Linux vs. Microsoft

Ok, I am sorry but I have to do this. But I have seen a really annoying trend and myth that is flowing around this place. Running Unix does not make you special, nether does running a Microsoft OS. It is what you DO with the systems that make you who you are. I am growing ever so sick and tired of hearing people whine about how shitty Microsoft is and how Unix is sooo much better. How many of you are proficient in all the versions of the Microsoft and Unix operating systems to actually make that decision? Why do we have to jump on a bandwagon and deprive ourselves of knowledge and experience to make our own choices on the systems we run. Everything has its place in this industry. Microsoft is a leader in individual systems because not everybody is interested in an open sourced OS. Yeah, Linux is free but can be just as simple as any Microsoft OS out there if you keep it basic (which most people do) Unix does have its place along side Microsoft and is gaining popularity in the business industry, but still has a ways to go. I swear, all of you running RedHat 7.1 with no concept of programming, networking, or any other form of technology really piss me off. I mean, smart ass remarks and copy/past out of articles does not make you useful or interesting. When I hear all the hax0rs out there talking about running scripts but then turn around and ask how to configure a liloconf file, or dns, smtp, or anything else to be considered help desk. Please! For the love of all that is holy.....give it a break.

Yes, Windows is hated by hackers and so on. But still I don't think Linux can or ever will replace the desktop. Look at the users who just want to chat/e-mail etc. you can't give them a UNIX system. They won't know how to work with it. Even AOL is a good option. Some people just don't want to know what their OS is made of etc. I can understand that if you are in the IT field that you would choose a Linux flavor but it still a work in progress. Most IT people use SCO or Solaris, and still do not trust Linux. Buit for the people who can't afford a unix system, on their laptop or desktop Linux is an alternative. Look at OpenBSD, I have a box running it as a firewall on my home network. But I wouldn't use it as a main system to run multimedia applications. The Mac is allso an option.

Not to be too down on the mass populous that happen to own computers, but considering how flat out ignorant, dumb, or just apathetic most of the users are, they're the reason why MS is so popular. Same with AOL. It takes nothing to run and those people are happy with that. Nothing's wrong with that theory but unfortunately it's now a big item based on it's successful selling to dummies. And for those who think I'm ragging on them or anyone else they know, I get a bit tired when everyone's always wanting to do something with their computer but never actually learns. It's always "too hard" or whatever. Give me a break...oh, and then they beg and plead to have their computer fixed for free when they invariably do something stupid like rename Windows or delete explorer.exe or something else, all because "they knew what they were doing.". Go figure.

*has his "No, I won't fix your computer" t-shirt coming from thinkgeek.com!*

My friend has that shirt. It's really neat, but doesn't gain him much respect in school, as you can imagine. I'm really looking into one of those BSD hats. They're really cool looking.

I know what you mean about the whole user stupidity thing. I have friends who can't wait to get their grubby little hands on Windows XP, and some who already have. These are the same people who call ME over to install it for them at the drop of a hat, and the same people who can't figure out why their word processor won't recognize a file after they change the extension to .myfile. Not once do these people think, "Gee. Maybe what I have is perfectly adequate." or "What does my computer-knowledgeable friend think about this software?". And they CERTAINLY never stop to think, "Is my computer-knowledgeable friend going to be willing to give up his entire day at the drop of a hat to help me after I royally screw this up beyond recovery?" They just assume that I would be glad to drop everything to dig them out. After all, I have no life other than to try (in vain) to cure stupidity. I don't mind helping people. I don't even mind helping them for hours at a time, over and over. I DO mind when they call me over to recover their system from a horribly botched XP install while they go out to eat. I love helping people who want to learn, but I'm tired of being Mr. Fix-It for everybody who has a bug up their butt to get the latest Microsoft product.

Every one of these people think they're computer geeks because they have Windows XP Home Edition, and AOL 7.0. It really makes me mad. They go on bragging about how great their computer is and how great they are on it, and all they know is AOL and Word, and even that is extremely limited. Not one of these people would last 5 minutes on Linux or BSD, even if you gave them all the reference and other resources they could possibly need. They take one look at the screen, one look at the book, and whine that it's hard. The next day, they're back to bragging about how great they are on a computer. I say it's time to revolt. All you people out there who have to play fix-it for the terminally dumb, PUT DOWN THOSE SCREWDRIVERS! PUT DOWN THOSE DRIVER DISKS! If they can't fix their own problems, tough. They won't be so gung-ho to screw up their computers every time Microsoft releases a new software package. They'll have to fix their OWN problems! Think of it, no more stupid people. No more "Where's the 'any' key?" questons. People will be COMPETENT! IT'S A REVOLUTION!!!


That having been said, I feel much better now.

Unix does have its place along side Microsoft and is gaining popularity in the business industry, but still has a ways to go.


unix IS the business sector.

