On Saturday 29 June 2002 09:09, James.Rocks@equant.com wrote:

...

"...Linux, MS-DOS, and Windows 2000 (also known as the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly)."

It may not be PC in such circles to say such things but Windows 2000 is an excellent operating system.

Sure MS may be bas***ds, they may be anti-competitive practices and their licencing may suck but the simple fact is that Windows OS's are popular, highly competent and improve with every release! Sure I accept that MS practices may have improved their standing in the OS stakes but that doesn't (cannot) take away the fact that it is MS & Windows that made home computing so popular with ordinary people!

I appreciate it was probably posted in humour but this kind of statement just irritates those of us who try to keep an open mind about such things and drives potential Linux users away :-)

Huh!? Drives potential Linux users away because he called them ugly? I for one have always used OS's for what they are good at. Sure sometimes it can get a bit too much bitching, but the above is more funny than irritating as far as I'm concerned. Like most others I switched to Linux because of stability, security and freedom from various abuses. I keep windows around for games that my daughter and I play. But that does not make MS or their OS any more popular with me. As an administrator who have had to suffer the consequences of a company that has no understanding of security what so ever. (This will be mostrly directed to the general view of:) This openmindedness does not fly i a professional setting. One has to recognize what has really happend. MS has through their incompetence been hackers best friend to the tune of an incredible amount of dollars and suffering. You better recognize that these guys are not interested in our well being. Having an open mind will only get someone killed, or in this case, hacked. If I was a guide through the jungle and said weapons, tools and spare food is a waste because I have had many others back in time, I'd be a pretty dangerous jungle giude, eh? Sorta like not stopping at a crossing because there were no cars yesterday. Who cares how many I've brought to enjoy the jungle when it's clearly unwise and outright irresponsible not to be prepared when going out into the jungle. (I lived in Africa for 3 years.) And MS says they are safe. Don't reveal root holes and are clearly working for the hackers, at least by action. (This is not intended as an attack on you James, but you statements is not uncommon and I need to speak up.) Use whatever tool you feel is best but be aware of what it is you deal with. Their product is not highly competent as most developers have observed. These are the guys who use how many beta testers and dollars and still cannot get it right. Then they play some song and dance and you must have a bag over your head if you believe them. No I'm not really against MS, but their criminal and irresponsible methods of operating. I'd love it if they stopped their dirty ways and became the greatest integrator and supporter of OS's. (Yeah, we have to be civilized and reasonable about things that slowly eat away at our standards, made to help us survive!) Still want to be open minded?

James C. Rocks Equant Archway House Canary Wharf London E14 9SZ Phone: 0207-5226856 Fax: 0207-5126087 Mobile Phone: 07771-767405 http://www.equant.com

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