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LXer Features

Linux News Questions Microsoft's Need for a "Get the Facts" campaign?
By Tom Adelstein - Nov 16, 2005

LXer Day Desk: 11-16-2005

If Microsoft offers a superior product to Linux then why would they need a "Get the Facts" campaign? Over the years, the Redmond computer technology firm has learned that buyers make decisions based on who else uses a product. They know executives will say to themselves, if Rayovac uses it, then it must be good enough.

So what do you see? Just about any time a major publication runs a story about Linux, Microsoft gets them to place a "Get the Facts" advertisements nearby and often right in the middle of the story. That seems pretty suspect to me.

Do you ever wonder if publications run Linux stories just to garner Microsoft's ad money? Or have you considered that desperate times call for desperate measures? It makes me wonder.

Diggable

Comment of the Day - November 15, 2005 - What's not to like?
By Dinotrac - Nov 15, 2005

One of our editors, Don Parris asked : "I'm curious to know what brings you here? If you have recently made us your primary news site, perhaps you'd share your reasons?" Here's an interesting response.

Related to:
Survey: What Brings You to LXer?

Linux News Wary of Gartner Reporting on Microsoft Vista
By Tom Adelstein - Nov 15, 2005

LXer Day Desk: 11-15-2005

Not to suggest that Bill Gates and Michael Dell have any influence on famed Gartner Distinguished Analysts, I tend to look skeptically at their pronouncements. Once Silver Lake Partners, a Silicon Valley private equity-investment firm took an increasing stake in the Gartner, I started pondering the effect of having Bill and Michael as investors in Silver Lake limited partnerships. So, when Gartner said, hold off on Vista until 2008 I started looking for a catch.
Diggable

Comment of the Day - November 13, 2005 - Can't Win for Losing
By ahz - Nov 13, 2005

ahz says: "we use GNOME at our office, and I really like it". But, he has some other comments you should read.

Related to:
Gnome versus KDE on the Corporate Desktop

LXer Feature: We should celebrate Live.com
By Bjorn Stadil, Senior Editor - Nov 13, 2005

In this article, Bjorn suggests we offer Microsoft a laurel and hearty welcome to Live.com. He must know something about this Achilles heel.

How Microsoft's Enterprise Desktop Stifles Linux and How to Fix it
By Tom Adelstein - Nov 13, 2005

Every time I read an article suggesting that Linux cannot budge Microsoft off the Enterprise Desktop, I have a private laugh. If you knew what I did, you would laugh too. The only problem I can see: It's not a laughing matter.
Diggable

Comment of the Day - November 12, 2005 - Why People Switch to Linux
By cstura - Nov 12, 2005

Cstura writes about his experience with computers and why he chose Linux.

Related to the thread:
Why do people switch to Linux

LXer Feature: The Art of Learning New Interfaces (For the Technologically-Challenged)
By DC Parris - Nov 11, 2005

A great many people find new interfaces downright puzzling. However, most interfaces share common features. Having been there and done that, Don Parris shows the technologically challenged how to find their way around nearly any graphical interface, whether it's an operating system GUI or a new office suite.

Diggable

LXer Feature: Survival Guide For Women In FOSS: Striking Out On Your Own
By Carla Schroder - Nov 10, 2005

Most women, when they plan their careers, think in terms of having jobs. But why limit yourself? The computing world is a haven for the self-employed, and the FOSS world supplies tools and opportunities you won't find anywhere else...The whole idea is to do something that you find personally rewarding, get paid for it, and do it your way.

The Right to be a Charitable Community (II)
By Paul (FeriCyde) Ferris - Nov 09, 2005

As a Linux community member, I have the right to do charitable work centered around giving my time away for the cause of Free Software...The GPL guarantees that our gifts will have the longevity they deserve.

Understanding the Linux and open software Development Model
By Tom Adelstein - Nov 09, 2005

How do you try to explain a bad rap spread by interested parties that call their campaign, "Get the Facts"? How do you explain it when it isn't deserved? Open Source Software development suffers from widespread misunderstandings in the media from myths, false claims and disinformation. As someone who spent over a decade as a commercial software program and development manager, I view Open Source Software methods as simply a way to build applications. It happens to be the most efficient one.

Media Giddy over Linux Worm.
By Tom Adelstein - Nov 08, 2005

You might think that the sky is falling the way the media has gone on a feeding frenzy related to a Linux worm. Sorry to disappoint you, but the worm will hardly affect the user base. It's not like the "Code Red" worm which self-replicated malicious code that exploited a known vulnerability in Microsoft IIS servers (CA-2001-13). Rumor has it, Wal-Mart didn't cope with it very well.

Comment of the Day - November 8, 2005 - Microsoft's D.C. legal firm had lawyers working with UNISYS
By StepheWalli - Nov 08, 2005

Stephe writes: The entire case was just wrong. The protesting companies made claims that were simply incorrect. That's why they lost. The reporting was sensational and wrong. That's why I wrote the article for USENIX ;login: once I was out from under the embargo of the appeals time frame. (I was the USENIX representative to the IEEE POSIX working groups, as Shane and Jeff both were before me.

[Ed: Interesting to get a perspective from the author of the article ten years after he testified at the hearing. If you have a difficult time getting to Stephe's article in the archives, need we say more?]

Related to:
Did Bill Gates Invent Linux and Has He Erased the Evidence?

How Microsoft Got its OS Declared an "Open System" and wound up in Government

Comment of the Day - November 7, 2005 - Expertise Not Recognized
By Paul Ferris - Nov 07, 2005

Paul relates his experience with regard to different kinds of discrimination in the work place. The subject related to age discrimination.

Paul writes: "One guy might be able to log in and fix a problem (He's my hero) -- another guy might be the type that prevented this problem from ever rearing its ugly head in the first place -- how do you, as a middle manager, even see the latter value if it doesn't happen?"

Realted to:
Avoiding Oblivion in Your Tech Career

Rant Mode Equals One: Score: Digital Privacy 0, Digital Piracy 1.
By Paul (FeriCyde) Ferris - Nov 07, 2005

Without a doubt there's a ton of people swapping the latest No Doubt album via some illicit P2P program, but that's not the piracy I'm referring to here -- I'm talking about your Aunt who had her computer compromised because she clicked the wrong email, subscribed to the wrong broadband service, or simply left her computer on during the night. Oh, let's not forget: Maybe she slid the wrong CD in to listen to some music she bought, as well.

The Linux Sysadmin's Essential Bookshelf
By Carla Schroder - Nov 06, 2005

A system administrator pretty much has to be able to do anything- network voodoo, user education, pull cable, build servers, fix hardware, fend off clueless management, and myriad more tasks. With these in mind, here is my own Essential Bookshelf for the Hardworking, Underappreciated, Overworked, Conscientious Sysadmin.

Intel® Linux™ versus Microsoft® Windows
By Tom Adelstein - Nov 05, 2005

Recently, I had a chance to vet information from a leaked document. The process usually involves verification of the original source through a number of techniques. I often find vetting leads to more discoveries which lead to more and more.

I call this last adventure an eye-opener. You might see it the same way. But let's keep this a secret between us. We wouldn't want the press to find out about it because they would certainly bury it.

Comment of the Day- November 5, 2005 at work I support NetWare, Windows, Solaris, and linux servers...
By BrianS - Nov 05, 2005

"... at work I support NetWare, Windows, Solaris, and linux servers, in order by count. In order by time to support per server, Windows, Windows, Windows, Windows, Windows, NetWare, linux, Solaris."
From the Why do people switch to Linux? thread.

The Case for OpenDocument Format in Non-Profits
By DC Parris - Nov 04, 2005

Although the OpenDocument format decision is under fire in Massachusetts, this article discusses how the logic applied to adopting OpenDocument in that state can be applied to faith-based and non-profit organizations. After all, these organizations have similar needs and requirements.

Comment of the Day - November 4, 2005 Linux Looks More Attractive than Windows
By Skapare - Nov 04, 2005

Skapare writes: "In the USA, computer manufacturers are not really selling you a computer so much as they are delivering your eyes to the multitudes of marketing offers that are integrated into the various sample programs installed in the system, or accessed through the default browser home page that is not easy to change (though telco and cable broadband providers manage to do so at times). It's a model not unlike how printers are sold (nearly give away the low end printer, and make obscene profits on cartridges ... e.g. the razor blade practice)."

Related to:
Chinese Halloween with Intel

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