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Poll
Linux Zealots
Harmless 9%
Annoying but mainly harmless 10%
Psychotic losers with a superiority complex 18%
Autistic 5%
1% geniuses 9% hard workers 90% wannabe posers 23%
Ph34r m3 I \/\/|11 r00t ur 80X 4|\|d h4x0r j0|_|R p|-|1|35 8%
Ph34r m3 I \/\/|11 r00t ur 80X 4|\|d h4x0r j0|_|R p|-|1|35 1%
Ph34r m3 I \/\/|11 r00t ur 80X 4|\|d h4x0r j0|_|R p|-|1|35 4%
Ph34r m3 I \/\/|11 r00t ur 80X 4|\|d h4x0r j0|_|R p|-|1|35 4%
Ph34r m3 I \/\/|11 r00t ur 80X 4|\|d h4x0r j0|_|R p|-|1|35 14%

Votes: 197

 Sigmund Freud, Linux and The Narcissism of Minor Difference

 Author:  Topic:  Posted:
Mar 01, 2002
 Comments:
Linux Zealots. We all know at least one.

From that fat smelly guy who lives in the server room at your workplace to your neighbor's fifteen year old son in his "Limp-Bizkit" T-shirt, Linux Zealots come in all shapes and sizes, but two things remain constant.

1) The personal hygeine problems

2) The inability to concieve of any valid viewpoint other than their own.

In this article I will penetrate the very psyche of the alternative OS zealot. Distasteful as that might sound, I will be probing the inner mind of the Linux Zealot attempting to shed some light on what drives these social misfits.

science

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You may have heard about Linux - a hobbyist operating system based on the shareware principle, has been making waves in the hacker underground and in the periphery of large corporations for around five years now. Linux is a competent operating system which can even be said to compete with professionally designed OS's such as Microsoft Windows XP. Nothing remarkable there, after all the market place for other goods has many examples of competing products which are all but identical to the casual observer.

What many people do not realise is that to some of its advocates, Linux is more than a simple tool to get a job done. To these extremists, Linux represents a philosophical almost religious belief system - a way of life based around "open source" and "free software".

You may have encountered one of these Linux evangelists at work. They make themeselves known by constantly berating Microsoft products, and blindly praising Linux. Their belief in the power of Linux is akin to the Muslim's belief in Allah. In fact, fundamentalist Islam and hardcore Linux zealotry are two sides of the same coin. Press a Muslim as to why he or she is a Muslim, and they will suggest you read the Qu'raan. Ask a Linux apologist why Linux is better than the alternatives and the explanation you are most likely to hear is "Linux Rocks - Micro$oft Sucks"

The Linux Zealot typically displays an irrational hatred of Microsoft, a complete conviction that his choice of operating system is the only valid one, and a scathing patronising contempt of anyone "stupid" enough to use "windoze"*.

What causes this mindless OS bigotry? you may be wondering. Well, the father of modern psychoanalysis - Professor Sigmund Freud proposed an idea which he called the "narcissism of minor differences". Put simply it means that people hate other people who are very similar to them. This similarity threatens their sense of individuality, their sense of self, causing them to react in a hostile manner, which seems to become more hostile, the closer the similarity.

We can see this effect in conflicts all aroung the world. From the (white, Christian) Catholics and Protestants in war-torn Northern Ireland, to the (white, Christian) Serbs and Croats in the former Yugoslavia, to the (Monotheistic) Muslims and Jews, semite brothers in hatred.

In the same way that Arabs and Jews differ very little in genetic make-up and yet almost every single one of them hates the other with a passion, Windows and Linux have very much in common and yet their supporters fight tooth-and-nail over which one is "best".

No doubt a qualified psychologist or doctor could come up with all kinds of elaborate theories as to why the Linux Zealot behaves the way he does. One theory I have is that the Linux Zealots have small penises and belittling others for their choice of operating system is their way of 'getting back' at society and the world for their unfortnate genetic inheritance.

Another possibility is that due to the aforementioned hygiene problems the typical Linux Zealot cannot get laid, and subliminates his frustrated sexual energy into blaming Microsoft for all the evils of the world.

But I expect you have heard enough of my amateur psychology, I am interested in what you, the adequacy readers think. Why do these Linux advocates get so riled up about something so utterly insignificant as choice of OS ? Surely they cannot all be mentally ill ? (however intuitively obvious that answer might be)

*Windoze, Micro$oft, Microshaft, Winblows, etc are all terms used by Linux Zealots. If you recieve an e-mail containing any of these terms, you can be sure you have a Zealot on your hands.


I am a former Linux Zealot (none / 0) (#1)
by mfk on Fri Mar 1st, 2002 at 07:49:21 PM PST
I started sniffing Linux crack in May of 2000. Back then, I was still using a misconfigured version of Microsoft's Windows 95, and I thought it was Microsoft's fault - silly me. PC World's May 2000 issue just arrived, with a special article on Linux - and GNOME looked COOL! Linux has got to be better than Microsoft!

Now, I would have dismissed it as a passing phase - but I then went to work at a company that was practically nothing but Linux zealots. My fellow co-workers were waging a holy war over which distribution I should have chosen - and I eventually went with the hippiest distro of them all - Debian. Now I was skipping the crack and going straight for the opium injection - my OS preference manifested itself on my family's home computer, my computer, and I constantly preached the benefits of Linux.

About eight months later, my patience was wearing thin with this so-called 'OS'. The constant elitism, coupled with the complete lack of a standard desktop environment was troubling. Indeed, the nutball RMS "forgiving" KDE users of their sins should have given me a clue that I was using a OS made by crackheads

I tried to dismiss it all, but Linux's inferiority proved itself further when a certain de Icaza decided to replace a stable, perfectly working file manager for GNOME with a slow, bloated monstrosity Thankfully, Eazel died out before they could do further damage.

It became clear that Linux was not the OS for me after a certain Lunis Torvaltyos decided to replace a perfectly working VM subsystem with a half-finished, bug-ridden incomplete one - in the 2.4 tree

I am still recovering. I installed Microsoft's Windows XP and was relieved by how easy it is to update drivers, and the standard GUI interface, and its broad support for software - and games



 
Fianlly, some truth! (none / 0) (#2)
by Anonymous Reader on Fri Mar 1st, 2002 at 08:13:59 PM PST
I think they get riled up over OSs because of their `free information' ideology (which I don't necessarily condemn). I would agree that many Linux Zealots have irrational behavior, especially those who bash Microsoft, yet support other, equally proprietary companies. Zealots don't annoy me, only hypocritical zealots do. That's why I enjoy controversial sites like Adequacy.org, even if some authors imply that they like living in reality boxes.


 
You forgot something. (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by poltroon on Fri Mar 1st, 2002 at 09:12:19 PM PST
OS X

If the battle of linux zealots against windows users is like Protestants against Catholics or Jews against Muslims, then OS X is surely akin Zen Buddhism.


hmm (none / 0) (#4)
by ism on Fri Mar 1st, 2002 at 09:32:48 PM PST
So OS X is some mystical Oriental hullabaloo that white people go gaga over? I just laugh at all the crap white people are willing to swallow just because it comes from the Far East... power beads, Feng Shui, and Zen... etc. Sometimes I wonder if Afghanistan was geographically more eastward, if white people would start wearing turbans as fashion statements and get tattoos in sanskrit that say "strength." Imagine how stupid a tattoo looks when it says "strength." When you get a tattoo in Kanji, that's what Japanese people see. That's why they're laughing. At the stupidity of the white devil.


