[kwlug disc.] "people don't respect what they don't pay for"

[Andrew Kohlsmith]

On Thursday 20 September 2007 10:20:10 Robert P. J. Day wrote:
>   i'm more curious as to what you'd say if this was a good friend of
> yours who, out of the blue, made that rather astonishing claim.  it

If I were as quick-minded and sharp as Raul, I would have said something 
exactly like what he suggested.  I'm not the best at talking smack with my 
friends, often thinking of the perfect response after it is too late, but 
Raul's response is both poignant and effective.

> wouldn't do any good to speak of the value of linux, or apache, or
> openoffice, if said person had never used any of them, and was
> perfectly happy in a microsoft-centric environment.  if that's the
> case, i'm not sure *what* kind of response you could make.

I have a linux box sitting directly on a 100mbit connection to the 'net with 
no firewall or protection.  It has been running Slackware 9.1 shortly after 
Slack 9.1's release, having only basic security updates.  It runs full mail 
and web services, hosts a jabber server and has a 24/7 connection to some of 
the nastiest IRC networks there are (EFnet, UnderNet, etc.) -- I don't hang 
out in the most friendly IRC channels on those networks, either.  Since its 
install, I've not had to upgrade a single piece of software on it for any 
reason other than I wanted to.  The box has sustained DoS, DDoS, countless 
port scans and fuzzing attacks, not to mention taking the brunt of an attack 
from a group of pissed-off Romanian CC scammers after I infiltrated their 
network.

Can anyone running WIndows claim the same?  I don't imagine they care, but my 
point is simple: I know the software I run, and I can't do that with 
proprietary software.  I can't get off the upgrade treadmill for as long as I 
run Microsoft Windows.  I may have found the coolest, bestest application in 
the world, but if they disappear, there is a good chance that that app will 
stop running within a few revs of Windows itself.  And of course you have to 
upgrade Windows, because the OTHER apps you want need the newer versions or 
patches or whatever.

I gave up a long, long time ago trying to "convert" anyone.  I don't think 
I've ever lost a friend to my choice in OS, although I get some funny looks 
from time to time when I tell them I can't or won't run the latest coolest 
application they've found.  Once in a while someone'll ask me what I use and 
I'll tell them, and I can explain why and even offer to help them out, and I 
have a few converts due to that, but if they're happy in Windows who am I to 
argue?  I'd rather make fun of them for other reasons.

-A.