jlc Posted June 7, 2004 Report Share Posted June 7, 2004 from Distrowatch.com http://www.distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20040607#2 Should we boycott Linux Today? A heated debated ensued over a call to boycott the Linux Today web site issued by one of the site's original founders Dave Whitinger. The reason? "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." Many views, both supporting and decrying the call for boycott were expressed, shortly after it was published on Slashdot and other web sites. Does Dave Whitinger's opinion have merit? It certainly does. Linux Today is one of the major Linux news sites on the Internet; yet it chooses to display, side-by-side, two contrasting views. On one side, we have what many of us would like to believe to be independent Linux news, while on the other, we see reports about Microsoft-sponsored "independent" research studies, FUD and propaganda disparaging Linux at every opportunity. This is not only irresponsible, it also brings into question the true motives of the people behind Linux Today. Linux Today is not the only "Linux" site sponsored by Microsoft. I have recently deleted all my bookmarks to LinuxWorld Australia and made a conscious decision to never link to any story published by that web site. I find it completely ridiculous to visit (and to send visitors to) a site that claims to be "Australia's premier Linux news source" while it is literally plastered with large sponsored banners displaying information about the clear inferiority of Linux when compared to Microsoft products! Another web site frequently carrying Microsoft's anti-Linux advertisements is LinuxPlanet. Although we won't go as far as to ask you to boycott these Microsoft-funded Linux web sites - we believe that most of our readers are intelligent enough to make a decision by themselves - we are glad to see that somebody has called an attention to this double-faced practice by certain "Linux" web sites. We have also decided to remove the link to Linux Today from the list of recommended sites on the main page of DistroWatch. Also, we will not link to any news items published by Linux Today, LinuxWorld Australia and LinuxPlanet while these sites are helping to spread Microsoft's (or any other company's) anti-Linux propaganda. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlc Posted June 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2004 http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/14804/index.html Linux Today founder calls for a boycott of Linux Today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bvc Posted June 7, 2004 Report Share Posted June 7, 2004 What's Linux Today & Linuxplanet? :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qchem Posted June 7, 2004 Report Share Posted June 7, 2004 I don't recall ever visiting either of them, I suppose I can endeavor not to change my ways! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlc Posted June 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2004 Anyone know what DOS stands for, and i'm not talking the m$ deal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desire Posted June 7, 2004 Report Share Posted June 7, 2004 internet.com also runs JustLinux. Which was previously www.linuxnewbie.com. I used to post on that forum years ago but kinda lost my enthuasism when interent.com after buying the site from the creator gave him the boot and they also show MS ads there and now I simply refuse to go there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnkirby Posted June 7, 2004 Report Share Posted June 7, 2004 It's kinda funny, I posted this to a site a year or so ago that was accepting MS advertising, don't remember what site, the response? Hey, if they want to give us money to put ads on the site, who am I to argue? The other comment is who on a linux based site is going to read the ad for MS, we are at the site because we are using linux, let them throw thier money away.... Don't know if this makes it right, just easily justified by the site users and owners.... Capn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
journeys1 Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 Really if Microsoft wants to advertise on a linux site , why not! It's their money they are throwing away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexpank Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 But what about the people who are interested in Linux, but not knowledgeable enough to know to take what MS says in those ads with a grain of salt. For example, I know nothing about servers, so what they're saying about MS servers being cheaper, easier to run, whatever might be true and it might be false, I wouldn't know. If it wasn't for this blatanly subversive site (Windows dodgy? Mind how you say that, partner!), I would never have known the awful truth... :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonMage Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 I think people are knowledgeable enough to take any advertisement with a grain of salt. Even people who are regular Microsoft users are feeling the pain of getting tied into Microsoft, especially with licensing issues and all. Furthermore, the news on the sites pretty much refute any kind of "facts" Microsoft presents. Yeah.. Microsoft ads in Linux sites annoy me, but not to the extent of me boycotting them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polemicz Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 I've noticed that there were these Microsoft ads, but I never paid the least bit of attention to them. It's hard for me to understand why anyone going to Linux Today is going to bother reading a Microsoft ad. For that matter who all looks at these ads anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkelve Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 (edited) Well, it matters once they start "influencing editorial policy". Or in other words, use articles that seem to be fair to spread FUD about Linux. Linux FUD on a Linux site; what could be better for FUD? If the website is depending on M$ for most of its income, I can see this happening. After all, this world ain't perfect. Edited June 8, 2004 by Darkelve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 Well, it matters once they start "influencing editorial policy". Or in other words, use articles that seem to be fair to spread FUD about Linux. Linux FUD on a Linux site; what could be better for FUD? If the website is depending on M$ for most of its income, I can see this happening. After all, this world ain't perfect. I think this is exactly it darkelve. MS doesnt even need to do anything except pay for advertisments and let the magazines become dependant on that revenue. polemicz: I think thats the point, it doesnt matter what the advertisiments SAY if the mags are dependant upon the MS income. One day, lets say some revue is done of mysql against MSSQL server etc. and MSSQL server comes off bad.... then they wonder if they wanna upset their biggest advertiser.... This sort of tactic is made by lots of companies from drug companies to tobacco and its all based on the same model. Make the advertising pervasive and make it seem that the media you are advertising in cant survive without it. Watch for the magazinbes taking on different formats etc. as MS deiced it needs better colour repro etc. soon the mag cant actually make a profit without its major advertiser ,,,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roland Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 (edited) I don't care if Linux sites have Microsoft advertising... as long as it's clear that it's advertising and as long as the site stay independent and don't exchange freedom for money. Else, it's not a Linux site it's a Microsoft site disguised as a Linux site. Not fair, those Microsoft guys really impress me: they are killers. Better take any advertising with a grain of salt. That's what I teach my children all the time. Better also take magazines or website with a grain of salt. When I watch at my wife's magazine, they are full of skin cream or mineral water advertising. Are they going to say that the cream or the water have no effect and don't worth the money ? I don't think so. Edit: I prefer there is Microsoft advertizing on those site. At least I know it can be biased. It would be worse if the site was funded by Microsoft but without advertising so we don't know it can be biased. Perhaps there is some like that ? Edited June 8, 2004 by roland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iphitus Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 Ive seen MS ads on freshmeat. Am i boycottig it? sif arent the ads dished out by the advertising company according to content? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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