Most of us, even confirmed Windows users, have accepted on some level the idea that Linux really is a better operating system, on a technical level. Not me; not anymore. After my long slog preparing Ubuntu Linux's Achilles' Heel: It's Tough To Install On Laptops, I'm now filing that one in the "urban legend" folder.
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Anybody up to writing good directory software?
Tue, 2007-02-20 11:17 — David JonathanSince the very beginning, directories (of any kind) have had a very central role in the internet. (I have recently grown fond of Free Web Directory. Even Slashdot can be considered a directory: a collection of great news and invaluable user-generated comments. As far as software is concerned, doing a quick search on Google about software directories will return the free (as in freedom) software directories like Savannah, SourceForge, Freshmeat and so on, followed by shareware and freeware sites such as FileBuzz, PCWin Download Center and All Freeware (great if you're looking for shareware and freeware, but definitely less comprehensive than their free-as-in-freedom counterparts).
Is better education the key to finding better software?
Sat, 2007-03-03 03:25 — Edward RusselI read David Jonathon's article Anybody Up To Writing Good Directory Software? the other day, which got me thinking about software directories in general. As David mentioned, many of the software directories one finds when doing a quick google search are free as in beer, not as in freedom. But what interests me is the software directories that already exist, providing a combination of both free as in beer software, and open source software. Sites such as Freeware Downloads and Shareware Download don't advertise themselves as providing free as in liberty software, but each of them have a good selection of open source software available... if you know where to look.
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peacemaker
4 years 45 weeks 3 days 14 hours ago
Okay. Again the comments (54 at
Okay. Again the comments (54 at present) are far more interesting than the article.
I wanted to give this guy the benefit of the doubt last time when he wrote that Ubuntu was no good because he couldn't get it working. You know, it is possible that he had problems and people often forget that they are not the only person in the world. So it's sort of understandable for him to think that everyone would have the same experiences as he did...but...
This time it's outright fud. After seeing a mainly contradictory 35 comments on his first article, he should have realised he was perhaps in the minority and not pursued the matter further as his experience might have been isolated. But, instead, he pumped out more misinformation.
I can't give him the benefit of the doubt this time; I would not be surprised if he is getting paid well to say this sort of stuff.
fredsambo
4 years 45 weeks 2 days 17 hours ago
This guy is a totally retarded
This guy is a totally retarded robot.
kiba
4 years 45 weeks 2 days 17 hours ago
No need to make name-calling..
No need to make name-calling..
mfoetsch
4 years 45 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago
What, GNU/Linux is not better on
What, GNU/Linux is not better on a technical level? Let's go back to Windows!
This reminds me of an RMS essay:
"Today many people are switching to free software for purely practical reasons. That is good, as far as it goes, but that isn't all we need to do! Attracting users to free software is not the whole job, just the first step.
"Sooner or later these users will be invited to switch back to proprietary software for some practical advantage. Countless companies seek to offer such temptation, and why would users decline? Only if they have learned to value the freedom free software gives them, for its own sake."
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html
JimMarch
4 years 45 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago
My situation is what I think will
My situation is what I think will drive a LOT of conversions.
Just about 1 year ago I was chugging along in XP, fully updated, paid-for and current Zonealarm. I had 17 years IS/tech support experience up through Y2K, then years of computer-intense political activism.
I got nailed by a Zombiebot...something new enough to slip through pretty heavy defenses.
Spent three days bug-hunting, got pissed off, downloaded Ubuntu Dapper.
Haven't booted Windows since.
I'm now at a point where I can install a setup for a newbie including video drivers, WiFi support (ndiswrapper if I have to), tune the codec/MP3 stuff, etc. and get a system "newbie ready".
I keep my own set of "cheat sheet notes" stashed online for Feisty:
http://www.equalccw.com/su
Most of you will recognize most of what's going on here but let's look again: this is NOT newbie-friendly initial setup stuff to get a fully featured desktop up and going.
But Goddamnit, it's worth it. And I think it's worth it to a newbie, as long as they don't do anything stupid like try and compile their own kernel :).
They're WAY more likely to chug along reliably in a well-tuned Linux box than XP or Vista. Esp. when you factor in the malware threat.