Oh gee Laura, I feel so sorry for you.
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| PaulFerris Apr 16, 2005 3:58 AM EDT |
"When a story or a report, such as Yankee Group's recent 2005 North American Linux Windows TCO Comparison Survey is published, the open source extremists swing into action. Some are not content to castigate or ridicule the objects of their ire in the online forums. They launch letter writing campaigns and frequently e-mail their superiors asking them to fire the reporters or analysts in question." Laura, no offense, but if this is truly the case (and it might be, but I doubt very much it's effective), then I, speaking from experience, can only call it "Karma". This is precisely how Waggoner-Edstrom, Microsoft's PR firm, gets reporters who "dare speak the truth" about Windows, removed. Your article looks contrived, by the way. It appears to be an attempt to classify the Linux movement into the same vein as the Islamic terrorist movement. For one thing, we're all easy to find -- for another, we're about being constructive, not destructive. Finally -- we're all about something called "the truth" -- is your work, at the core about the truth? If it's not, and I were you, then I'd worry. Because it's going to be a rough ride for anyone who sits around thinking they're going to support Microsoft's "get the facts" campaign style of George Orwell type PR BS. The movement is grass-roots, so it's fairly safe from a lot of things, including this subtle attempt at malignment. Look at why they're pissed off at you -- you did in fact, support something that's obvious to those of us that use software on a daily basis (yes, Windows *and* Linux) -- no amount of PR, stupid paid-for-by-Microsoft white-papers, studies and so on -- none of that is going to change our minds about this obvious truth. Linux has lower TCO -- we see it on a daily basis. It's far lower than anything Windows can bring to the party, too. Had you been on the front lines, doing actual work, you might have seen that for yourself. You're getting all the hostile crap you're getting, unfortunately, because you didn't do the research required when you opened your mouth. Maybe it's time for a retraction, because this "let's try labeling them as terrorists" tactic is going make matters far worse. Maybe that's what you're after -- maybe you want more angry flame in your inbox so you can feel vindicated. Guess what, each time you don't step up to your prior mistakes, all you really do is further ruin whatever reputation as a tech journalist you have. Just some advice. I'm sure you'll ignore it. |
| devnet Apr 16, 2005 9:29 AM EDT |
lol...excellent response Paul... |
| tuxchick Apr 16, 2005 4:49 PM EDT |
Hee. The biggest problem with calling DiDio on her deliberate disinformation is it's nearly a full-time job. Good thing there are lots of folks available to do it! |
| Libervis Apr 16, 2005 9:33 PM EDT |
I do condemn those who call them up at night and make threats.
However, in this article she makes a connection between those and those who post online (slashdot and groklaw for example) in the end calling them all abusers, extremists and criminals. Given the source, the title and the above this is nothing but a simple message to us who actually do something about the FUD spread by Yankee Group, contradict the disinformation with information, a message that says: "GNU/Linux "fanatics", shut the hell up, you damn criminals and let us continue to brainwash the world with false data!" With all "due" respect, Laura DiDio, but no can do! It's been put in FUDZilla ->> http://www.libervis.com/modules/mylinks/ Thank you Daniel |
| PaulFerris Apr 17, 2005 4:10 AM EDT |
Libverbis, if you want to include a sanitized version of the stuff about Waggener-Edstrom (It's mispelled here) I'd welcome it. I've witnessed their touch first-hand. --FeriCyde |
| SFN Apr 18, 2005 6:08 AM EDT |
"I do condemn those who call them up at night and make threats." As do I....assuming that those calls are actually being made. Quite frankly, it's a lot more believable that she's made that story up in an attempt to support her Linux fanatics" angle. Hmmmmm. Paul, Didn't I hear that some anonymous MS fanatic called your home in the middle of the night to verbally abuse you over your choice of OS? |
| PaulFerris Apr 18, 2005 6:33 AM EDT |
SFN: Happens all the time. They also load busses with old Windows CD-ROMs and print-outs of the old "MindCraft" benchmarks -- then they attempt to drive them into my living room. ( I smell an article coming ;) Good thing I erected that huge barrier of old CDROM drives in the front yard, plus I keep a couple of old mainframe guys around with loaded 8-inch reel tape drives. They're ready to fling them through the glass of the approaching busses at a moments notice -- it's the most effective weapon against those fanatical windows zealots, let me tell you. To more effectively control the situation, there's a huge swatch of yellow paint on the ground at a 50 foot radius that I call the "Ballmer Barrier of Bus-lessness". Any bus that makes it past that point has obviously ignored all of the warning signs (The big Microsoft logo on a sign, with a circle and line across it, the effigy of Bill Gates -- it's rather obvious at that point, I figure). If they cross into this barrier, I cannot be held responsible to the damage to occupants, benchmark data or computer media. I have to be careful, as these fanatics are willing to strike at any moment. Good thing I drink tons of coffee -- you have to be alert at all .... What was I saying? |
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