The greatest innovations of white people... (none / 0) (#8)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 01:44:37 AM PST
Polka and Country Music

Oh and yes I am white.


one more thing (none / 0) (#9)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 04:13:52 AM PST
You forgot riverdance


you worthless ass. (none / 0) (#12)
by nathan on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 07:40:58 AM PST
Virtually all of the great works of civilization have come from Europe. Take your racist garbage elsewhere.

Nathan
--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

You mean (none / 0) (#13)
by jvance on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 08:54:05 AM PST
great works like agriculture, iron working, and writing?
--
Adequacy has turned into a cesspool consisting of ... blubbering, superstitious fools arguing with smug, pseudointellectual assholes. -AR

No he means (5.00 / 1) (#14)
by dmg on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 09:32:41 AM PST
Cultural masterpieces such as this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this

I could go on and on but I don't need to.

time to give a Newtonian demonstration - of a bullet, its mass and its acceleration.
-- MC Hawking

 
Akumu (none / 0) (#56)
by Akumu on Tue Mar 5th, 2002 at 12:21:24 AM PST
Yes, they laugh; they laugh so very hard. Of course, they may very well be wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with "Spread Beaver: Showing the Vaginal Area" or ""LOVABLE BLACK CAT
COUNT ME IS YOUR FRIEND
CAN YOU REALLY DO EVERYTHING
I WISH I COULD TO
BILLIE - JEAN," or maybe even "Super Greeful." So laugh away, lovable Japanese, laugh away.

-Akumu


 
smelly linux zealots (none / 0) (#5)
by thegrendel on Fri Mar 1st, 2002 at 11:52:15 PM PST
Strangely enough, the "Esko Woudenberg" link at
the beginning of your rant reads much smoother
than the rant itself. Seems to me that...
those who can, write... those who can't, whine.

If there's one thing that smells even more rank
than an unbathed linux zealot, it's putrid writing.

Mr. dmg, I highly recommend Strunk and White's "Elements of Style".
Also, you might spend some time contemplating
the concept of "professionalism", rather than your navel.


Interesting (none / 0) (#6)
by dmg on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 12:18:21 AM PST
I wasn't aiming for 'smoothness' I was aiming to get my point across. But as usual, you zealots cannot fault the argument, so you attack the style.



time to give a Newtonian demonstration - of a bullet, its mass and its acceleration.
-- MC Hawking

 
some minor editting (1.00 / 2) (#7)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 01:39:37 AM PST
You may have heard about Linux - a hobbyist operating system based on the shareware principle, has been making waves in the hacker underground and in the periphery of large corporations for around five years now. Linux is a competent operating system which can even be said to compete with professionally designed OS's such as Microsoft Windows XP.

Linux is a kernel. CObined with various other utilities, programs, etc, it becomes an OS, a firewall, etc. It is not based on any principles of shareware. Shareware is limited either by the number of times you can run it, functionality, or date. Then you must pay for it to continue to use it fully. It is also not based on freeware, as freeware does not include the source code nor is it available.

I am glad however, that you did point out that linux is utilized by professionals, as well as hackers. However, you fail to clarify which definition of hacker you are referring to. Do you mean hacker as in developers which develope then share the wealth (either freely or commercially through licensing) or the popular definition butchered daily by the mass media?

Linux does not compete with WindowsXP. I agree with Red Hat's CEO that Linux is not ready for the desktop nor should developers concentrate their efforts on making it a desktop OS. Well, at least not as their main objective. Linux based OSes are, for the most part, meant for the server room. There is no WindowsXP Server. The next Microsoft Server OS is called Server.NET.

What many people do not realise is that to some of its advocates, Linux is more than a simple tool to get a job done. To these extremists, Linux represents a philosophical almost religious belief system - a way of life based around "open source" and "free software".

I agree. There are Linux supporter out there that are just wacko. The same can be said of those who will blindly follow Microsoft to the ends of the earth. "Microsoft has never done anything bad. Those court cases where MS was found guilty of blatant theft are blown way out of proportion." Just look out how many people claim adequacy.org runs IIS on Windows when anyone with half a brain can prove otherwise. People often think Bill Gates is a tech genious because he wrote BASIC. What has he done since? He is a marketing genious you uses every dirty trick in the book to get what he wants.

Ask a Linux apologist why Linux is better than the alternatives and the explanation you are most likely to hear is "Linux Rocks - Micro$oft Sucks"

Ask a Windows luser why the don't like linux and you'll get a similar answer. "Linux sucks because it sucks and that's why it sucks" Or they may say because they read some informative article (that was picked apart for containing opinion based writings on information the was factually inaccurate).

The Linux Zealot typically displays an irrational hatred of Microsoft, a complete conviction that his choice of operating system is the only valid one, and a scathing patronising contempt of anyone "stupid" enough to use "windoze"*.

You don't have to be a Linux Zealot or Linux supporter to feel that way about Microsoft. I fealt that way before Linux was even conceived. Of course I have been around since the early days of Microsoft and know all about the many many court case it lost. Of course usually through interpretation, loopholes, or funny language MS continued with their everyday practices.

Another possibility is that due to the aforementioned hygiene problems the typical Linux Zealot cannot get laid, and subliminates his frustrated sexual energy into blaming Microsoft for all the evils of the world.

That's their problem. But I don't think that's why they blame Microsoft. Any zealot could come to where I live (in a nice area) or any city like it and get laid. Of course the most all nice areas are usualy populated by rednecks selling meth like they do near where I live. Of course the Windows luser who sits around on his $3000 computer he bought downloading porn all day can probably get laid too.

But I expect you have heard enough of my amateur psychology, I am interested in what you, the adequacy readers think. Why do these Linux advocates get so riled up about something so utterly insignificant as choice of OS ? Surely they cannot all be mentally ill ? (however intuitively obvious that answer might be)

At least it's better than the half-assed attempts by elenchos. But you still must examine both sides which you fail to do.

Windoze, Micro$oft, Microshaft, Winblows, etc are all terms used by Linux Zealots. If you recieve an e-mail containing any of these terms, you can be sure you have a Zealot on your hands.

I use these terms to make jokes about things Ms has never fixed. I also write the little story called "The Adventures of Windoze Luser" which was a creation by NAWL and sent to me to post on my website (which was just space I had for sgining up for a free "check anywhere" email address. It's in reference to the Windows/Micrsoft Zealots. I don't use the terms blindly. For example I may refer to <insert security hole here> that hasn't been fixed by Ms in years. Instead they piss and moan that people releaser the information about it publicly. You see even with MS if you bring a security hole or exploit to their attention you cannot post anything about it for two weeks (does not include OSS). MS still bitches about it. Remember the exploit in UPnP? The company that dicovered it gave MS TWO MONTHS. Even then MS bitched that they went public warning people about it. It was then that MS got off their collective asses and did something about it.
FINAL THOUGHT
Your article is very one sided. It discusses extremists of various beliefs and at time delves into your one stereotypical mindset and bigotry. There are Linux Zealots, Windows Zealots (Windoze lusers), and Mac Zealots (Mac Addicts). There are those of us who support one over the other and will only challenge you if you spread lies about one or the other or lump us all into one group or the other.


