Re: tlug: PJE

[Karl-Max Wagner <karlmax@example.com>]

> Chris - I know you feel that everyone should 'roll their own', as it were,

Actually, I agree with Chris :-)

> but if Linux is going to rise up to challenge the MS empire, it's got to
> be easy enough for people who are currently using Windows or MacOS.  Those

I think that's the BIG mistake people make. They think that
Microsoft will be done in when Windoze is done in. They will be
as little done in than they were after that "M$ Network"
debacle. They switched simply to the Internet, made their own
browser and told people that they were the guys that opened the
Internet for the masses.

Guess what they'll do if Linux becomes stronger ? They dump
Windoze, grab Linux, add a few incompatible programs of their
own, which are however needed to run their software ( of course
these add ons are NOT open source ) aqnd tell people that they
freed Linux from the hackers and made it accessible for the
masses - and then start making an awful lot of money in Linux.

I personally don't care how many people use Linux - I rather
think that the gold rush mentality around Linux does it a lot of
damage. I lately talked with an old friend who co-owns an
Internet provider. He is quite a fan of FreeBSD and he said that
Linux is "the Windows among the Unices" and "for desktop
computing but not for serious server use". He is not alone with
that opinion: IMHO that focus on beating Windows and "Joe User"
computing does a lot to ruin the reputation of Linux among the
professionals - actually, FreeBSD is booming, they claim
already a user base of 500 000 and healthy growth rates. Their
focus is professional computing and they are thriving on that.

> people want things done for them - many of them think that C is "just
> another letter", and their brows furrow in confusion when you mention the
> dynamic linker, static libraries, Makefiles, even SysV init scripts.

Hmm....that is a serious PROBLEM: it is simple plain computer
illiteracy. It is a sign for the failure of our educational
systems. If that isn't stamped out anytime soon, then we'll end
up with a two class society: those who can handle it and are
information ( and consequently otherwise ) rich and the vast
majority who has to struggle just to get its stomachs full - and
of course associated social problems.

> Linux should be an open system - ie, open to everyone who wants to get
> away from Microsoft.  For people like you who want to 'roll your own', you

It has always been. You just have to do some acquiring of
knowledge and you're in business. Believe me, that knowledge
doesn't hurt - on the contrary, it's good for you !

================================================================
"It was hell. They knew it.          Karl-Max Wagner
  But they called it                 karlmax@example.com
    W-I-N-D-O-Z-E"
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