesi Ankara 06533 Turkey
www.bilkent.edu.tr/~robin
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