Touch� (none / 0) (#17)
by JoePain on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 12:08:10 PM PST



 
Doublespeak. (5.00 / 1) (#31)
by derek3000 on Sun Mar 3rd, 2002 at 11:56:24 AM PST
Do you mean hacker as in developers which develope then share the wealth (either freely or commercially through licensing) or the popular definition butchered daily by the mass media? (emphasis added)

Is this kind of like how a man who forces himself on a woman is a "black hat" rapist? Have the media butchered the term so that it means something else? I think that you just like calling yourself that to get some attention. If you don't like being associated with that, then why not just describe yourself as someone who programs rigorously?




----------------
"Feel me when I bring it!" --Gay Jamie

no (none / 0) (#33)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Mar 3rd, 2002 at 02:15:11 PM PST
Have the media butchered the term so that it means something else? I think that you just like calling yourself that to get some attention. If you don't like being associated with that, then why not just describe yourself as someone who programs rigorously?

Nope. For many years the term hacker was used to identify the person who developed and innovated. For many years the US government supported hackers. It was hackers that are responsible for the technologies of the Internet. Sure you may say this is old and this is outdated by it worked for so many years. If it ain't broke why fix it. No one dreamed of the innovations of today 30-40 years ago. Should we look for something newer? Yes. Will it be accepted? Maybe.

Why should we change? It's not our fault the media fucked it up. Sure it takes, in many cases, an experienced hacker (or admin who understand security) to become a cracker. Just like a locksmith could use his skills to break into people houses and rob them blind. If an organisations of criminals came out calling themselves locksmiths would you tell locksmith to change their name? People often associate blacks/African Americans with criminals. Should they stop calling themselves black/African American?

When I say media, I more blame movies than I do news. People associate hacker with people that break into security systems, and write super viruses.

I suggest that you read this essay. Here's a snipet:
Computer movies suck.

Not like I needed to tell you that or anything, but it's true. In an era where PCs are a household appliance, video game consoles sell like hotcakes, and everyone's grandma knows what the Internet is, why does Hollywood insist on making incredibly stupid computer-based movies that insult your intelligence?

I don't know. Nobody knows. Only screenwriters or Hollywood suits can tell you. Some of the errors are negligible, like referring to websites that don't exist ("Deep Impact"); other errors are intentional fantasy that are appropriate to the story's vision, and are thus forgivable ("Tron"). But most of them are terribly, terribly wrong--a blatant slap in the face for those who work to improve the public's perception of computers. It's frustrating, it's degrading, and worst of all, it's just plain ignorant. Technophiles can't stand ignorance. (Which should be an indicator to all you Microsofties that you shouldn't call yourselves technophiles.)
More?
Want an example of good computer fiction? War Games. Yes, the entire second half of the film was silly, but the first half of the film where Matthew Broderick's character computes was very realistic. You can see a real CPM machine, real 8" floppy disks (remember those? Yes, they did exist), a 300 baud acoustic coupling modem (the kind you had to shove your phone handset into), and a character-based serial terminal. And the most realistic thing in that movie was how Matthew's character stole passwords from the school secretary's desk drawer. That is how it happens in real life, not through some super-hacker-password-cracker program. It's possible that a lot of the realism in War Games had to do with the fact that nobody knew enough about computers yet to make it inaccurate. Now every screenwriter thinks he's a geek. Feh.



shut up nawl (none / 0) (#38)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Mar 3rd, 2002 at 06:38:13 PM PST
No one cares about your little friend's inability to appreciate artistic license. The reason you hackers "suck" on film is because you suck even more so in real life.

More?

What on earth for? If we wanted a hacker's opinion stated as if it were truth, we'd wind him up and ask for a diatribe on the loudly imagined merits of /etc over the windows registry. Beats sleeping pills.

For many years the US government supported hackers.

Of course they did. *rolls eyes*


oh man (none / 0) (#39)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Mar 3rd, 2002 at 08:50:11 PM PST
shut up nawl

Who the fuck is nawl?

No one cares about your little friend's inability to appreciate artistic license. The reason you hackers "suck" on film is because you suck even more so in real life.

The essay doesn't specifically mention hackers you twit. It's about movies based on computers. It's not our fault that shithole screenwriters think they know anything.

Did you even bother to read the essay? You don't have to be a hacker to know that computer movies suck. Of course you probably don't know shit anyway and probably believe all that crap. I bet you think it's cool when people in the distant future still talk about the Pentium3 like it's brand friggin new. Of course they did. *rolls eyes*

Obviously you have never heard of the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), NASA, or the National Science Foundation (NSF). All of these were started by President Eisenhower.
A key appointment at ARPA came in 1962 when psychologist J.C.R. Licklider was hired to head a behavior sciences office, an office that would evolve under Licklider's two-year directorship into the Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO) which would direct the original creation of the Internet. Licklider in 1960 has written a manifesto for using computers to enhance research and research collaboration called "Man-Computer Symbiosis" and would define the IPTO's office's mandate in research funding. As importantly, Licklider's university background encouraged him and his successors to extend ARPA's funding to a range of university projects.

One key project was a $3 million per year grant to Project MAC at MIT to encourage the spread of time-sharing computing on the then-breakthrough minicomputer technology. ARPA would fund six of the first twelve time-sharing computer systems in the country, which in turn would help spark the whole minicomputer industry in the 1960s--crucial in the industry and the Boston-area regional economy then but as crucial to the development of the Internet over the next decades. Out of Project MAC would largely develop the early ethos of software and hardware innovation--"hacking" in its early non-pejorative sense before it became confused with electronic vandalism--that launched the computer revolution. It was MIT hackers at Project MAC who largely designed both hardware and software for DEC's breakthrough PDP-6 timesharing minicomputer. They would spend endless hours creating and sharing new software to extend its capabilities beyond the expectations of its creators.


Isn't it amazing how the government will still not grant any contracts unless the organisation has a Unix offering?

You can read the entire white paper here. Either that or you can read about the contributions made by Douglas Englebart, Tim Berners-Lee, J.C.R. Licklider, and many more when it's published this Fall by Penn State Press.


Zzzzzzz (none / 0) (#42)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Mar 3rd, 2002 at 11:46:51 PM PST
Oh, look, Nawl has taken his usual self-serving defintions and spun yet another delusional, droning, casually inferred War and Peace treatise rationalizing the importance of unimportant hackers and their failing hackerOS. Now fortified with a NEW! IMPROVED! startling theory of film criticism to incite 0.24% of all computers users into a frenzy of righteous indignation against the conspiratorial hollywood mogul shepherds leading the luser flock against their super intelligent hacker superiors colloquially known as "tech-support".

