Typical Linux FUD Campaign towards Microsoft.
An Exercise for the Reader: Take a look at any of the major Linux friendly sites around the net and see if you can spot a pattern.
The typical day revolves around crying wolf, proclaiming Linux the winner of every battle, and screaming FUD at anything and everything Microsoft does.
It’s almost like watching under-developed, spoiled children running around, screaming, constantly trying to evoke attention and reassurance within their group.
Paris Hilton (and friends) come to mind here.
Lets take a look at the current round of FUD [Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt]…
Tactic #1.
Virtualize Windows on Linux? Microsoft Says No Way!
Create a completely misleading title.
Microsoft made no such statements…
“We haven’t seen significant demand [from enterprise-level customers] for Linux applications on the desktop or for desktop virtualization on top of Linux,” — Sam Ramji, Director Platform Technology Strategy, Microsoft
Little to no demand for Windows virtualization under Linux from enterprise-level customers does not translate to anything remotely close to what the author will have you believe.
Tactic #2.
However, one has to wonder why Microsoft is blowing off the enthusiast community…
Make a mountain out of a non-existent molehill.
The referred to community is not the sort that goes out purchasing copies of Windows to run under Linux. They either violate the EULA terms of existing copies or revert to their roots: stealing a fresh (virus and backdoor infected) copy of Windows from The Pirate Bay.
Microsoft is in business to make money, and will allocate resources to the market segment where there are profits to be made. Pleasing a community that never buys anything, that spits on them, that provides no benefit, and drains resources *does nothing* and efforts are better focused elsewhere.
Tactic #3.
I think the decision to refuse to support virtualized Vista and XP on Linux will hurt Microsoft in both the short and long term.
Proclamation of knowledge not possessed by others.
Microsoft is not run by morons. Talent is everywhere, and not just at Google.
Again, the author does not clarify what “support” is referring to exactly, but if there was a decision made, you can be sure that more knowledgeable and experienced individuals have worked it out.
Tactic #4.
I like Windows Vista (and XP), but I want to use Linux, too. And, I want to run the operating systems I prefer the way I want to. Microsoft’s decision to refuse to support virtualization on Linux makes it harder for me to do things the way I want – and I’m not happy. By refusing to support virtualization on Linux, Microsoft is basically telling users, “it’s our way or the highway.”
Carefully craft statements based on false premisses… Leaving just enough room to backpedal out of certain assertions in the future.
You can run just about any version of Windows as a guest OS under a Linux or Debain based host with VMWare, Xen, QEMU, etc. Paid customers are provided support from the VM vendor.
Tactic #5.
Somebody needs to remind Microsoft that it’s no longer alone on the desktop – and it can’t bully users like it used to. Somebody (namely me) just did. Is anybody in Redmond listening?
Pretend you have fallen, and can’t get up. Your target has pushed you down the stairs. Threaten to sue!
Please clarify what exactly it is that you believe Microsoft owes you?
It’s not enough that you get to steal their products, but now they also need to provide support for you to run Windows under Linux.
Remember what I said about the problems of having to cater to the vocal sub-category of the Linux home user-base? They never stop complaining, no matter what you do. Ubuntu comes to mind here.
The OS is a tool to be used, not a way of life.
Let me break it down to the simplest of terms.
You are advocating/supporting an operating system that REQUIRES YOU to use/purchase another product in order for the first product to work.
If you want to play you have to pay. Money turns the world.
It’s not right, but until we have desktop apps that can be used professionally, like Photoshop, Windows wins hands down. And please don’t say GIMP.
Your arguments center around a few ego-centered Linux users who have big mouths…
And that is why I always segment that userbase by placing words such as ‘vocal’ before ‘users.’
…too bad 90% of the desktop world runs Windows and hence there are 10 times as many big mouth ego maniac Windows users. You denial of MS FUD is laughable in the extreme.
Take a look around, anywhere… Even though there are 10-50x+ more Windows users on any given site, it’s the Linux crowd that make all the noise.
And when have I denied what Microsoft does and their tactics?
“If you want to play you have to pay. Money turns the world.”
