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Thread: jup makin linux friends, not

  1. #1
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    jup makin linux friends, not

    Posted by dave on Jun 4, 2004 1:56 PM
    LXer.com; By Dave Whitinger
    Score: (12 votes; 100% positive)

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    I founded and managed Linux Today in 1998, bringing it up from nothing into the most powerful and large Linux news website in the world, in less than a year. I am now calling on the Linux community to boycott my creation until its current owners stop accepting money from Microsoft to publish blatantly anti-Linux/pro-Microsoft ads.

    Back in 1997, prior to the foundation of LWN.net and LinuxWorld.com, good online daily Linux news sources were non-existent. As a result of the growth of this community, news websites were inevitable. The first one that I am aware of was Three Point's Linux News, founded, managed and published by your humble editor.

    Within a year, that website was relaunched with the cooperation of Dwight Johnson as Linux Today, and a new era in fast-faced Linux news was born. With the help of myself, Dwight Johnson, Marty Pitts, Paul Ferris, John Wolley, and others, it provided hourly news, information, reviews and editorials to an information-thirsty community. The rest of the story is, as they say, history.

    Today, the original Linux Today team is no longer a part of the that website, and it is operated by the good people at internet.com (Jupiter Media). internet.com has been good to the Linux community over the years since they acquired it in 1999, continuing to operate the news site and giving resources to it so it could continue to serve this Linux world.

    When they started added popups and animated banner advertisements for all kinds of irrelevant things, the community looked the other way and continued reading their site. These ads, while irritating, have been largely useless and harmless to the community.

    Recently, however, Linux Today has added a new client to its list: Microsoft. Not only are Microsoft-sponsored advertisements appearing on that site now, but the ads are downright anti-Linux.

    Today, there is a flash ad on the top-right hand screen that is a case study of the convenient store 7-11's TCO study between Linux and Microsoft. Ultimately, Microsoft won the study and the CIO of 7-11 is quoted (in the ad that is running on Linux Today!) as saying: "...the TCO for the Windows Server System approach was 20% less expensive than Linux." The fact that this ad is appearing on a cornerstone Linux community website is an absolute outrage.

    On the same page, without reloading, as a text ad that says: "Attend a Microsoft(r) Executive Circle Webcast and get guidance from industry experts..."

    Reload the page, and you might see another flash advertisement that says: "Weighing the cost of Linux vs. Windows? Let's review the facts." The following frame shows a bar chart with a Y-axis representing cost. Linux's bar is 10 times higher than Windows'.

    Here are my points for the Linux community:

    1. Do we want to continue to support a Microsoft-friendly (and anti-Linux) website by continuing to read it daily?

    2. Would we be comfortable sending our boss and/or other decision makers in our company to this website for Linux-related news and information?

    3. Can we continue to trust this website with unbiased news, now that we see how close to Microsoft they are?

    It's easy to say that these are just ads, but the truth is, Linux Today is now being sponsored/funded by Microsoft, and they are cheerfully placing blatantly anti-Linux advertisements on their home page. This is an outrage that must be stopped.

    If internet.com will continue to treat the Linux community with the same level of respect that it did a few years ago, then they should rightfully enjoy any profitability that comes its way. If, on the other hand, they continue catering to Microsoft and other enemies of Linux, then I can't imagine that the Linux community will allow it to happen.
    Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
    The international ban against torturing prisoners of war does not necessarily apply to suspects detained in America\'s war on terror, Attorney General John Ashcroft told a Senate oversight committee
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  2. #2
    @ÞΜĮЙǐЅŦГǻţΩЯ D0pp139an93r's Avatar
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    **** Microsoft.










    As far as the advertising goes however... The only people to be blamed for the huge amount of MS advertisements is... dun dun dun... The Linux community.


    Advertisements are just rented space, and right now, only MS is renting space.
    Real security doesn't come with an installer.

  3. #3
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Hmmmmmmmmm,

    I guess we are a PC or PC based Server environment here?

    and other enemies of Linux
    That bit intrigues me..........who are the "other enemies", in my simplistic view of life, you have Windows, *nix and the mainframe OSes, OK there are specialist things for robotics, process control etc. but they have no interest in *nix or Windows at all?

    I could possibly see some partiality on the part of peripherals manufacturers, as they have it easy only having to produce drivers for one OS?

    Otherwise, it has to be pathetic squabbles within the *nix environment...........like SCO?

    And that has damn all to do with Billy Boy, except perhaps amuse him and give him some opportunity for mischief?

    I am afraid I see some paranoia creeping in here...............You are either pro *nix or pro Windows? I am afraid that is not how I see things, or have personally experienced them.............

    Sort of like you can drive a GM automobile but have a Ford truck?

    My final comment wold be that if Redmond really consider Linux to be an enemy, that is a very considerable and sincere compliment?

    Just my thoughts and question


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