Hacker flics would suck 100 times worse if they accurately depicted the Nawls of this world and their boring obsession with obsolescent computer minutiae. You're terminally uninteresting, nawl, and your glorification of script kiddies isnt convincing. There's a world of difference between academics and the TorvaLunatix who expertly use badly copied perpetually 5 year old Windows technology kludged onto a pedestrian clone of the ancient decomposing flesh of unix.

You barely know a thing about computers, nawl -- certainly nothing that cant be learned playing a hypothetical version of Geek Trivial Pursuit, emphasis trivial. What makes you think you're Pauline Kael all of a sudden?


look look (none / 0) (#43)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Mar 4th, 2002 at 12:22:19 AM PST
Oh yes and look at you. There was nothing in the essay that suggested it was wriiten by hackers nor that computer movies are about hackers. So what he insulted Microsftites in the essay. Let's start up with a bunch of trash talk about Lunatix and hackers and blah blah blah.

As was said before, anyone with a decent knowledge of computers could point out that computer movies suck. And I'm not talking about movies about hackers. I'm talking about them all. I really like the end of the essay where the author makes a reference to the Terminator.

What hacker flicks are there? "Hackers" was a piece of shit. Hell people I know with almost no knowledge of computers could tell you that. No but let's let the point made completely fly over your head so you can continue with your simple minded broken record rhetoric. I'm sorry point you seem to be responding to a completely different post.

I also noticed that you dropped the other parts of your argument. What's the matter? Did you some real research and found out your a pompous jerkoff that starts typing bullshit without knowing the facts? You sound like an elementary school kid. You can't win an argument so you attempt to change the subject in your favor. "Well, well, you're a doodey head!"

I don't need to use big words or quote famous authors. I choose to speak my mind without having to look up and steal every other sentence I want to type. "Oh look, I'm trying to sound like Dennis Miller". Fuck off.

And one more thing. Why don't you take your witchhunt somewhere else.

I'm sure there are a number
Of post that look similar to the one you're trying to respond to.
I mean, typing in bold
Then responding in plain text must mean it's NAWL, right?


what facts? Nawl presented no facts (none / 0) (#44)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Mar 4th, 2002 at 01:37:28 AM PST
NAWL recited some dweeb reading the glorification of hackers back into a revisionist interpretation of history. Nothing he said means a damn thing.

As was said before, anyone with a decent knowledge of computers could point out that computer movies suck.

You missed it the first time. Here it is again. "Hacker flics would suck 100 times worse if they accurately depicted the Nawls of this world and their boring obsession with obsolescent computer minutiae." Get it? They dont make movies to entertain people whose idea of a good time is theming gnome or futzing with $PS1. Why do you resent movie-going lusers having an innocent good time at your marginal expense?

I also noticed that you dropped the other parts of your argument.

You think you're participating in an argument between earnest peers honesting defending their intellectual position, do you? It makes you feel all smart inside to remain incorrigibly obtuse, doesnt it? I bet you also think you're registering an argument by blurting out "that's unpossible!" in a darkened theatre or by loudly embarrassing your date with speculation such as "that effect looks like it was rendered on Lunix! We're not leaving till the last credit has rolled."

I choose to speak my mind without having to look up and steal every other sentence I want to type. "Oh look, I'm trying to sound like Dennis Miller". Fuck off. [...] I mean, typing in bold Then responding in plain text must mean it's NAWL, right?

You may have a point. After all, most hacker lunatix share his inability to resist a tone of misplaced condescension while tirelessly defending their faith with pedantic corrections to irrelevant and intentionally misdirecting minutiae. In fact, if you hadnt protested your ignorance so strongly, I might have lingering doubts as to your identity.


Alias (none / 0) (#60)
by Fordi on Fri Mar 8th, 2002 at 09:32:39 AM PST
Have you seen this show? Mr. Mitnick plays (of all things) a hacker of sorts. And an accurate one at that. They have him consult on all the new theoretical gadgets and the "hacks" he does on the air.

And alias is a damn good show.

No, to be honest, if something is boring, don't make a movie about it. When was the last time you saw a movie about particle physicists?


 
Linux is better, but I still use Win2k (none / 0) (#59)
by Fordi on Fri Mar 8th, 2002 at 09:28:49 AM PST
And why?

Guess what. Linux is a faster system. It is. I've USED it to do the same tasks in less time than in Windows. Not that Win doesn't have its merits.

For example, in linux you can do things faster -- if you already know how to do it in the first place. Yeah, my apache server will outperform your IIS server, but chances are your IIS took five minutes to set up while my inexperience with Apache made it take about 2 days.

Linux is NOT easy to use, nor should it be; if my Apache server took five minutes to set up, I probably wouldn't have come across all the things I could do to make it more secure, either. Your IIS server is still looking like you just installed it -- and you wonder why you just got hit with a massive DoS.

Linux is for servers and geeks. If you're basically an intellectual masochist, as are most good technologists, Linux is your way to go.

What breeds Zealots? The hours and hours they spent learning how to use Linux. To them, it IS easy to use, and if you haven't the patience to sit there and learn yourself, you're obviously inferior in the attention span department.

You'll find the same thing in the music world. You'll find many, many people who play metal guitar (Windows user analogue), then you'll find the classical pianists (Linux 0wn3r analogue) who can't stand the metalheads.

It's a matter of the skillful having no respect for those who can't be bothered.

You want my stance? I love Linux, but the truth is I couldn't see using it for anything where I have to interact with it for an extended period of time. Win2k makes life easy.

I don't support Microsoft; yeah, I paid for Win2k. But I use StarOffice rather than MS Office. I close their pop-ups. I hack Win2k's resources to remove their logos and disclaimers. I get around the installer licences by hard-removing them prior to installaion.

You think that's illegal? What, I don't distribute the modified software, and I do this before accepting the liscence. The agreement there is what makes software modification a breach of contract.

I use Win2k, but I will not allow ANY software to have more control over my computer than I do.




funny thing... (none / 0) (#61)
by nathan on Fri Mar 8th, 2002 at 11:04:35 AM PST
I am a professional classical musician, and I don't hate amateurs (or metalheads.) Without amateurs I am nothing.

Nathan
--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

 
God, you are an idiot, NAWL (none / 0) (#46)
by nathan on Mon Mar 4th, 2002 at 04:39:27 AM PST
Has any movie ever correctly represented anyone's professional behaviour? I suppose you think that Martin Chuzzlewit is a novel about Howard Roark's civil engineering skills.

For your edification, allow me to present you with a few relevant jerkcity links.

Nathan
--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

Damnit, nathan... (none / 0) (#47)
by hauntedattics on Mon Mar 4th, 2002 at 07:34:41 AM PST
You always beat me to the punch.

huahlulagaghhahaaal....



 
Negotiating the complexities of a bike ride home. (none / 0) (#49)
by derek3000 on Mon Mar 4th, 2002 at 11:19:51 AM PST
Technophiles can't stand ignorance. (Which should be an indicator to all you Microsofties that you shouldn't call yourselves technophiles.)

