Yahoo Censoring Ubuntu ??

[newbie2]

According to avid Yahoo'er, Amanda Kerik, Yahoo seems to have developed a policy of censoring answers in their "Yahoo! Answers" service, if that answer contains a suggestion to use Open Source alternatives to Microsoft software.

The gist of it is, that a fellow Yahoo'er posted a question about what to do with a PC that had run into unsolvable Windows problems, since that user did not have a Windows install disc. Amanda suggested, quite amiably, that the hapless user should simply install Ubuntu Linux, since it looked like they'd need to start over from scratch anyway. Amanda was subsequently rewarded with a warning from Yahoo that her answer was "in violation of our Community Guidelines or Terms of Service.", and they promptly deleted her answer.
http://slated.org/yahoo_censoring_open_source
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/01/25/yahoo-censoring-open-sauce
:rolleyes:

[a9bejo]

1. It would make absolutely no sense for yahoo to censor linux or ubuntu.

2. "Use another produkt" was not a helpful answer to the question. The user needed help but all he got was advertising. Yes, advertising free software. But it was still advertising.

I think it was a reasonable decision to delete that answer. Otherwise there would be lots of people spamming windows-related questions with bad marketing attempts. I also think that this type of fanatic linux evangelism is not helping the free software movement but hurting it.

[loell]

old news, old issue, not worth reviving imo

[sumguy231]

2. "Use another produkt" was not a helpful answer to the question. The user needed help but all he got was advertising. Yes, advertising free software. But it was still advertising.
Maybe the tone was a little advertise-y, but I see nothing wrong with recommending Ubuntu as an alternative to paying for or pirating another copy of Windows for someone who would have to do so anyway.
There's a difference between "lol throw ur Micro$haft Windblows out teh window" and "Ubuntu is a good replacement that you won't have to spend money on". It's just a suggestion.

[n3tfury]

Yahoo's "answers" is complete rubbish anyway. anybody actually looking for good answers should look elsewhere.

case in point:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070518092742AA2gA92


LOL. and look at the percentage that agreed.

[bufsabre666]

people really need to learn how to use wiki and google

[karellen]

people really need to learn how to use wiki and google

couldn't agree more. and libraries, I should add :)

[macogw]

I suggest FOSS all the time on Yahoo Answers, and Yahoo's never done anything bad about it. I've gotten thanks a bunch of times for suggesting the GIMP. Some people ask for Ubuntu help there instead of on here (which seems silly) too.

[lespaul_rentals]

Good, I'm glad Yahoo! Answers took a stand against an extremist like that. It's hardly censorship, it's stopping Linux superiorists from taking over.

Yahoo! Answers is good for one thing...it's hilarious to search for "computer virus" and read all the threads where n00bs can't figure out what to do. :lolflag::lolflag::lolflag: