At 03:56 even 11/4/02 +0530, Dr.N wrote:
In practice I refuse to use and try to convince people to use Microsoft products. But I would refuse to set this as an agenda or campign actively for this because, when GNU and FSF started there was no Microsoft. The idea of free software is independent of Microsoft. FSF and GNU have a positive agenda and to put it in a negative terms will deviate the purpose. The reason why I cannot swallow everything that Charles wrote in Business India is because, the media is now manufacturing a new concent. As you saw the article talked about economics but not about business ethics, freedom and philosophy. >They are missing the point, but it is deliberate. And not because they are ignorant about it. The war is not against Microsoft, it is against proprietary software paradigm.
Nagarjuna
You have put in a few excellent points. I read that article and it did not /feel/ right. It never mentioned the ethos of the free software community. It never talked about /how & why/ GNU/linux is where it is today. All they talked about was business & money. The media only needs a bandwagon to jump on. Like so many linux "pushers" out there it too has very practical reasons behind it. Of all those managers who have "embraced" linux they have done it because it makes business sense - not because they believe in the philosophy. And it beats me why we have to even think about them.
The only point I do not see eye to eye with you is the question of "war". Is it really a war out there? Can not two schools of thought exist together? The proprietary software paradigm is what we do not like. But by us not liking it does not make it evil or wrong. Then where does the question of war come from? Or like the US are we now ready to 'bomb' anyone who does not agree with us? Is this real "choice"? Self protection for survival is one thing - war is another.
Can we have a LUG meet to discuss this issue? Been a long time since a LUG meet anyway.
regards,