I never really considered myself a technophile, and I guess I was right not to, since I love ignorance and use M$oft Winbl0ws.

But then again, maybe thinking that the only worthwhile knowledge is related to computers is the true mark of ignorance. I don't know; feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, NAWL/Mad Scientist.




----------------
"Feel me when I bring it!" --Gay Jamie

 
Very accurate (none / 0) (#10)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 07:00:45 AM PST
When I first saw the title I thought: "Oh shit, there it goes again. One more load of bullshit about Linux. One more shitload of stupid posts from pro and anti-Linux dumbasses."

Having nothing better to do at the moment, I decided to read your article. Now I must congratulate you. This is the most accurate description of Linux zealotry I ever saw in fact, it is the most accurate description of any zealot I ever saw), except for the personal hygiene problem, which is totally made up. Well, who knows? I lived surrounded by Linux users (I was one myself) and none of them is a zealot (they use Windows too, in fact they use what they think is the best in a given situation), except one, who is very clean, but I suspect it is because they give him a shower to calm him down every morning in the lunatics hospital where I think he is residing. By the way he is not fat either.

I hope someday you'll write something about Microsoft-zealots (Microsofties?) and Mac addicts, etc.


Errata (none / 0) (#11)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 07:05:16 AM PST
Oops! I have lost one "(". There it is.
I said I lived surrounded by Linux users. No. I live surrounded by them.


 
Linux and windows are for different purposes (1.00 / 1) (#15)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 09:47:22 AM PST
In NO WAY is linux ready for the desktop. It is either A) a hobbiests OS (as in my case. I have a dual boot with XP and Mandrake) or B) A server OS. It is NOT meant to be used for your grandma to write letters to you. That is what windows is for. Generally more advanced users can find many many flaws with windows and less with linux. THose flaws that they do find with linux can be fixed easily because of its open source philosophy. Windows is an operating system designed for idiots which can ONLY be used by idiots.


You are a revisionist liar. (none / 0) (#16)
by dmg on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 10:14:07 AM PST
People are constantly claiming Linux is ready for the desktop. They point at StarOffice, and AbiWord and Konquerer as evidence.



time to give a Newtonian demonstration - of a bullet, its mass and its acceleration.
-- MC Hawking

truth and contradiction (none / 0) (#24)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 07:02:07 PM PST
People are constantly claiming Linux is ready for the desktop. They point at StarOffice, and AbiWord and Konquerer as evidence.

Linux is ready for the desktop. However, as someone pointed out before, it's not yet ready for everyone. I would say it's more for those that can navigate KDE, GNOME or whatever with little to no trouble. It's not for people that whine and bitch when moving between MacOS and Windows.

I hear it all the time. "I don't like MacOS because I can't find this and that." Or maybe "Windows is very rigid and requires too much setup, configuration, and way too many reboots". With only a little bit of time, someone not expecting it too be exactly like the other can pick things up rather easily.

This is a typical argument that I hear about Linux as well. People often like to ramble on about the command prompt forgetting that many of the tools are available with a graphical interface. They then say that KDE, GNOME or what not are copies of Windows, blah blah blah. Hello!?! Look at history. Who's copying who? The first Apple Lisa and Macintosh computers or the Xerox Alto. Hell a few developers like Douglas Englebart developed a rather nice (though simplified) GUI in the way before anyone.

So who is copying who? People like to site the Taskbar as a prime example. Microsoft? Nope. Remember OS/2 Warp? Remember how MS delayed the release of Windows95? OS/2 was released before Win95 and had a WarpCenter (Taskbar) and LaunchPad (the dock: MacOS) and even had virtual desktops (a current Linux feature). In many ways it was superior to Windows. Microsoft can claim innovation because no one really remembers past OSes (especially younger users). Innovation my ass. OS/2 also had the Object Desktop Control Center. Also these elements in similar form are in GUIs available for unix-variants, but only one or two for Windows. Most are hidden away or not available without third party software in Windows. Linux developers has never really claimed innovation as far as look and some of the feel. It's more about familiarity.

OS/2 Warp Desktop Tour


Bollocks (none / 0) (#28)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Mar 3rd, 2002 at 09:59:23 AM PST
You write:

"I would say it's more for those that can navigate KDE, GNOME or whatever with little to no trouble."

There's rather a lot more to Linux than navigating the desktop. Grandma had better take a crash course in using Google Groups to seek answers to the inevitable problems as she embarks on a journey of several years' frustration and destruction of data.

Just coming to terms with what LILO and GRUB do to her MBR will be a fairly steep learning curve.

She had better be prepared to spend in the order of up to a week to install apps, hunting down the dependencies all over the net and even then perhaps not getting something to run that literally would take one minute to install in Windows.

Of course she can compile all her apps herself (!) but she'd better be patient because only one in five attempts will succeed. She will certainly broaden her horizons as she attempts to decode error messages such as "no iso.c in /etc/bin/lib/penguin kernel module fstab".

If she can capture video from her DV camera via her Firewire card I will walk backwards to Finland and buy Linus Torvalds a beer.

I suppose for graphics work she'll use Gimp. I really doubt she'll live long enough to figure out that byzantine, crash-prone monstrosity.

I could go on.

When trying to use Linux, the desktop is the least of one's worries.

Bruce


grandma shouldn't have to (none / 0) (#36)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Mar 3rd, 2002 at 05:30:02 PM PST
OEone

no need for any geekiness on grandma's part.

also no need for expensive antivirus or firewall programs, or "utilities" to fix the thing when it crashes.

this, and systems like it, is the future of linux. embrace it.


or she could try (none / 0) (#41)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Mar 3rd, 2002 at 09:15:25 PM PST
Another good one is Desktop/LX from Lycoris.


 
this again? (none / 0) (#40)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Mar 3rd, 2002 at 09:01:51 PM PST
Just coming to terms with what LILO and GRUB do to her MBR will be a fairly steep learning curve.

Why does granny have to worry about the Master Boot Record? Maybe she wants to get rid of Linux and install Windows. If she wants to install NT, 2000, or XP then there's no need to worry. These OS installation wipe and overwrite the MBR anyway. This is one of the reason you install Linux after Windows when dual booting.

Maybe she wants to install Windows 98. Granny will likely never do this and will call you no matter what OS she wants to install. Just use the Linux installation CD and use the DOS utilities to remove the linux partitions. You can also use a universal PC bootdisk (I recommend also having DELPART from bootdisk.com on it as well). Since 9x, and Me don't overwrite the MBR or include partitioning tools you have to do it manually. Want to clear the Master Boot Record? By using the bootdisk or Linux installation CD you bought or burned yourself just type FDISK/MBR. You seem just as dumb as granny if you don't know that.

She had better be prepared to spend in the order of up to a week to install apps, hunting down the dependencies all over the net and even then perhaps not getting something to run that literally would take one minute to install in Windows.

Things don't always install in one minute using Windows. And I hope she's prepared to download any bug fixes or registry updates after installing crappy drivers that came with the device. Also why are you hunting anything down? Ever wonder why Debian users love apt-get?

