On Thu, Feb 21, 2002 at 03:47:10PM -0500, Kevin McLauchlan wrote: [major snippage]
HUH! You call that a rant? No, no. That was just an accurate but trimmed-down summary of my recent experience. No exaggeration at all.
Cheers,
/kevin
Whew, that was quite a gust of frustration. I would like to offer a few points to consider. Yes, Linux can be very frustrating at times and we are still swimming upstream against the rest of the Windows oriented computer industry for now. But things are getting better, really. Linux gives you something Windows never can, freedom. Not only freedom of the code, but freedom from lots of nasty Windows things like the e-mail virus of the day, the security patch of the day, the frequent crashes. You also get your privacy back. You're listening and viewing habits aren't harvested and sent back to Microsoft, or the NSA, or the FBI. You can encrypt your data without fear of hidden backdoors. No need for multiple levels of registrations, fear of surprise BSA audits and jail terms if you happen to install some program on two computers without paying for it twice. But freedom comes at a price. Linux demands more from its users than other operating systems. But you get more in return. Your growth is not limited. The more you learn, the easier it gets and the more powerful you get. You can suddenly do things your Windows using friends can't, like eliminate spam from your life, run your own web, mail, and database servers. You can actively get involved in the development of your favorite programs and have some real effect on their development. Try e-mailing a MS programmer with a feature request or bug report :) Windows makes some of the simple things easier than Linux (at least when you are first starting out with Linux), but the hard things will ALWAYS be hard, regardless of OS. Can your brother set up a SQL database that feeds dynamic data to a web site? Can he set up a strong firewall that also masquerades internal machines and port forwards mail and ssh to internal servers? Can he set up a secure public kiosk for web browsing that can't be tampered with? These are all things that are hard in any OS, and I think, harder in Windows than Linux. The software I run on my home network would cost me over $14,000 if I licensed them from Microsoft. I can no longer afford to run Windows even if I wanted to, unless I want to give up a lot of the features I am using every day. To drag out the tired old car analogy, if you want to drive a minivan, Windows is for you. If you want to drive a race car, Linux may be more to your taste. It is fast, powerful, and dangerous. It requires a level of driving skill not required by minivan drivers. I prefer the race car, but I understand it's not for everyone. Best Regards, Keith -- LPIC-2, MCSE, N+ wielder of vi(m), an ancient, dangerous and powerful magic free your mind, and your OS will follow