More nonsense from IT Wire
|
| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| caitlyn Mar 03, 2009 4:32 PM EDT |
The claim that government and FOSS will never meet is bunk. Yes, the ability of deep-pocketed proprietary software companies to give big donations has helped them in the U.S. Still, a number of U.S. government agencies, notably the NSA, use Linux. So do some state agencies and local governments. The local large city near here is doing a large MS -> Red Hat migration. Massachusetts had mandated Open Document format for documents. A number of European national, regional, and municipal governments have gone open source. So has the Finance Ministry in Israel. Seems to me that government and FOSS have already partnered in a lot of places. Then you have the tired old Republican line that dependence of government mandates is a bad thing. Somehow FOSS is dependent on government mandates even though Linux adoption in corporate server rooms is higher than adoption into most governments. Oh, and then the author takes a pot shot at Pia Waugh. Nobody migrated to Linux because of Vista. Everybody just loves Vista, right? The claim that Sun Microsystems is really only promoting Sun Microsystems is certainly true. OTOH, if Sun sees promoting FOSS as part of promoting Sun then the end result is good. The main point of the article seems to be that money makes the world go around, politicians will go where the money is, and the money is in proprietary software. That worked against FOSS before companies like Sun (and Red Hat and HP and Intel and IBM and Novell, etc...) weren't pushing and selling Open Source solutions. I'm not at all sure it's true today. I also have to ask what agenda the author has. This is IT Wire, the folks who like to tell us that Windows has "crushed" Linux on netbooks and the Linux has been "kicked to the curb". I don't know of many sources I consider less credible than IT Wire when it comes to FOSS reporting. |
| DiBosco Mar 03, 2009 4:51 PM EDT |
IT Wire has such shoddy, lazy journalism. Either that or they are paid by Microsoft. Or both, come to think about it! |
| machiner Mar 03, 2009 5:02 PM EDT |
I stopped reading that article after reading: "It amuses me to some extent to see proponents of free code and free software relying on dictates from governments to spread the use of FOSS." It's an empty and rabidly mischaracterized statement. The kind of statement that keeps the drooling masses hooked. What he's trying to write is that governments have simply caught wind of and are embracing open source. It's just that his overlords don't allow him the freedom to write fact-based articles. And he, well, he doesn't really mind now does he? |
| caitlyn Mar 03, 2009 5:06 PM EDT |
IT Wire has such shoddy, lazy journalism. Either that or they are paid by Microsoft. Or both, come to think about it! Yet LXer.com keeps running their stuff. <SARCASM>A cynic might think some LXer editor wants to post controversial nonsense to inflame passions and get the hit count on the website up. That's good for advertising revenues, isn't it? Nah... that would never happen.</SARCASM> |
| tuxchick Mar 03, 2009 5:13 PM EDT |
My goodness Caitlyn, I agree that the story sucks, but it's not fair to cast stones at LXer. LXer editors, just like LinuxToday editors, link to a broad spectrum of news and let readers see what is out there. It's not our job to sanitize the news or try to mind-control readers. It's unfair anyway-- do you give credit to Scott for stories that you like? |
| Alterax Mar 03, 2009 5:19 PM EDT |
Caitlyn, I can't express enough how much I'm in agreement on this one. Varghess' work here (inasmuch as it can be referred to as such) only seems to have one purpose: To get Varghess' name in letters on the screen so that he can keep a job. Unfortunately, copy and content aren't interchangeable. I've read through his article very carefully three times now, trying to make sense of it. There are no hard figures cited, no thought-provoking alternate points of view to consider, and it all boils down in Varghess' head to the following: (Paraphrased and condensed) "FOSS can't make it because politicians are liars that must be bought." That's it. That's pretty much the one card that he builds his entire mockery of an article on--a snide comment on his opinion that all people are corrupt. There's no comparison of the actual benefits of FOSS vs. proprietary software, or about how issues of technology waste, vendor lock-in, or security factor into the lawmakers' decisions on types of software. It has almost nothing to do with the outrageous claim of the title, and if politicians are all corrupt due to the actions of some, then I suppose that Varghess' work likewise proves that all journalists are intellectually dishonest and peddlers of fancy rather than fact. (Note that this is not really true of all journalists; it's merely to point out the fallacy inherent in this one central argument Varghess builds on.) It is very sad that I.T. Wire must resort to sensationalism, yellow journalism, and reductionist namecalling in order to produce articles in lieu of actually doing the research required for honest-to-goodness reporting. Very sad indeed. |
| bigg Mar 03, 2009 5:20 PM EDT |
So what you are saying is that all links at LXer.com should reflect Scott's viewpoints. There is no room to debate? Don't like LXer, the internet is pretty big. Your accusations against the integrity of the editors of LXer are both unfounded and ridiculous. |
