[LUAU] Re: Goobuntu Linux

prb at lava.net prb at lava.net
Wed Feb 1 17:33:32 PST 2006


>> Ask yourself, what's their market for YALD? Geeks? None of us would  
>> tolerate such an invasion of privacy.

Jim Thompson wrote:

> Yet all of us use Google now.

This is what I use: http://www.scroogle.org/scraper.html

When I use Google directly, I block their cookie. I use Jump Link on 
their links (if using Javascript). I do not frequent Orkut. I do not use 
Gmail, and will not answer e-mail from Gmail. Googlesyndication and 
Googleanalytics are likewise blocked.

In short, I keep Google at arm's length.

>> N00bs? They try Linux if a Geek helps them.
> 
> Or Google promises to end the days of malware on their PeeCee.

Again, how is this different from anyone else's promise? When I was 
cleaning PCs, infections were a problem at the time of infection only, 
and no-one accepted Linux as a way to end the problem.

>> The efforts of Xandros and Linspire are just a drop in the bucket.
> 
> 
> Ah, but erosion is happening in the markets dominated by Microsoft.   
> Erosion is a powerful force.

I see evidence for it in the server market. I see very little on the 
desktop. I did manage to get my father to switch, though. I told him 
that the only way he would continue to get free tech support from me is 
if he converted. What does he do now? He runs all his old software on 
Win4Lin, but with a couple of key exceptions, browsing and e-mail.

> And 10 years ago, very few (if any) did so. [put Linux on servers]

But it is far easier to justify the switch to Linux servers. First, the 
majority of the switch is from Unix to Linux. There is surprisingly 
little movement from Windows to Linux.

-- 
Hawaiian Astronomical Society: http://www.hawastsoc.org
HAS Deepsky Atlas: http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky



More information about the LUAU mailing list