Microsoft at the power point [why Linux is slandered at FR]

The Economist ^ | 13 September 2003 | Economist staff

[chilepepper]

A good summary of the Microsoft/Linux war to date... clearly certain FReepers who will go unnamed are playing their part in trying to slander Linux anyway they can.

[Moose4]

Penguin alert.

}:-)4

[rdb3]

The Penguin Ping.

Wanna be Penguified? Just holla!

Got root?

[Leroy S. Mort]

Aww go on...name 'em and let's hear the "slander" :). It's a slow night here anyway....

[egarvue]

Programming for and working on Microsoft products every day puts a roof over my kids heads. But I am no zealot; there is a tool for every job. Sometimes Microsoft makes the best sense, sometimes not. But Microsoft is now feeling the forces of raw capitalism squeezing in - they must start producing superior products, or be crushed. They've been lax for far too long. Its as simple as that. Their current shoddy security practices I fear will prove their undoing.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Ther only ones who slander Linux are those who are full of smug self-righteousness about being anti-Microsoft etc...

Me? I use both, and am a happier person for it.

[TopQuark]

It's not Linux that is the problem: it is the idea itself.

Europeans and Japanese are marvelous in improving the production process and reverse-engineer the existing process. But what about the ideas themselves, the new products? Why is it that they invariably come from the States?

This is because private ownership stimulates innovation. Undertaking a new enterprise is risky, and the only compensation for an increased risk is higher reward. Remove that possibility --- and there is no reason to take risk; no reason to develope new products. Socialists invariably miss that point, not surprisingly: socialistm is about equitable redistribution of existing wealth. Iht has failed everywhere, in all forms, to create new wealth --- even when it was protected by the military migh of the U.S. and hardly spent on defense.

This has nothing to do with the features of Linux or Microsoft's policies. The issue is at the heart of our world outlook.

[Imal]

Live by the monopoly, die by the monopoly.

[SCHROLL]

Hmm, downloading songs for free bad. Making Microsoft give away their work for free good?

[upchuck]

Their current shoddy security practices I fear will prove their undoing.

Yer right as rain! I believe that deep within MSFT the original programming gurus, who direct and control current efforts, still have a single-user DOS mindset.

[WOSG]

For me, Linux and FR go together ... I am reading FR on my Linux box right now, I've done this since 1998, and I've had linux since 1995 ... My current PC desktop used to be dual booted, but when I upgraded the motherboard to 2.5GHz Athlon, Win98 croaked and for some reason just wont run ... but linux (RH 9.0) does. :-)

[WOSG]

hear, hear - 2 viruses on my PC Win2K machine last 2 weeks at work. very annoying, had to get patches etc. A non-problem for linux. some sys admins are beginning to notice. hmmmm.

[Coral Snake]

Bush2000, Golden Eagle, TheEngineer and me up to Labor Day
weekend, However I have since turned to a solid penguin and no longer post anti Linux bilge.

[Cicero]

For the most part, the countries that refuse to buy Microsoft, such as the Germans and the Chinese, do so because they are looking for ways to weaken the United States. It has nothing to do with monopolies, antitrust, or that sort of thing. They just want to undermine U.S. exports and intellectual property.

India has a long record of doing this, too.

[Timesink]

A good summary of the Microsoft/Linux war to date... clearly certain FReepers who will go unnamed are playing their part in trying to slander Linux anyway they can.

I think he's talkin' bout choo, Willis. ;)

*sits in the corner with his Mac and watches the show; got no dog in this hunt*

[elbucko]

Europeans and Japanese are marvelous in improving the production process and reverse-engineer the existing process. But what about the ideas themselves, the new products? Why is it that they invariably come from the States?

With all due respect, the history of technology does not quite agree with your implication. The airplane, the automobile, electronics were all originally invented in the US. If US companies lost domestic or world share for these products it was, nearly always, the result of the companies that produced the product allowing the quality to deteriorate. When management becomes lazy or arrogant, quality suffers.

[observer5]

"playing their part in trying to slander Linux anyway they can."

The Mac crowd is welcoming you to the party...

The M$ Mafia will do anything... anything to peddle their pathetic crap they call an operating system. How dare these Munchners to try to escape the M$ HELL.

[observer5]

"they must start producing superior products, or be crushed"

You got to be kidding... How about just products that WORK!

[TopQuark]

airplane, the automobile, electronics were all originally invented in the US.

That's what I said.

[elbucko]

I believe that deep within MSFT the original programming gurus, who direct and control current efforts, still have a single-user DOS mindset.

Wow! I don't know Jack about computers, other than what I need to know and even I understood the implication of your post.