| techiem2 Mar 03, 2009 5:25 PM EDT |
I personally like seeing these articles since it shows what many people in the business world are reading and basing their decisions on. I think it's good to see all the angles so we know how to evangelize Linux more efficiently and what arguments we are likely to run up against and have to refute. |
| caitlyn Mar 03, 2009 5:56 PM EDT |
OUCH! I guess I should have used a tag in bold letters. I WAS NOT casting stones at Scott or anyone else. [EDIT: Putting that tag in place now.] I have a great deal of respect for Scott, Sander, Tracyanne, and everyone else involved in LXer.com. It's just that the IT Wire stories are so incredibly over the top anti-Linux that I find their regular inclusion in a Linux oriented site humorous. Clearly my own attempt at humor missed the mark. To anyone who was offended I do apologize. No disrespect to the LXer editors is intended |
| caitlyn Mar 03, 2009 5:57 PM EDT |
Alterax: I couldn't have summed it up better. Thanks. |
| Scott_Ruecker Mar 03, 2009 6:34 PM EDT |
Don't worry Caitlyn, I didn't take what you said the wrong way. I think ITWire can be full of poo too, I have to balance how I feel against letting others see things for what they are as well. You knew/know that, so does everyone else here. It is no surprise when I post FUD or poo, what I could do better is telling people whether I think it is poo more often in the lead with an Editor's note. I do it, but not as consistently as I should, this conversation is proof of it and not your fault Caitlyn. So I will ask for all to not be to mean to her please. ;-) |
| tuxchick Mar 03, 2009 6:38 PM EDT |
Quoting: So I will ask for all to not be to mean to her please. Party pooper. |
| caitlyn Mar 03, 2009 6:40 PM EDT |
Thanks, Scott. A dry wit is often misunderstood. I'm glad you didn't take it the wrong way. Besides, I think you know me well enough by now that if I did have reason to seriously question something you were doing I'd do it directly, to you, by PM or e-mail. If I make off-hand remarks in the forum it's gotta mean nothing is seriously wrong. |
| caitlyn Mar 03, 2009 6:41 PM EDT |
@tuxchick: LMFAO ;D |
| hkwint Mar 03, 2009 7:04 PM EDT |
Quoting:A cynic might think some LXer editor wants to post controversial nonsense to inflame passions and get the hit count on the website up. If that was true, you'd see PenguinPete's stories all over here. O wait, it is true, but 'Pete' forbade us to link to his website - even though the latter didn't come with a license. Anyway, yes, LXer also carries FUD. The advocates need it to see what lies are spread, the ones doing research about influence of companies on IT-sites are really interested in this, some of us just want to have a good laugh, others have unused electrons they'd really like to use to transmit adds, others are looking for examples of lousy journalism, some others might want to fool Google by reading that article and searching for it using Google (so Google gives it a high rating), others want to know more about Varghese, some people like FUD as their sandwich filling for lunch, a lot of people have recently become unemployed and are just plain bored and the list goes on and on and on. |
| hkwint Mar 03, 2009 7:11 PM EDT |
I just read it. Wow, what a piece of crap. Did nobody tell mr. Varghese there are governments beyond the UK and US? |
| caitlyn Mar 03, 2009 7:31 PM EDT |
@hkwnt: Those governments don't matter, do they? Clearly to some people they don't which is somewhat frightening. I could elaborate but then I'd be accused of political commentary which is verbotten. |
| tracyanne Mar 03, 2009 9:52 PM EDT |
Given that Sam is neither American or British (was born in India) and in fact works for Fairfax in Australia, it would be strange indeed if he was talking only about US and British Governments. Personally i thought the article was somewhat incoherent. |
| tuxtom Mar 04, 2009 5:58 AM EDT |
Quoting:LMFAO You're French? |
| bigg Mar 04, 2009 8:41 AM EDT |
@caitlyn: I apologize if you were offended by my remark. It's just that every so often, I see those posts here, "This is a Linux site, so you should only post pro-Linux articles." Obviously there needs to be editorial discretion, but merely being dumb or anti-Linux is not enough to refuse to post an article. |
| Scott_Ruecker Mar 04, 2009 8:52 AM EDT |
What this conversation has done is act as a wake-up call for on being vigilant on editor's notes. I have always tried to not have too many of them, I have seen turn into a running commentary that only erves to make the editor look like an idiot, I am good enough on my own with that, but, I think I have erred on the side of caution or silence too often and now I know it. If I had called it FUD or poo in an editor's note, this whole thread would not have happened. Editor's note to self...;-) |
| hkwint Mar 04, 2009 7:29 PM EDT |
Suggestion to webmin: Introduce <Enderle> Rubbish content </Enderle> |
| Bob_Robertson Mar 05, 2009 12:11 PM EDT |
Just on a positive note, when I was working at NASA, Linux was doing its traditional undermining. People who wanted to get work done would bring it in and make things work, then rationalize it later. The fact that no money has to be spent up front means it comes in without showing up on budgets. And it may never show up on the budget. Something to consider. |
Posting in this forum is limited to members of the group: [ForumMods, SITEADMINS, MEMBERS.]
Becoming a member of LXer is easy and free. Join Us!