[H-GEN] Sad day for Linux

[Paul Gearon]

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On Tue, 27 May 2003, Jason Parker-Burlingham wrote:

<snip/>

I'd love to quote all of Jason's first few paragraphs here, simply so I
can agree emphatically with it, but you can all take that as read.  :-)

> On the gripping hand, who gives a toss whether Linux "makes it" in the
> corporate world?  Or on the desktop?  Or gets used by senior citizens?
> Or by pornographers, criminals, the NSA or whomever the hell?  You use
> it.  I use it.  Almost everyone on this list uses it.  Whatever
> happens we will in all likelihood continue to be able to use it.

Well I do care about these things.  Why?  Because the more people use it,
the more useful applications become available.

The release of StarOffice made life on Linux suddenly a LOT better for me
(Applix was just a little painful on occasion, and Word Perfect had
problems as well, not to mention the lack of a spreadsheet).  Hardware
manufacturers have started supporting Linux directly as well, which again
is a major boon.  Then we have the Games support which is starting to come
through (albeit slowly).

I know that a lot of these things come about *eventually* for Linux
(KOffice is doing quite well, and sometimes Open Source hardware drivers
are better than those provided by the manufacturers!), but in the
high-speed world of computer progress this is often too late.

Before it's mentioned, I know that I don't *have* to have all these things
available as they are released.  I was just commenting the other day how
small businesses are not doing much more with computers than they were
doing 10 years ago on 386s (and yet for some reason they all need multi
gigahertz machines just so they can run the OPERATING SYSTEM!!!)  However,
I use and purchase computers because they are fun and interesting, so I
really *am* keen to play with the latest products as they become available
(and when I can afford them), so I hate waiting for ages for Linux code to
become available.

(Yes, I know I can do it myself, and sometimes I do contribute.  However,
I've had difficulty with USB drivers as I don't have the analysis hardware
required to talk to my non-Linux supported devices.)

> The best way to fight FUD is to *stop believing it*.  All this talk
> about people deserting Linux/Open Source Software/Free Software in
> droves is just a secondary effect of SCO's ritual suicide.

Hear, hear.

Regards,
Paul Gearon

Software Engineer                Telephone:   +61 7 3876 2188
Plugged In Software              Fax:         +61 7 3876 4899
http://www.PIsoftware.com        PGP Key available via finger

Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum
immane mittam.
(Translation from latin: "I have a catapult. Give me all the money,
or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.")



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