How to win friends and influence people...

["Robert S. Thau" <rs...@ai.mit.edu>]

As long as people are discussing Netscape's public perception,
here's a fun brickbat recently tossed in their general direction
by Ziff-Davis (industry trade press, who, as we all know, are
paragons of objectivity --- just like all the rest of this
country's commercial media):

  http://www.zdnet.com/macweek/mw_1023/opinion_otr.html

By the way, on the general subject of winning friends and influencing
people, anyone who isn't aware of the "lignux" flap (that's what GNU
emacs 19.31 puts into its configuration setup if it finds its running
on a Linux system), and gets the same sort of morbid pleasure I do
from watching flame wars and train wrecks, should take a gander at
the reaction this move has triggered in gnu.misc.discuss.  

Of particular note in that discussion is one item, from HURD developer
Mike Bushnell (yeah, they're *still* working on it... out in a month
or two... this time for sure...) which starts off by drawing a 
divisive distinction between "Linux boosters" and "GNU boosters" ---
the former think it's OK if free and properitary software work together 
(f'rinstance, the Linux journal takes ads for proprietary software that 
runs on Linux) --- and winds up by describing cooperation with "Linux 
boosters" as "a surrender to the forces of darkness".  The URL of this 
charming missive is

  news:MIB.96Jun3165430@gnu.ai.mit.edu

... on a news server near you.  (This stands in stark contrast to
Linus' own enviable sang-froid, on clear display in

  news:4ounl9$1mf@linux.cs.Helsinki.FI

--- I think he's the only person in the whole sad fracas who's coming
off at all well).

Remember, the wise man learns from  other peoples' mistakes, the fool 
from his own.  I'm learning a *lot* from watching this discussion, I'm 
afraid...
-- 
Robert Thau
rst@ai.mit.edu

How to win friends and influence people...

[Paul Richards <p....@elsevier.co.uk>]

>>>>> ""Robert" == "Robert S Thau" <rs...@ai.mit.edu> writes:

"Robert> --------------15FB748359E2B6001CFBAE39 Content-type:
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"Robert> setup if it finds its running on a Linux system), and gets
"Robert> the same sort of morbid pleasure I do from watching flame
"Robert> wars and train wrecks, should take a gander at the reaction
"Robert> this move has triggered in gnu.misc.discuss.

You should watch the Linux advocates in the FreeBSD group if you're
into that sort of thing :-)

"Robert> Of particular note in that discussion is one item, from HURD
"Robert> developer Mike Bushnell (yeah, they're *still* working on
"Robert> it... out in a month or two... this time for sure...) which
"Robert> starts off by drawing a divisive distinction between "Linux
"Robert> boosters" and "GNU boosters" --- the former think it's OK if
"Robert> free and properitary software work together (f'rinstance, the
"Robert> Linux journal takes ads for proprietary software that runs on
"Robert> Linux) --- and winds up by describing cooperation with "Linux
"Robert> boosters" as "a surrender to the forces of darkness".  The
"Robert> URL of this charming missive is

Interesting read, tends to sum up the FSF and GNU folks to me, I always
wonder how these people actually survive, I guess they must all have nice
cosy offices to live in at MIT like RMS 'cos I have to work for
proprietary companies to make my money, faced with that or starving I don't
see it as a bad choice and my commitment to "free" software hardly needs
mentioning. It's why I've always come down on the side of BSD licensing,
proprietary software is not the same as patents, as long as I'm free
to code something my way then I've no problem with someone keeping
their sources to themselves.

"Robert>   news:4ounl9$1mf@linux.cs.Helsinki.FI

"Robert> --- I think he's the only person in the whole sad fracas
"Robert> who's coming off at all well).

As much as I dislike Linux, I have to say that Linus is a really nice
bloke with a very sound attitude to what he's achieved and the
computing world in general. I spoke at a conference with him on the
merits of free software vs commercial software, together with someone
from Sun and someone from SCO and the positions we put from the
Linux/FreeBSD side were not dissimilar.  It's a pity the Linux
advocates who've latched onto his work aren't more like he is. I've got
my doubts about his drinking ability though, he went to bed during the
all night ferry crossing :-)