Of course she can compile all her apps herself (!) but she'd better be patient because only one in five attempts will succeed.

Unless she planning on doing some major configuration she should never have to compile anything. Most apps install easily with their own installers. Why does everyone still think you need to compile and recompile everything? Hell buy her a Mac with OSX installed. She can watch the kernel compile itself.

If she can capture video from her DV camera via her Firewire card I will walk backwards to Finland and buy Linus Torvalds a beer.

First off Linus Torvalds lives in California. He lives there and works at Transmeta Corp. Second I don't know why everyone is confined to Linux. I prefer the TRUE Plug and Play with the Mac as opposed to Plug and Pray with Windows. When people speak of granny using a computer they are often referring to the lowest denominator of PC users (sorry grandma). I don't know too many grannies that have digital camcorders. I only know a few that have scanners.

I suppose for graphics work she'll use Gimp. I really doubt she'll live long enough to figure out that byzantine, crash-prone monstrosity.

Well if she like paying for software (as should would have to with most MS apps) she can opt for something else. She could also search the Internet for some other free offering or use another program that came free with the distro.


 
Idiots (5.00 / 1) (#22)
by thecapn on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 05:12:04 PM PST
I don't think my grandma is an idiot. Perhaps she has something more important to do with her time than spend it learning how to use a semi-copmlicated operating system. You can say all you want in defense of Linux, but please don't refer to people who aren't as inclined with the computer as you are as "idiots". There's a whole great wide world out there beyond the monitor and many other things that people could be doing with their time. Might I suggest you take up ping pong?


granny (none / 0) (#23)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 06:41:56 PM PST
Most grandmothers and almost anyone else good likely sit in front of the K Desktop Environment and write letters, email and surf the web without having to learn much of anything. Either way, if she's like my granny, she'll have problems no matter what OS she's using.


Point. (none / 0) (#26)
by The Mad Scientist on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 09:52:43 PM PST
Most grandmothers and almost anyone else good likely sit in front of the K Desktop Environment and write letters, email and surf the web without having to learn much of anything.

Agree. If someone will not get the Bright Idea™ and will not want to continually send them Excel spreadshits and Word documents and other things in proprietary (*spit*) formats with intentional incompatiBILLities...

If the granny-in-question gets adventurous and tends to mess with the system and take it down, it's not a problem to back up Linux (or BSD, or any other known-to-me unixoid/POSIXoid) configuration files and libraries. In case of a network you can even have a disk image with a fresh installation and reinstallation of everything requires just booting from a floppy (or even a bootROM) and overwriting the disk. Try this with Windows and they will most likely scream bloody murder and then freeze. Ever tried to recover Wind0ze from a bad case of registritis, without wanting to babysit it for a day and reinstalling and reconfiguring?

In long term, Linux is much better manageable than Windows. Not so crash-prone, crash-recovery is easier, and there is no registry rot. (And no DLL hell, though /lib sometimes reminds it. And you can solve most of things remotely over ssh without having to go on-site: Grandma, put the red floppy to the drive and reboot the machine, and grandma does so and I then dial in to the offending machine, mount /dev/hda1..., and find what's wrong.)

When you have "blank" users, not locked in one kind of user interface yet, pick for them the one that will be the easiest for you to maintain and keep running. They are Users, they aren't techies, they will be unable to reinstall Windows if it'd save their life. (They may be lured to attempt to - then they will call you in anyway.)


try this (none / 0) (#27)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Mar 3rd, 2002 at 01:07:37 AM PST
Why do I have so many floppies whenver I install Windows? ERD, Win bootdisk (1-4), NTLDR (backup), boot.ini (backup), and so on and so on. Al these are RECOMMENDED by Microsoft. Apparently I should go about this process right after installing Windows and update the ERD, EVERYTIME I install something (just in case).

A nice trick I use to repair Winblows98 whenever it craps out is SYSTEM.1ST (pronounced system first). Restart in MSDOS mode if you can at least get to Windows or select to boot to a command prompt (shut up elenchos). Then remove the attributes of the c:\windows\system.dat file and c:\system.1st file (hopefully you have it). Copy system.1st over system.dat (copy system.1st system.dat) It takes Windows back to 10 minutes before it finished installing. All your data is safe. When prompted for the Windows disk just click DETAILS and point it to the target location. The necessary files are STILL there (if you still can't find a file then insert the disc).

Then all you have to do is install all your drivers and download any patches and security updates (this is the longest part of the whole deal).


 
And there we go again (none / 0) (#62)
by Anonymous Reader on Fri Mar 8th, 2002 at 03:53:10 PM PST
No wonder dmg is posting an article like this if he has to put up with people like you. I congratulate on recognizing that Linux is not ready for the desktop. But then you go and ruin it by bashing Windows users (which you admit to being). It's no wonder Linux still carries around these stereotypes. The fact of the matter is Linux still has a HUGE learning curve. That doesn't mean people are idiots for not investing the time. I thought long and hard about investing the time to learn Linux. I decided it would probably be worth the payoff. That doesn't mean it's going to be. That doesn't mean I go around calling people idiots. And it doesn't mean I drain all my time on getting it to work. If a problem doesn't get fixed in an hour or so, that's enough for one day. But dmg has a point. I hate that elitist mentality. It's the biggest turnoff to the whole Linux platform. Honestly, dmg should have filed this story under elitism, not under science.


 
Catcher In (the) Root (4.50 / 2) (#18)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 12:24:46 PM PST
The characteristic of Microsoft that the Linux zealot hates more than any other is the company's relentless pursuit of user-freindliness (the Bill gates cult of personality is a sideshow: Larry Ellison is ten times the prick Gates is, but almost nobody bitches about him). Microsoft is all about making the experience of using information technology easier for the end-user, a philosophy that has been the key to its success. Which is not to say that MSFT has always attained this goal: the MSFT OS legacy ranges from rousing successes like Windows 9x to miserable failures like BOB and Windows ME, but the point is the company keeps trying.

Compare this with the outlook of the average Linux zealot, who sits mandarin-like and contemptuous of "lusers" who, imagine that, prefer using a GUI to the flexibility (once you've taken the time to memorize hundreds of commands and options) of a CLI. A simple stroll through usenet will reveal hundreds of stories being swapped by sneering Linux fanatics about clueless newbies who *gasp!* might need a little hand-holding while figuring out how to configure .bashrc, or who -get this!- were somehow not born with the knowledge of how to unpack archives and install software from source. This distaste for the Linux-ignorant masses, who just might have other things to do besides spend hours fiddling with computers, is the reason behind the notoriously bad quality of pretty much all Linux documentation.

The upshot of this is that the hatred that the average Linux zealot shows toward Microsoft's efforts to make their software accomodating to individuals of all skill levels fits in with the other traits common to Linux fanatics: the Japanese Cartoons, the Sci-Fi, the nerf guns, the "alternative" music, the piercings and dyed hair and in-your-face attitude, and above all the disgust with "marketroids" and "PHB"s and anyone else who has to compromise a little, play politics, kiss some ass, or fudge the facts to get by in this unforgiving world. The outlook of the Linux Zealot is the outlook of the arrested adolcescent, the Holden Caulfield who fancies himself the last bastion of purity and righteousness against a billion phonies and prostitutes. And we all know what happens to Holden Caulfield. Oh wait, I forgot, Linux fanatics don't read anything besides fantasy novels and Neal Stepehenson: Holden Caulfield ends up in a looney bin, so grab a clue, squirts.