Hmmm, before I let my buzz where off from today's reality....I think I'll reply to some posts. Something we all must remember is that we are doomed to be the tech whore of the rest of the world. We are the same as Mechanics and Doctors. All regular people assume we know all and can fix anything with a strip of tape and an imagination (ironically enough, we usually do). This does not change regardless of users that are business or private weither they be unix or Microsoft. I find myself traveling around the United States and abroad dealing with so called professionals that always seem to fiddle themselves into a thousand dollar a day fix (and still play it off as something wrong with the system....hmm SQL database or IIS.....damn bugs right?) But one thing that I have learned (most of the time the hard way) is that these seemlessly annoying questions are what keeps us on our toes....they are what keeps our knowledge base filled with loads of details and logical ideas. We answer what we can and learn what we cannot. I have learned many a great tricks that I didn't know by listening to the fiddler or even a newbie with a very good imagination. I guess that is why I am here at AntiOnline....although a lot of the times it may seem hopeless, if you come in with the idea that you don't know everything and are willing to learn (as well as teach) you find yourself learning something new everyday. Well.....I still have to reply to a telecom post.....keep it real and you'll see me around....

Cordially,

Sp1d3r

Quote:

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Running Unix does not make you special, nether does running a Microsoft OS. It is what you DO with the systems that make you who you are.

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aint that the truth.....but i still hate microsoft

stflook, thank you for making me laugh and laugh...I needed that! The unfortunate side to this is the fact that most people now are already 'whipped' into being MS-led and aren't going to break away to try to learn new things about the computer industry, all of which WILL improve their ability on a computer. Every person who is actually good with computers has, at one point in time or another, totally fscked a system up beyond all repair and had to rebuild/reinstall. That's a fact. I will laugh in anyone's face if they even TRY to tell me they haven't. I also will laugh in anyone's face who tries to tell me they know everything about (subject here). Why? Because they don't...having been in the professional arena for 6 years now, I've seen countless people (generally older than me by about 7 years or more) "guard" their knowledge because they think that if they let someone know how to fix their computer at work just so they can get their job done a bit easier without help, then they'd be out of a job. Talk about the wrong way for self-preservation... And then they wonder why nobody talks to them. I will be *GLAD* to tell you everything you wanted to know about a fix, or how something works, or whatever, as long as I have the ability to answer and never will I come up with some bullshite answer instead of saying "I don't know". Unix administration is a lesson in humility every day and I learned really quick to know when to just admit that I didn't know. A lot of jobs out there now don't care if you "don't" know something...they care if you know where to look for the answers. Man pages, documents, printed manuals, online help, fellow workers, the list goes on... Educating people so they can do their job easier does 2 things, generally:

1: they know they can come to you for a straight-up answer and know they won't be fed a line about how complex it is and how only you can do it... This breeds a sense of trust and sure as hell gets you a lot more people to talk with.

2: appreciation, which leads to them helping you when you need it. Anyone who thinks they don't need help...well...everyone gets knocked down, no matter what, so just suck it up cuz yours is coming. Now, not all are appreciative or even try to learn. Some just blindly expect you to fix their **** every time, even if you've told them to write it down. I'll do that three times and after that, I'll tell them to pull out their notes that they said they took, otherwise find someone else and stop wasting my time. Sure they may not like it, but I won't be wasting time for idiots who just expect things to be done for them.


Moral of the story: Sp1d3r W0lf, I'll be glad to help you out if you need help. A lot of us on here will, although some use speech that's barely readable and/or filled with profane language, but overall, there's a plethora of knowledge that we can and will impart on others. You'll learn who to ignore and who to listen to.
But for the record, I can't stand MS, never have liked them, and never will stand up for anything on their product line. If I got a buck for every Windows error I've ever encountered that *I* couldn't fix because it was bad code, etc...I could pay rent for a year I bet. That's just sorry work and I'd be miserable if I were a programmer for MS that had code in there...*nix is MUCH better. Then again, unix has been around since the 60's, hehe...

Vorlin,

Help me out eh'? Great.....I could use the moral support :) But the ability to help somebody should not be paired up with the ego that most people seem to have attached. Trust me, I can understand the big words ( I have been bullshiting in this industry for awhile). I am merely growing tired of the stereotypical kid that wants to sound tough. Mabye just me...I dunno. As far as being able to speak with vulger and complexity...somebody once told me that the ability to teach somebody something is pretty much the ability to teach yourself. In short....if you try to confuse others....it is probably because you are just as foggy. And yes, closed source does have certain disadvantages.....but even if it was open source it would require the ability to know how to modify the system code (more than just a few tweaks, the registry can do that in Windoze). Which very few people actually do. Unix and Microsoft will allways have advantages and disadvantages in certain arenas (it's the reason why most professionals will use any depending on the situation). As far as being a technical support rep? I dunno, haven't done that job since I was a kiddo myself. But a good tech is somebody that enjoys helping somebody because it sharpens his own skill and not because he/she is wanting people to kiss their ass or heighten the ego. Well, I have some other stuff I am wanting to post before I actually do work today.....have a good one and thanks for the lending hands.

Cordially,

Sp1d3r

The draw to Microsoft is the easy and usability of their systems...

Hackers, techies, and crackers enjoy Linux because of its free and is very powerful and configurable. (And also because Windows 95 thru ME kept crashing.)

I personally enjoy Windows XP because it is stable AND easy to use.

Well, there's my thoughts on the matter.

(BTW, I use Linux and Windows, so I have used both.) :)