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Mr. Electric Wizard
November 11th, 2005, 03:51 PM
Some of these Windows fools trip me out sometimes...
So I was suggesting Linux to a fellow co-worker yesterday that he ought to check out Linux for a server.
He started crying that Microsoft is good because it promotes standards in code, and that software licensing is good, etc, etc.
Then he actually said that the ONLY reason why anyone would use Linux is to "They want to seem like they are Sticking It To The Man"!
I then told him, that "The only reason anyone wouldn't use Linux is because the are Scared!"

He then stormed out of the office!:confused:

BTW, we are both M$ Visual Studio programmers...:razz:

IMHO, it is never bad to learn new things to make yourself more "Marketable"
And I can guarantee that my next job will include at least some Linux, somewhere...

Geez, some people!

Malphas
November 11th, 2005, 04:00 PM
He's entitled to his opinion but ranting like a baby and storming out of the office is quite pathetic.

teaker1s
November 11th, 2005, 04:00 PM
fear of the dark side
MS do a wonderful job of convincing people and organisations free=poor quality/unsafe and unsupported.
-maybe an old pc and some time to try linux risk free will make him change his mind.

Mr. Electric Wizard
November 11th, 2005, 04:09 PM
fear of the dark side
MS do a wonderful job of convincing people and organisations free=poor quality/unsafe and unsupported.
-maybe an old pc and some time to try linux risk free will make him change his mind.

We work in IT, there are free computers everywhere (unless I get ahold them :p ).
I agree he's entitled to his opinion, but it is wrong to trash something that you have no experience with. He has never run linux, but knows that it is not good.
I think it has more to do with with conservative type people being afraid of what they don't understand.

earobinson
November 11th, 2005, 04:11 PM
meh, people make judgments about things they have never done every day. At the end of the day his loss, like you said you have more tools at your disposal if you embrace windows and linux!

nsa_767
November 11th, 2005, 04:15 PM
He started crying that Microsoft is good because it promotes standards in code, and that software licensing is good, etc, etc.


The only way they promote standards is by forcing everyone to use their products!

Mr. Electric Wizard
November 11th, 2005, 04:19 PM
Yup

Brunellus
November 11th, 2005, 04:22 PM
He's entitled to his opinion but ranting like a baby and storming out of the office is quite pathetic.
...and yet, quite Ballmer-esque.

Mr. Electric Wizard
November 11th, 2005, 04:26 PM
...and yet, quite Ballmer-esque.

That was exactly what I thought when it happened!!!:p
LOL!
Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers.

trash
November 11th, 2005, 04:30 PM
Somewhere on this forum there is a link to an article that tells of microsoft recently using a linux server.. sorry i can't remember anything about the post but it is here somewhere.
People are funny about protecting what they think they know, i guess it's mostly about ego.

qalimas
November 11th, 2005, 04:37 PM
My computer teacher is the same way, they are just too scared to even try it, sad isn't it?

Mr. Electric Wizard
November 11th, 2005, 04:51 PM
Somewhere on this forum there is a link to an article that tells of microsoft recently using a linux server.. sorry i can't remember anything about the post but it is here somewhere.
People are funny about protecting what they think they know, i guess it's mostly about ego.

Yeah, I sent him that link when it was posted...
I think the title of my email was "More Linux propaganda, LOL" or something similar.

crypto178
November 11th, 2005, 04:56 PM
The story reminds me of the pharmaceutical industry. This sounds like a debate people would often have (here in belgium at least) a few years ago about generic medicines. Those discussions would come up when a newspaper pointed out that generic medicines didn't gain public acceptance yet. It wasn't easy to convince people (especially older persons) that the same chemicals were in the cheaper - generic - products than the branded ones (or at least, that quality-wise, they were the same).

trash
November 11th, 2005, 05:03 PM
Yeah, I sent him that link when it was posted...
I think the title of my email was "More Linux propaganda, LOL" or something similar.

OH! oh well lol.

I installed linux on a laptop for a buddy, in return he loaned me the laptop to do some demo's for people.... seeing is believing! Not only do I have a list of people interested in linux but the local computer store now sends unhappy windows customers to me.
All I had to do to win the store over was first I gave them a demo on the laptop, then I asked them if they make more money on selling software or hardware... followed by the more people running linux(saving money on windows software), the more hardware he'll sell! The store now has a list of non proprietary hardware and recommends it when possible. :)

Mr. Electric Wizard
November 11th, 2005, 05:09 PM
I even brought up a Knoppix CD once...
All the othere guys were blown away, but all this dude could say was, "Oh, It's kind of slow".
You'd think the dude is a personal friend of Ballmer, or owns stock in M$ or something...

jeremy
November 11th, 2005, 05:12 PM
He's entitled to his opinion but ranting like a baby and storming out of the office is quite pathetic.
Poor him, I mean if everybody switches to linux he'll have to pull his socks up or become redundant!

Mr. Electric Wizard
November 11th, 2005, 05:17 PM
...or unemloyed...

