http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=3D20080809033233244
<SNIP>
put this article from Law.com's Legal Technology page, "Commentary:
The Penguin Doesn't Fly, Avoid Linux" in News Picks because I found it
hilarious, in the Rob Enderle kind of way. But then I thought I'd look
up the author on Google, and lo and behold, I find he said something
that appears to be not exactly true. I'm not talking about the FUD
stuff. I'm talking about his assertion that he couldn't get any
answers to a request for help from Mandriva Forum:
And, Linux proponents claim that if there is any kind of problem, or a
viral threat or other OS disaster, there is an army of Linux
programmers standing by to remedy the situation.
But these claims do not reflect my experience. I tried to install
Puppy Linux without success -- and my e-mails to the developers were
ignored. Ark Linux developers could not explain why my computer=92s Wi-
Fi card didn=92t work. The Ubuntu forum could not explain why a DVD
player would not eject. The Mandriva sup****t site did not respond to
queries at all. And it took a tech sup****t person from Wine, a program
supposed to allow Windows applications to run on Linux computers, 6
days to finally respond to my requests for help; which he was unable
to resolve.
I know. I love that touch about a viral threat in Linux. Hilarious.
But look what I just found: two pages of responses to a request for
help from someone with his name. If it's the same individual, it's not
so funny now.
<SNIP>
and the original article:
http://legaltech.law.com/commentary-the-penguin-do.html
<SNIP>
Linux fans begin with this claim -- that freeware costs nothing. Next,
that it is quicker, more flexible, more customizable and more
resilient to crashes and headaches inherent to Windows, while less
subject to attack, identity theft, adware, spyware and malware. And,
that new life can be wrung from old computers staggering under the
burden that Windows necessarily inflicts on them.
Linux and freeware proponents also maintain that a free operating
system and free software comes without the ethical and legal
conundrums associated with Microsoft=92s business practices. For
example: preventing computer manufacturers from installing competing
operating systems and software on new computers; providing OS upgrades
that alter and/or nullify existing programs; and failing to provide
sufficient information to allow competing free software distributors
to inter-operate their wares with Windows.
<SNIP>
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