Sure. I’m not against paying. I’d gladly pay for all of my software provided that the APIs are open and that once I pay for it, I OWN it. I’ve bought a lot of comptuers in the past ten years and every time I was forced to pay for a new version of Windows, whether I wanted it or not. That’s not fair. I want freedom, not a free ride. There’s a huge difference.
admin Says:
“..but until we have desktop apps…”
@admin:
You were just shedding crocodile tears, now you are resorting to the infamous “Linux desktop” FUD.
THIS IS NOT about ‘Linux Desktop’ apps … stay on topic, please.
Don’t even go there!
“To me, FUD implies an organized source, which the open source community certainly is not (almost by definition). But still, some good points were made.”
“So, just because one columnist got it wrong and was sensational, you smear the entire Linux community?”
“You will always have loud and roudy fanatics on both ends but you also have the silent majority which takes the quotes you mentioned and indeed your own post with a grain of salt.”
The entire premises of this entry was that the vocal Linux crowd, and not the silent majority, are in it [Linux] for everything BUT the truth and the FOSS drive. They do nothing positive; pure fanboys. Their actions are purely juvenile in nature, and help turn many heads away from Linux in the business world.
This crowd is here for no other reason than to…
1) assimilate self into a larger group
2) further spreads FUD against a common target with a herd mentality
3) and/or to reassure one another of self-worth
I have nothing but respect for the rest of the Linux userbase. Of which I am a proud member.
Well, looking at the article you are referring to, I see that the original version, has been corrected. And as a polite gesture, something I really don’t expect from everyone, an apology was extended to everyone involved.
On to the original article…
As I have stated, I do applaud his courage and lack of ego.
Obviously, this person’s intention was not to spread FUD knowingly and willingly [perhaps more so robot-like/unconsciously than willingly].
But this does go directly towards jumping at every opportunity to bash Microsoft in the vocal segment of the Linux crowd.
The OS is a tool to be used, not a way of life.
Every protocol used in F/OSS is fully documented. Every API is available to anyone to implement at will. Every I/O layer, every bit at every level.
If Microsoft had any actual desire for “interoperabiliy”, they could be 100% interoperable right now. The one single reason that Windows and Office stand alone, segregated, isolated, compatible only with themselves, is because Microsoft _wants_it_that_way_.
The OS is, indeed, just a tool. Merely an abstraction layer between the hardware and the real purpose of having a computer at all: applications.
But an OS is also the product of the environment in which it is written. That is why the choice of OS is important.
Choose wisely.
Choose wisely.
And indeed you should!
Just to put things into perspective — and not to throw out some smartass retort to a few of the above “we [FOSS] are good, you [everyone else] are axis of evil” type of posts…
Last time I checked there were 800+ million people starving in the world and 1 billion living on less than $1/day.
I’ll worry about that before I worry about which OS I should use.
Admin wrote:
Last time I checked there where [sic] 800+ million people starving in the world…
So take all the hundreds (thousands?) of dollars you’ve thrown Microsoft’s way and use them for something more useful. Choosing Free Software is, as I wrote before, an ethical and moral choice. Which do you choose?
Last time I checked there where 800+ million people starving in the world…
Then why waste money on software you don’t have to? Put what money you would have spent every time you use F/OSS instead of proprietary in a jar, and at the end of the year put together a nice tax write-off.
The fact that you see so much misery in the world and then go and send money to Redmond for no good reason is not flattering.
I didn’t see that one coming! No, honestly, I didn’t. It’s way too absurd….
Pro-anything-Linux, anti-everything-Microsoft folks saying that they don’t use Windows so they can do their part to feed the hungry. That must be a first.
But don’t stop there… If this is your claim, go all the way. Don’t drive, start growing your own food, leave this rat race called society. You’ll be a better person than most people in this modern day world we live in.
If Windows allows myself to be more productive, I can create more value in whatever I’m doing, value that offsets any costs implied.
The best thing Micro$oft did for F/OSS, was Vista.
admin Says:
“…leave this rat race called society. You’ll be a better person than most people in this modern day world we live in.”
@admin:
Don’t take it personal. It’s just an OS. ; – )
admin Says:
“If Windows allows myself to be more productive, I can create more value…”
@admin:
At the end of the day productivity and value.
