On Tue, 2007-08-07 at 18:24 +0800, Joe Morris (NTM) wrote:
On 08/07/2007 05:49 PM, Hans van der Merwe wrote:
Again - the SETUP will involve removing windows and installing a flavour of linux to curb the effects of viruses. And it does help, not in the future but in the present. The FALL will be when they click yes to something they dont understand (not Linux fault, yes I know) and then having their docs trashed - leaving them exactly where they were with windows. And if they have learned nothing else than not to click on everything next time, then at least they have learned that. BUT, anything that would wipe out their docs would only wipe out their docs. Getting running again would be a short exercise not a reinstall. Anyone that inept is still in much better shape with Linux than Windows. They and the media will not be interested in how it happened, just that it happened.
If they do not care how it happened, then they would be beyond any reasonable arguments because they would definitely be fringe, not mainstream.
Well, just read a bit about the Firefox Password Manager "bug" that is hurting the move to Firefox, Im sure. Wired, CNet, CNN, BBC, etc really dont care that this is not a bug in the traditional sense of the word, but well... a feature gone bad in the ever changing webserver world. To them its a juicy story about the great freedom Firefox being just as vulnerable/bad as IE or Safari. Fringe media is leading the non-tech world, its a reality, something to plan for and deal with.
Yes this is not in any way the fault of Linux or Linux programmers or distros etc, BUT telling users to install Linux because it will help for viruses is IMHO irresponsible.
I respect your right to your opinion, but I know my daughters laptop works much more reliably in Linux than in Windows in her college setting, with friends using her computer. It is her opinion Linux DOES much more than help, it works when her dual boot Windows gets stuffed with viruses, worms, etc.
I guess (and again my opinion) that most (yes, not all) Linux users at the moment are not the average Joe computer user that will click on anything that is put up on the screen. And users that dont know Linux using Linux is more cautious not to "mess-up" the computer. This will change as average Linux users increase. I'm just "preaching" caution - just as I don't tell people to use Linux because its free, money wise or as in freedom, most of them are skeptical about "free stuff", and the other really not care about tech freedom (wrongly so, but that is a diff fight). I believe that the free, freedom etc is to the Dells, HPs and IBMs, not the user - the user, in an ideal world, should not even know what a OS is (as MS have already done with 80% of the users out there). Dell etc should care if some of their revenue go to MS - they are starting to, they should make the difference. A user revolt will not happen. Well, my ZA 2c worth, which is not much in $ terms. Thanks for the discussion. Hans ps. I have no Windows machines at home - Im also seen as the company Linux fanboy/troublemaker - so this is mainly a bit of devils advocation going on. E-Mail disclaimer: http://www.sunspace.co.za/emaildisclaimer.htm -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org