I understand your thinking (none / 0) (#25)
by Office Druid on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 09:44:48 PM PST
The only reason I like Windows 2000 more than the others is because it never crashes, and plays all my games. But, even as I know that Linux majority are unwashed, unshaven hendonistis manchildren, is it really our job to tell them that? Certanly they must be happy as they are, and if they're happy, they have everything. Don't flame me or anything, I shave daily, I wear excuslivly dress shirts and listen to Wagner opera. But, I disagree with the comment about Japanese cartoons. I know most are crap, but some are pretty good, hehehe.


oh it does (none / 0) (#32)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Mar 3rd, 2002 at 01:57:18 PM PST
The only reason I like Windows 2000 more than the others is because it never crashes, and plays all my games.

Which version of Windows 2000 are you referring to? Professional, Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter? I have seen them all crash or lock up even after a clean installation. Hell most lockups are duringthe installation. Afterwards I find Windows does not always discover components correctly.

But, even as I know that Linux majority are unwashed, unshaven hendonistis manchildren, is it really our job to tell them that?

First off:
Your article is very one sided. It discusses extremists of various beliefs and at time delves into your one stereotypical mindset and bigotry. There are Linux Zealots, Windows Zealots (Windoze lusers), and Mac Zealots (Mac Addicts). There are those of us who support one over the other and will only challenge you if you spread lies about one or the other or lump us all into one group or the other.
Coming in here and starting patheitc name calling is rediculous. I suppose that you would lump big name corporations into that category. You have noticed companies like IBM have started very large add campaigns for Linux haven't you?

Don't flame me or anything, I shave daily, I wear excuslivly dress shirts and listen to Wagner opera.

I shave daily, and trim my gotee on a regular basis. My hair is long but very well kept. Regularly it's cut by a barber (hair dresses are for women). At work it's always kept in a pony tail with a little gel to keep it neat and tidy. Afterwork, I may lose the pony tail or not. It depends on whether I going out to a nice place with my girlfriend or hanging out at a bar listening to a live band. That's right I listen to a wide range of music. I listen to almost anything with an open mind, except country and teenie booper crap.

I disagree with the comment about Japanese cartoons. I know most are crap, but some are pretty good, hehehe.

True. I prefer Manga myself. It's more adult (grown up). No wide eyed, tear drop bullshit. The last one I watched was Ninja Scroll. Not bad. Although I do occasionally watch Pokemon with the younger kids when I visit my family. I thinks it's good to spend time with them so they can hopefully grow up and lead productive lives, whether it be a blue collar or white collar (or one of the in between) job.


God, you are an idiot, NAWL (none / 0) (#34)
by nathan on Sun Mar 3rd, 2002 at 03:38:27 PM PST
Can't you even tell when someone agrees with you?

Nathan
--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

He's never had any friends. (none / 0) (#35)
by elenchos on Sun Mar 3rd, 2002 at 04:59:12 PM PST
How can he be expected to know one when he sees one?

I suppose if I weren't such an awful human being I would feel sort of sorry for him. Oh well, can't be helped.


I do, I do, I do
--Bikini Kill


 
Doobage! (none / 0) (#50)
by derek3000 on Mon Mar 4th, 2002 at 11:46:03 AM PST
I read this while I was all smoked up and couldn't stop laughing. Then, I read it while I was sober and couldn't stop laughing. Either there isn't much of a difference anymore, or this zealot's puss-sacs are coming to a head, causing him to write the best unintentional humor since my family's last circle-jerk. Let's get started:

You have noticed companies like IBM have started very large add campaigns for Linux haven't you?

I also remember hearing something about IBM and the holocaust. Also, it seems that you Lunix zealots have a tough time deciding how to (group)think about corporations: surely a corporate entity as big as IBM can't be good, can it?

I shave daily, and trim my goatee on a regular basis. My hair is long but very well kept. Regularly it's cut by a barber (hair dresses are for women). At work it's always kept in a pony tail with a little gel to keep it neat and tidy. Afterwork, I may lose the pony tail or not. It depends on whether I going out to a nice place with my girlfriend or hanging out at a bar listening to a live band.

Decisions, decisions. I knew a couple of guys who looked just like you in high school. Notice the emphasis I added to point out your lunacy. And no, you are not getting your lunch money back.

...hanging out at a bar listening to a live band. That's right I listen to a wide range of music. I listen to almost anything with an open mind, except country and teenie booper crap.

Yeah, bar bands do play a wide variety of music. All the way from Blink 182 to Matchbox 20. Also, I like how it sounds since you took out the apostrophe. Very agro. Maybe you should chill with that Nitzer Ebb shit before you gun down your co-workers.

Although I do occasionally watch Pokemon with the younger kids when I visit my family. I thinks it's good to spend time with them so they can hopefully grow up and lead productive lives

Nothing like a little Pokemon to shorten the attention span and melt the brain. You might as well put some uncut doses in their swimming trunks and throw them in the pool.


----------------
"Feel me when I bring it!" --Gay Jamie

 
Neal Stephenson (none / 0) (#63)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Mar 10th, 2002 at 08:57:39 PM PST
Haha... I love the blind adoration of Stephenson. "Oh... he writes about math and computers and cryptography? Then, by God, his writing must be the best the world has ever seen." I read Cryptonomicon, and was just stunned at how witless and ham-fisted the whole thing was. But of course, they'll tell you it's the pinnacle of modern literature.


 
your so right. (none / 0) (#19)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 03:06:19 PM PST
windose has got to be the best all round and its american.So what more could a red blodded man want.None of this eouropean trash please.
i had a freind who started using linux and now he,s doing time for seling drugs to school children.Shows you it must be the work of the dark lord.


jackass (5.00 / 1) (#20)
by nathan on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 04:07:11 PM PST
None of this eouropean trash please...

Nuts to you and your denigration of American contributions to Lunix.

Nathan
--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

 
Slightly outside the debate (5.00 / 1) (#21)
by lowapproach on Sat Mar 2nd, 2002 at 05:07:00 PM PST
By 2010, it's estimated that 30% of the world's population will have access to the Internet; of the remaining, 50% will not have Internet access nor will have made a phone call once in their entire lives.

Of all the things one could choose as the centerpiece of one's vanity, the choice of operating system seems limited to a very small, insular group who understand the references and care.

To list a small number of accomplishments more impressive in a random gathering of people: (1) being within a ideal weight relative to one's height; (2) semi-weekly bathing, deodorizing and dental hygiene routines; (3) the insight required to know when your peer group couldn't give two-thirds of a damn what you do with your computer. This has been a public service announcement.


 
correction: I'm the best Psychotic loser (none / 0) (#29)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Mar 3rd, 2002 at 11:20:35 AM PST
and i have the biggest superiourity omplex

hehe, i know I have a superiority complex (hell, the reason i have one are obvious, most people are losers), and i didn't took me long figuring out I'm a losers, since i only need one hand to count the times i had sex, and noticing 95% of my harddisk is filling up with porn even strenghtens this idea. (the fact that i run linux and wear a "Got wood/Root?" t-shirt" with the proud only a linux user could do has also has a little influence too) Anyway, please exterminate me! i have no reason to live on this world (nietsche was right) an people aren't born good (anarchisme was wrong). I still have leftovers from my yought in the form of an overgrown egocentrism.


 
The answer to the Jewish question. (1.50 / 2) (#30)
by tkatchev on Sun Mar 3rd, 2002 at 11:24:42 AM PST
Actually, most of the ashkenazi Jews are not in fact semitic. Most are descendents of the Khazar tribes of central asia -- which were a mix of mostly turkic and slavic peoples. This means that modern Jews are in fact closer in cultural and genetic ties to Ghengis Khan's Golden Horde than to the twelve tribes of Israel.

The reason for this is that the Khazar Kagante was the only state before Israel that had Judaism as an official state religion. This is also the reason why such a huge number of Jews have Polish or Russian ancestry -- before the Russian Revolution, the Russian Empire had a Jewish population of about 2 million people. (!!) This is not counting Poland, by the way!

P.S. I realize that this statement will be incredibly offensive to some people. Please excuse me; I did not intend to hurt anyone's national or religious pride! Please do not label me as a Nazi anti-semite. I am not. Thank you very much.


--
Peace and much love...




proof? (none / 0) (#51)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Mar 4th, 2002 at 12:01:57 PM PST
Is there really any proof for this theory? Or are you reciting Koestler? Last I heard quite a few people were disputing "The Thirteenth Tribe", based on genetic evidence. To be honest I have not read enough on the subject, so I don't have an opinion.


There isn't really any. (none / 0) (#52)
by tkatchev on Mon Mar 4th, 2002 at 12:55:04 PM PST
The only proof are the historical facts behind it.

i.e. It is definitely known that the Khazar Kaganate did indeed exist, that it definitely had Judaism as a state religion, and that it was destroyed by the Russian kingdom around 1000 A.D. Almost nothing about the genetic and cultural makeup of the Khazar people is known. We can make some very wild guesses, though.


--
Peace and much love...




 
Khazaria (none / 0) (#53)
by nathan on Mon Mar 4th, 2002 at 04:10:21 PM PST
The Khazars did not convert en masse. A small number from among the aristocracy converted. We're talking a few hundred to a few thousand, tops. The peasants remained Muslims and pagans.

You also ought to remember that the Khazar 'empire' was extremely short-lived. It is preposterous to suggest that in that short period of time were founded the bloodlines of even a significant number from among the Jews.

The Khazaria story is more important politically than factually. Its political significance is that it undercuts whatever 'blood rights' (a disgusting idea) the Jews might have to Israel. Apologists for the Palestinians have uncritically seized it with both fists.

Pay attention to the company you keep, tkatchev. You're swimming in dirty waters.

Nathan
--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

what I'm talking about: (none / 0) (#54)
by nathan on Mon Mar 4th, 2002 at 04:24:49 PM PST
link

link

link

link

link

link

link

I didn't even bother grabbing the Arab sites. You can google for them if you want them. The point I'm trying to make is that pretty much every political opponent of Jews or plain old anti-Semite on earth has bought into the Khazaria story.

Nathan
--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

 
Huh. (none / 0) (#55)
by tkatchev on Mon Mar 4th, 2002 at 10:19:38 PM PST
Sorry if you've thought that there is some sort of anti-Semitic undercurrent to my post; there isn't any.

From my context, though, the Kazaria legend makes sense -- in Eastern Europe, "the Jews" are a secular non-semitic nationality. At one time there were up to a million non-Jewish "Jews" over here; most were killed during WWII, and those that didn't have since mostly emigrated to Israel.

P.S. From my understanding, there is quite a bit of culture clash in Israel between regular Jews and Jews from Eastern Europe; I don't have first-hand experience, though, so correct me if I'm wrong.


--
Peace and much love...




 
Shareware mistake (none / 0) (#45)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Mar 4th, 2002 at 04:35:52 AM PST
I only have a single comment...

Linux IS NOT shareware. IT IS freeware. And even more: IT IS open source.

You may thought that it's shareware since most of the Linux that you can grab is SOLD in something called a DISTRO. But ALL those distro producers MUST HAVE it for free and download in their site.

IT IS more than freeware because you MUST HAVE the code so you can change and improve your Linux system.

The freeware concept doesn't comtemplates distribution of source code. You can use for free but you cannot change it. So if it as a BUG you are stuck with it.

Well! I hope that this simple concepts passthru your mind and that you never call Linux shareware or freeware anymore. It demonstrates that you don't know what are you talking about.

By the way... most of the BIG Linux companies are now owned by stincky people I can assure you.

See: www.suse.de www.redhat.com www.ibm.com www.oracle.com www.conectiva.com www.mandrake.com and see who are their shareholder partners.

Best of lucks to you too.


reread the GPL (none / 0) (#57)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Mar 5th, 2002 at 02:14:06 AM PST
You may thought that it's shareware since most of the Linux that you can grab is SOLD in something called a DISTRO. But ALL those distro producers MUST HAVE it for free and download in their site.


There's nothing in the GPL which states that you must provide your distro through download. Take Yellow Dog. You can only get ahold of it by purchasing the distro. With it comes the source code. The source code is free but Yellow Dog can charge for the media (CD) it's on. Most companies make it available for download but with no documentation or support. Support services must be purchase separately if you choose this method. If you purchase a retail copy limited support is offered. You can purchase additional support if you like.

This is actually not that different that Microsoft. Microsoft includes documentation in the OS just like with Linux and man pages. However, consumer get no direct support from Microsoft and must rely on the manufacturer they bought the computer from.


 
You guys crack me up... (none / 0) (#48)
by gordonjcp on Mon Mar 4th, 2002 at 08:24:57 AM PST
... with your undying loyalty to your pretty GUI shell over an 8-bit os running on a crude microcontroller.<br>
Get a <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/">real</a>
<a href="http://www.tru64unix.compaq.com/why.html">OS</a> and stop slagging off other people's work.<br>
Cretins...


ooohh (none / 0) (#58)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Mar 5th, 2002 at 02:34:06 AM PST
Windows: noun. 32 bit extensions and a graphical shell for a 16 bit patch to an 8 bit operating system originally coded for a 4 bit microprocessor, written by a 2 bit company.

There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire to become a great writer.
When asked to define great, he said, "I want to write stuff that the whole world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger!"
He now works for Microsoft writing error messages.

The day Microsoft will make something that doesn't suck is probably the day they'll start making vacuum cleaners.


 
Linux and the Internet (none / 0) (#64)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat Mar 16th, 2002 at 12:57:02 AM PST
You should be glad that such a thing as Linux or UNIX exists, or else there would be <b>no internet at all</b> (nope, internet was not invented by microsoft)


 

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