[TriLUG] Nice article: The Register "Making Linux look harder than it is"

[Andrew Perrin]

He does make some good points, indeed. The essential issue seems to be
*why* linux is a Good Thing (tm):

- If it's because open source is good (and/or Microsoft is bad), the
article is right on target; open-source GUI tools can simulate and extend
the functions of commercial software, and users should be helped and
encouraged to make them do so.

- If it's because the *ix *style* is a good thing (that is, lots of
little, relatively simple tools that can be pieced together to do a very
good, efficient job at most tasks), then the article is
off-base. Getting new users to load linux, only to stay with StarOffice as
their application base, doesn't do much.

My feeling is that both of the above are Good Things, which is why the
article is partially on-target. But my own experience is that taking a
short period of time (say, a week) to really learn *ix and actually think
differently about computing has tremendous payoffs down the line in terms
of efficiency. And it's a shame to discourage new users from taking linux
as an opportunity to take that leap.

Just my 2c.

ap

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Andrew J Perrin - andrew_perrin at unc.edu - http://www.unc.edu/~aperrin
 Assistant Professor of Sociology, U of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
      269 Hamilton Hall, CB#3210, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3210 USA


On Fri, 7 Dec 2001, David A. Cafaro wrote:

> For those interested found this nice article.  He has some good points.
> 
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/23245.html
> 
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