> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > COUNTERPOINT! > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > I wrote this almost two years ago as a "rebuttal" to a member of a certain > "help forum" that continuously put down anyone that used Microsoft software > but never offered a clear explanation or source for information about the > "alternative" tools he evangelized. > > "This is not directed specifically at any one person, but at the general > mindset of some 'members' the GNU/Linux Community; and to almost all of those > that want to complain about Windows, but don't want to invest any time and > effort to learn something new." > > "Thanks for the feedback; but I find that too often answers to questions > about anything GNU/Linux are geared toward overly complex solutions relating > to situations that don't obtain, or require some obscure "knowledge" that > most people wouldn't have a clue how to utilize if they could find a source. > The reason it has been stated by so many that there will never be a > wide-spread GNU/Linux desktop usage is that, in my opinion; at heart, and > stated simply, most of the "Community" doesn't seem to want it to happen. > Mild xenophobia is a description that I find appropriate, with everyone > seemingly intent on defending their own little fiefdom (distributions) with > rabid ferocity, and be-damned to any "Windows dweeb" or other non-believer > (non-technically oriented/educated/inclined person) that dares to set foot > into the realm. Rather than your standard "RTFM and STFW" answer to > everything; or the seemingly dogmatic belief that you seem to hold that Karl > Marx was a misunderstood Saviour of humanity, have you ever considered that > it would be more beneficial to the people that you are "helping" to > occasionally provide a link or source for your many oh so 'fecund' > pronouncements? Not everyone that uses a computer and the internet has an > interest in Information Technology as a career; and not all of us are as > stupid or illiterate as you seem to think. I'm learning this system in spite > of people such as you. For my own reasons and in my own good time. I hope > that others won't be frightened away from trying by being made to feel > unwelcome through the belittling that is displayed with your every answer > here. If nothing else teach us how to ask the right bloody questions!" > > It went on for some boring length but the gist was that the "GNU/Linux/Open > Source Community" is at times it's own worst enemy. Things have improved > markedly, but there is still a vast journey ahead. It ain't about technology. > It's about choices and methods. It should be about mutual respect as well. > > I'll still always be a newbie and proud of it. I define newbie in this > context as a person that learns something every time they boot the OS and > that takes immense pleasure in the learning. :-) > > Not because I have to; but because I made that choice. >
very inspiring and interesting. but, being the newbie list. i'm goint to make some newbie questions. what exactly "is" the community? is it developers? developers AND users? users? i could assume it's both, but as the Operating system becomes more popular, this distinction becomes more and more clear. i could guess several years ago, the linux community was actually a big group of groups, each focused on their computer projects, trying to make it big. and they did. Ah but then, there were users. at this moment, "entering the community" means becoming a a little too much involved in a great big world of learning/unlearning about the world of computers that may be not an interest for many people. i think the problem of the "linux community not being very newb-friendly" has a lot to do with this. the community was born as a project for an OS, and the problem showing up is developers/gurus/anti-social-nerds not being friendly to the user that simply wants to listen an audio CD and never opened the cover of his/her computer to check if they had that little cable... one fine example of this is the "mplayer" list. maintained by the developers. have you ever subscribed? you get at least 3 RTFM per post. ;oP ( note: as you may already know, Mplayer's FM is one big piece of.. stuff that a lot of people don't want to spend a whole day reading ) this difference can and will be worked out in time. but for this to happen, a difference must exist between the "linux user" community and the "linux developers" bunch of anti-social, cofee-maniac, manual reading geeks ;oP i'm not sure if this words mean exactly what i want to say... ... now, i've just looked at the subject. "mandrake stock". yeah i remember the original post. has anyone considered the possibility of a "pressure" element? kinda like some very dark forces secretly pushing within the software market in order to make it harder for them? if linux were to became more popular... Winblows ( and all winblows-related software ) would have real competition! if linux were to became more popular... hardware manufacturers would be actually forced to spend more money making more drivers! or worse! manufacturing good hardware! let's not even start talking about *sticking to the standards* !!! simply put, my guess is a lot of people have billions of green reasons not to let Linux grow. Damian
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