If you think you’re getting your bang-for-your-buck, it’s all good. ; – )
Microsoft is a business which purports to provide a service through its software to the customer. If anyone is using an illegal copy of Windows, well go after them; but, if it is a legitimate customer asking for a service to be provide, like, adhering to standards I don’t see where Microsoft is doing that.
if it is a legitimate customer asking for a service to be provide, like, adhering to standards I don’t see where Microsoft is doing that.
But are legitimate customers asking that? And in what numbers?
I mean, are persons that are running Windows Vista Home and Premium [and not Ultimate,Business,Enterprise] saying we want licensing terms to run another instance of Vista Home in Vista Home? Are the Windows OS home user-base also the crowd that says we want interoperability with open standards? I doubt most of them even have the slightest clue about what Linux is, or have any need for it.
Microsoft is usually good about working with it’s enterprise base. One enterprise license comes with one physical and 4 virtualized instances of the OS.
Admin wrote:
I didn’t see that one coming! No, honestly, I didn’t. It’s way too absurd
Hey, you brought up the issue in the first place.
If Windows allows myself to be more productive, I can create more value in whatever I’m doing, value that offsets any costs implied.
And if today were the 31st of February, the moon would be made of green cheese. A false premise implies any conclusion. Basic logic 101.
And if today were the 31st of February, the moon would be made of green cheese. A false premise implies any conclusion. Basic logic 101.
As I have always stated, I’ve found Linux to be best on the server-side, and for specialized needs/task on the desktop.
For everything else, my productivity is greatest with Windows. And I’m sure this is also true for most people that actually have a task to perform.
And I’m sure this is also true for most people that actually have a task to perform.
Evidence? I suspect you have none.
I would ask if you have evidence to the contrary? But nothing very specific and/or rather trivial being passed as the norm for the whole.
In my opinion, you should use whatever OS you like. It does not matter to me one bit if it’s Windows or Linux… Just consider that pushing Linux on people does not help anyone or anything but one’s ego.
World to Dell: We want desktop Linux!
http://tinyurl.com/2pvbje
Maybe if your computer worked, you would have time to see what’s going on in the rest of the world, not just your windoze world.
Now stop your whinning.
PS. I know you are going to delete this messeage. I don’t ****** care!
cry baby.
I’m glad you posted that.
They can’t even get this right…
And on Dell’s Ideastorm Web site, a staggering 41,210 users agreed with the thread, “Sell Linux PCs Worldwide — not only the United States”.
On another thread, 6,410 users agreed with the statement, “Make Dell Ubuntu PCs available to businesses and non-profits”.
Now take a deep breath, because you’re about the get a sick feeling in your stomach…
When you vote, your vote increases the the total by 10 points.
Those reported figures are off by a factor of 10! 4,000 users instead of 40,000.
Not only that, but you get to register with a made up user_name and password immediately, no email confirmation, you don’t even leave the page.
Log out, re-register again under the same exact IP address, and you get to vote again.
Not that the people doing the actual voting have any intention of getting a Ubuntu DELL anyways.
I would ask if you have evidence to the contrary?
I am not the one making the assertion; the burden of proof is on you. I have anecdotal evidence that the Windows GUI is very inefficient for a lot of common tasks, but no hard numbers.
In my opinion, you should use whatever OS you like.
Of course. Just as you should drive whatever vehicle you like, keeping in mind that some vehicles are far worse for the environment than others. Freedom of choice is absolutely important, but it’s also important that people realize the ramifications of their choices.
admin Says:
“Not that the people doing the actual voting have any intention of getting a Ubuntu DELL anyways.”
@admin:
Is this your death rattle reloaded? I’m still laughing about the first one.
I haven’t read the abundant feedback you’ve received here, so maybe someone’s already made this point, but I think you’d have an easier time convincing the readers of your argument if you’d substantiate your generalizations, e.g.:
“The referred to community is not the type that goes out and buys a copy of Windows to run under Linux. They violate the EULA terms of existing copies, or simply result to pirating a fresh virus and backdoor infected copy of the OS from The Pirate Bay.”
You’re not going to win people over by broadly painting them as thieving Gypsies (no offense to Gypsies).
I’m pro-Linux, if anything. I support it, use it, and even have been running a GPLed SF project
Err… Even your SF project runs SOLELY on Windows and you call yourself a PRO-LINUX? I don’t mean your software have to solely work on Linux… But c’mon… At least make it work on Linux!!!
Take a look around, anywhere… Even though there are 10-50x+ more Windows users on any given site, it’s the Linux crowd that make all the noise.
Okay… You’ve stated your point… 10-50x more Windows users right? Okay… Go ahead and ask them about Licensing issues, Virtualization, FOSS softwares… Most of them are gonna just reply you with one thing… “WT* is that? I don’t really care… As long as the computer works… I don’t care a thing…”. Conclusion? They DON’T CARE A SHIT
Hold on a moment!
The virtualization issue is a Windows one so why attack Linux. This issue is going to affect Microsoft in a big way! A school in my local area set up Windows Servers to run Virtualization software to run Windows!
Each client in the school would load a VM session for its user (basically it gave each pupil/teacher the feel of their own PC where ever they were, in class, IT room, home, wherever)!
This was possible in Windows XP but not in Vista unless they take on the expense of Vista Ultimate! So stop waving your anti-Linux flag on virtualization! All it will do is that companies that want a virtualization solution either face the cost of Vista Ultimate or swap to Linux! Lets hope more companies follow in Peugeot’s decision to cross over 20000 systems to Linux and relieve themselves of Windows!
Microsoft’s record for anti-competitive behaviour dates back decades and you cannot criticize Linux for stealing Windows apps when it is Microsoft who stole everyone else’s (DOS was a copy of CP/M and Windows was copied from Apple’s OS)!
Tell me when Linux (or any of its popular applications, such as X11, Kde, Gnome, Apache, OpenOffice, etc) was ever successfully prosecuted in court for its actions and then look at Microsoft’s litigation history and its on going action, especially with regard to the EU!
I’m pretty sure that the developers of Linux are in the business of making money as well Linus Torvalds doesn’t work for free and Mark Shuttleworth is an entrepreneur, who’s done quite well, never mind looking at business models for Linux such as IBM’s, Novell’s, Redhat’s, Nokia’s, Motorola’s and many more!
As far as your accusations about the Dell votes! Dell did so well with the success of the operation in the States that they now sell in Europe! They are also being followed by Asus, HP and Lenovo who have all announced Linux systems!
This was possible in Windows XP but not in Vista unless they take on the expense of Vista Ultimate!
They can still use XP.
And lets not pretend that a volume license of Vista Ultimate is the same price as a boxed version at Best Buy.
So stop waving your anti-Linux flag on virtualization!
I have no idea what you are talking about here. Not that this would be the first time someone embedded a false issue into their arguments.
Microsoft’s record for anti-competitive behaviour dates back decades and you cannot criticize Linux for stealing Windows apps when it is Microsoft who stole everyone else’s (DOS was a copy of CP/M and Windows was copied from Apple’s OS)!
Again, I have no idea what your point is here, or what this has to do with anything said.
…But I will bite…
Innovation is a myth. Not that it matters… Linux is not any more original, or innovative, than Windows at the end of the day.
As far as your accusations about the Dell votes! Dell did so well with the success of the operation in the States that they now sell in Europe! They are also being followed by Asus, HP and Lenovo who have all announced Linux systems!
It’s called free advertisement at the expense of the Linux community. Get them in the door, show them how much better the Windows system deals are, sell more Vista Licenses.
I don’t know if anyone is still reading this, but I’m going to comment anyway. I believe one main reason for the common belief that MS is trying to spread FUD is the fact that MS makes public pronouncements that Linux is using its IP but refuses to specify what it is. If MS were truly concerned about their IP rather than trying to spread FUD about Linux, why not just tell Linux developers what the code is so they can change or delete it? That would be the main reason I would say MS is spreading FUD. The comments from MS about its IP being in Linux look to me like MS is issuing a threat, but giving no one a chance to fix the “problem.”
“Innovation is a myth. Not that it matters… Linux is not any more original, or innovative, than Windows at the end of the day”.
yep Compare please Aero with Compiz – and U will understand about …inovation. Using almost any videocard – and from PIII to PIV – Compiz put Aero in the corner. No joke at all.
Also try http://www.glscube.org/ or glscube videos from http://www.glscube.org/download.html page.
or
http://www.mandriva.com/projects/metisse/
or
https://lg3d-core.dev.java.net/
U will understand what I mean by innovation.
$MS ? $MS it’s about patents. If they think about a new word, they will request a patent to be sure none will use that word. This is the level of $MS.
Where was $MS innovations before Vista for example ? for few Years ? I ask you seriously – tell me some about because I and other web developers ask $MS to integrate some web standards (some CSS rules, PNG alpha tranparency support, tabs, etc) on IE for 5 years – bu we talk, we hear …until Firefox, then they wake up because IE position was affected – so what’s about customer care ???.
I remember I was using Google Desktop Search and Copernic
because I find XP search utility too slow and too non relevant.
Where was MS innovation there ?? – Well was nowhere because – Innovation is a myth.
Yep, tell that to Industrial Light and Magic, Dreamworks, Disney, Sony, Peugeot, Audi – and they will told you that the computing power and stability worth more than money. They all had money, they choose Linux – it time for you to ask yourself why.
Not because innovation is a myth.
Linux users must grow up & realize that Linux is just a piece of software. Its not an angel from heaven sent out to battle some evil or anything like that. No point in being emotional about a piece of software.
Having said that, I must add that Linux offers almost no advantage over Windows or Mac OS X on the desktop. If Linux is stronger on some fronts, it has it’s weakness’ in abundance on other fronts. Linux brings almost nothing new to the desktop. This failure is clearly reflected in it’s marketshare. For over 10 years Linux has been made available for free & still has about 3% (or was it 2% ?) marketshare. Linux fans must stop blaming microsoft & focus on their own failings.
blogger, you don’t even come anywhere even remotely close to having a clue… enjoy your utopian fantasy world.
hey guys lets get our panties in a bunch because of an operating system
yay sounds like fun
I use Windows and Linux (Mint), and I must say that Linux will never win the desktop wars with their current setup. Users aren’t interested in using this OS, as a whole. There are too many problems to be had with Linux, and the learning curve is tremendous.
People who write blogs on the Internet are not the type to pay for software. They violate the EULA terms of existing copies, or simply result to pirating a fresh virus and backdoor infected copy of the OS from The Pirate Bay.
How’s that for FUD? =)
As usual the Loonix F$F nutwings proclaim the typical:
IWantToBelieve(TM)
FactsAreLies(TM)
LiesAreFacts(TM)
WeAreAnOSNotACult(TM)
BashMakesYouAllSMartAndStuff(TM)
WhoNeedsGuisAnyway?(TM)
We’reJustAroundTheCorner(TM)
WhoNeedsBlueRay(TM)
JustRunItInWine(TM)
CriticalBugReportsinReleasesDontExists(TM)
WhoNeedsLargeFilesInExt4Anyways?(TM)
WhyShouldIProvidefacts?(TM)
MarketshareStatsAreWrong(TM)
DisableCompizIfYouWantSmoothDVDPlayback(TM)
ItsYourFaultXCrashedAndYouDidntSaveYourDocuments(TM)
LinuxIsAllNeedExceptForTheOther80%
UseFirefoxInWineIfYouWantToBrowseFaster(TM)
WhatDNSResolutionSlowdownYouTalkingAboutWillis?(TM)
IntelDriversIssuesAreAllIntel’sFault(TM)
HannaMontanaLinuxPwnsWindows7(TM)
WhoNeedsWordWhenYouGotLatex(TM)
UseEsotericWorkarounds(TM)
BroadcomPartsAreEvil(TM)
MoreDistrosWillImproveMarketShare(TM)
WindowsIsReally”X”ServicePack”X”(TM)
Keep trying linux desktop, keep trying
http://linuxhaters.blogspot.com/
That’s the biggest joke I’ve heard in ages. Majority of F/OSS apps/libs aren’t documented if at all.
That’s a good point.
Also one should consider the poor quality of source-code on most projects, open-source or not.
Personally, I think open-source projects are just as — and maybe even more — likely to be poorly coded.
It can be so badly coded sometimes that you need to be a OpenBSD hacker with 10 years experience just to get a clue of what’s happening with a C function…
See OpenSSL is written by monkeys.
I mean come on, that’s OpenSSL we are talking about!!! Goto statements all over the place jumping from one function body right into another. if(0) blocks to comment out code. And god knows what else.
This is what happens when you take a bunch or random coders, and have them randomly generate code.
Gotta love fanboy flamewars…