Brunellus
November 11th, 2005, 05:27 PM
My computer teacher is the same way, they are just too scared to even try it, sad isn't it?
"Seeing that I represent your imminent death
as well as the termination of your entire species
I think your fear is well justified."
-Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah, from The Ur-Quan Masters (http://sc2.sourceforge.net/)

23meg
November 11th, 2005, 05:36 PM
F U D (http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=478818&postcount=9)

newbie2
November 11th, 2005, 06:26 PM
My computer teacher is the same way, they are just too scared to even try it, sad isn't it?
or too lazy and conservative to try 'new things' :p

heftigrat
November 11th, 2005, 06:53 PM
Then he actually said that the ONLY reason why anyone would use Linux is to "They want to seem like they are Sticking It To The Man"!

Wow, I almost can't believe that except I've seen ppl defend MS so much it seems like they would battle to the death over it. I think the main reason *NIX/NUX users shun MS products, other than security and stability, is because the whole idea of an Open Source community better embodies the true geek ideal of gaining and sharing knowledge. MS is just a money-hungry wannabe monopoly. Of course they did standardize the whole GUI layout, but really the GUI was invented by Xerox, developed by Jobs, and stolen by Gates - theoretically that is.

D*mn MS mongers!

xequence
November 11th, 2005, 08:57 PM
...and yet, quite Ballmer-esque.


At least the guy didnt throw a chair across the room ;)

blastus
November 11th, 2005, 10:24 PM
Why don't you get a stuffed tux and mount it on top of your monitor? It is a harmless but effective Linux advertising tool because everytime someone comes over to your cubicle they have to look at it. :cool:

Brunellus
November 11th, 2005, 10:25 PM
harder and harder to mount tux on flat-panels.

wmcbrine
November 11th, 2005, 11:48 PM
He started crying that Microsoft is good because it promotes standards in code
That's the funniest thing I've heard all day.


Then he actually said that the ONLY reason why anyone would use Linux is to "They want to seem like they are Sticking It To The Man"!
Now to my way of thinking, that's a perfectly good reason. (To actually stick it to the man, that is, not just to seem like it.) But of course it's not the only one. :D

Qrk
November 12th, 2005, 12:52 AM
Well lets face it.

Most geeks are men. Men engage in oneupmanship. Telling a windows geek that you use Linux is like telling a scoutleader you're in the marines.

A-star
November 14th, 2005, 09:00 AM
In a argument like that I have a good point:
Just ask them if they know google (which of course they do), then mention that google runs on linux servers and casually add that it seems to work quite well.
:)

darkoptix
November 14th, 2005, 09:59 AM
I was in this situation the other day.

At a computer shop where I did some work experiance while I was in highschool I met this guy who was a windows *****. I liked the people at this computer shop, and was pretty good friends. When I went in the shop, there was 3 people discussing something, so I was listening in. Someone was brought some computer problem up with windows, and I made the remark that I always do, "or you could just install linux." The people at the shop kinda laughed at me, and I was like "What it is awesome, I use it." They replied that I was a stupid heavy memory X *****(not using *****, but it was implied) that didn't know how to use the terminal. Now, I code on very old unix boxes at school, and have used the terminal quite a lot, so I thought that this was kinda stupid.
Anyways later on, I was looking at this box that had vista on it, and never seeing anything with Vista, I decided to take a look. I started clicking around and thought wow, nothing new here. I was not very impressed. When the windows ***** came up and I said that this is not very customizable, he said yes it is, and attempted to show me how to customize the desktop. Of course he failed, saying to himself "It works like this in XP." I smiled and did my usually remark that most windows managers in Linux were customizable.
Then he started to look at the Media Center thingy. Now, since I am a xbox modded crazy fanatic, I made the remark that Xbox Media Center is better. Since this is a open source app, it was pretty close to linux. He said "yea right." like in a sarcastic tone. I then went off saying it plays 99% of media, and that the Windows one doesn't. He replied that he could just install the codec for it. I replied by saying XBMC has all the codecs already setup, and just works. He didn't believe me even after I showed him the site.
I made the comment that a modded xbox is the cheapest media center, and of course he went off saying his windows media box at home is better than it.
For $200, I have a media center that can play xbox games and emulators with roms.
For $1200, you have a pc that can do all that plus record tv.
Look at that price gap, and since I do not have tv, the xbox fufills my needs.

People just don't understand sometimes. and it makes me angry inside!

mrgnash
November 14th, 2005, 10:43 AM
As a rule I don't 'suggest' Linux to anyone. The learning curve is too steep for most Windows to migrate to easily, especially when they're unprepared to try new ways of doing things.

Even so, the hostility I encounter just from *mentioning* that I am learning/using Linux myself is unbelievable.. here's one I comment I received not long ago in response to telling someone I had become a Linux user:


it begins...I think your next move is to jump onto the lunix forums and boast about being godlike...I image[sic] thats[sic] the only topic posted...urg lunix[sic] people what can u do though.

I'm used to it though; for many years I've received similiar responses from people who discover that I am a vegetarian. It's just mental laziness and fear on their part.

ScoobyDan
November 14th, 2005, 01:56 PM
When I mentioned that I use Ubuntu Linux to one of my colleagues, he turned around and said "Isn't Linux just MS-DOS? :eek: Microsoft moved away from DOS years ago!" :rolleyes: