On Tuesday 24 June 2003 09:56, Aviram Jenik wrote: > Today Ha'aretz published a response from Captain Internet to the "Angry > Linuxers" (as they called it). The response is mild - it includes > statements like (sorry for the rough translation): "lately there was a huge > improvement with the Hebrew support", "many people are happy with it" but > also: "Linux still can't replace Windows as a single operating system and > no matter how fed up you are with Windows" (well he should come to my > office for a visit, then).
It may be mild (in comparison to the harsher things he may have written), but it's definitely not an apology (which he owns us for publishing incorrect facts, not for a hostile opinion) and he doesn't take any of his words back. What he says is (more or less accurate translation): "I've received many replies from Linuxers angry at my doubting Linux's support for Office programs and browsers [I still don't know if he means support for _some_ office suites or for msoffice]. To clarify, lately there has been impressive progress wrt Hebrew support with which quite a few people are happy, but Linux still can't replace Windows as the only OS on your computer, no matter how fed up you are with Windows. That said, I definitely recommend installing Linux as a second OS to whoever wants to pressure MS into improving Windows, or is interested in seeing an alternative to Windows come to exist one day." [Link to whatsup FAQ follows; no link to hamakor's reply though.] What's he basically saying is that he acknowledges our anger but stands by his words. Linux still can't replace Windows as the primary/only OS _no matter how you want it_. This despite recent improvements (in other words, it's not good, but it used to be even worse). The only reasons for using linux he mentions are to affect MS policy, and hoping that _someday_ a real alternative OS will exist. The only good thing is that he supplies a link to the whatsup FAQ, which I suppose says much the opposite of what he does :-) For people who don't know anything about linux, I doubt this response being published will improve their opinion of linux and of the linux community, unless they take the time to read that FAQ. > > So we may have won the battle for attention, but not the war. Still, I'l > sure that next time the Captain will think twice before publishing > half-truths and incorrect information about Linux Everything's relative; this probably _is_ a victory compared to what the mainstream (==non-linux-affiliated) press sometimes publishes about linux (such as Scope's recent SCO comments). Ah well, making progress by small steps... This rant isn't by any means against hamakor and the people who helped reply to the Captain (I did so too). It's just a rant about what we consider to be a victory - a rather sad state of affairs. Here's to a better future. -- Dan Armak Matan, Israel Public GPG key: http://cvs.gentoo.org/~danarmak/danarmak-gpg-public.key Fingerprint: DD70 DBF9 E3D4 6CB9 2FDD 0069 508D 9143 8D5F 8951
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