On 08-Feb-07, at 10:57 AM, Janani Gopalakrishnan wrote: > Hi all! > > First off, let me tell you that I had and have no intention of > jumping into > this debate,
unfortunately you *have* jumped in > though I've been quietly watching it since the thread started. > Second, let me tell you that I'm pro-OSS but not anti-Microsoft and > that's > not abnormal... highly abnormal > many won't admit it if you do a "+1" voting here but I bet > there are quite a few people here who take a balanced view of both > proprietary and open source software. What works, works. if by 'balanced view' you mean neutral, very few people here are neutral. If they were, they wouldnt be here. It is the neutral people who take 'balanced views' and usualy keep quiet who are responsible for most of the trouble this planet is in. > > > "Isn't open source about being 'open', isn't it about a free > market, isn't > is about giving everybody a chance, isn't it about higher talent > and ideals > winning over lower ones, isn't it about people making their own > 'choices', it isnt - it is a philosophy on how to make software. In fact, there is no democracy in the FOSS world. The best rule. One doesnt go around giving others a 'chance'. And if you dont like it, go elsewhere. And that is what this debate is about - we dont like melas sponsored by microsoft and we wont go there. > then what is wrong in Microsoft participating? because microsoft doesnt participate > By trying to shut Microsoft > away from the Linux world, aren't you shutting competition away, > and in a > way playing at their own 'closed' game? To the best of my > understanding of > 'openness' as a word (and not as any hi-fi tech term), if one wants > to fight > Microsoft, the right way is to stand right next to them and prove > you are > better! Put up a stall right next to theirs and say, 'Hey, here, our > products are placed on a level playing field, next to each others', > now you > judge for yourself, aren't the OSS offerings as good as Microsoft's?'" so are you going to sponsor a FOSS stall in the next conference microsoft holds? > > Makes sense in an extremely earthy way, doesn't it?! it doesnt. It is said that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Would your dad accept the opinions of a layman on an international debate on accounting standards to be adopted for the world? The 'neutral' and 'balanced' people are precisely those who havent deeply studied or experienced the implications of the various differences between what FOSS/OSS stands for and what microsoft pushes. Simplest of examples - find a CSS person who does not tear his hair and curse microsoft on a daily basis. Ask your dad to check out groklaw - microsoft doesnt 'play the game' - they use every dirty trick they can to subvert the F/OSS movement. -- regards Kenneth Gonsalves Associate, NRC-FOSS [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://nrcfosshelpline.in/web/ _______________________________________________ ilugd mailinglist -- ilugd@lists.linux-delhi.org http://frodo.hserus.net/mailman/listinfo/ilugd Archives at: http://news.gmane.org/gmane.user-groups.linux.delhi http://www.mail-archive.com/ilugd@lists.linux-delhi.org/
