Re: Learning process

From: Anand Hariharan (ROT13qrfu_onxguROT13_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 01/07/04 

Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2004 02:33:42 -0600

[simply adding fuel to what is already gone *WAY* off-topic]

"Chris ( Val )" <chrisval@bigpond.com.au> wrote in message
news:btd9de$5rkuh$1@ID-110726.news.uni-berlin.de...
>
> As much as I use MS products, I also use others, including
> Solaris 8, Mandrake 9.2, and I am all for the open source
> revolution. However, I do not discriminate against any
> particular technologies because of some underground fad
> that leans toward one more than another - I use what I
> need to do my work at any given time.
>

At the outset, let me say that I noted Chris (Val)'s arguments did not
transgress into MS' business practices. Am reacting to the "underground
fad" in his response to Jeff Schwab's post that he felt was unduly acerbic.

While a large number of people bash MS because it is fashionable
(slashdot.org polls have suggested so), even so, for a large number of
people, this is a religious issue.

And this is not unfounded or baseless. If you are into heavy reading, go
through Eric Raymond's essays (esp. the ones titled Halloween documents).
LongHorn is expected to incorporate a new file system that has all the
characteristics that Vinod (one of the authors of the Halloween documents)
envisaged. It is almost scary (IMO).

If you have used CVS, you _must_ have heard of Karl Fogel. He wrote an
essay that is somewhat easier to read than ESR's essays (although ESR might
not necessarily agree with all of Fogel's arguments):
http://www.red-bean.com/~kfogel/writings/microsoft-essay-on-slashdot.shtml

Happy reading,
- Anand

PS: Before someone comes rushing to point out: Yes, I don't put my money
where my mouth is. I am composing this post on Outlook Express. This is
because I am not willing to spend some extra money to purchase a hardware
modem that my linux partition can recognise. Shame on hardware
manufacturers who make devices for an operating system. Ugh!