reb2 Posted June 13, 2004 Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 hello world this is just me chucking in my two pennies worth. who am I? well i'm just this guy who happens to like the idea of the GPL, open source, and the linux world. ok, so i don't know much about computers, or the big bucks business ideals of how to make more money than the next guy (or gal) like microsoft and all the other big corporations out to make big bucks. but then i don't need to be an astro physicist, to know that " it is better to nurture the course of the human race than to destroy it" now do i? to me it is the shear greed of these big corporations now, which is driving me nuts. all they want is more and more money, to lock you into plans and deals that mean you are tied to them even if the "new" software or operating system is completely flawed with security leaks and holes and all sorts of other dangerous problems, they want to legally ensure that you can do nothing about it and have to continue to pay them? this is totally unacceptable!! if i buy something new, i expect that item to be in perfect working order, if it is not i can return it for a replacement or a refund, either way i do not expect the company to turn around and say "well tough you'll have to wait untill our engineers can think of and work out a fix for you?" take a car for instance, you go out and spend thousands of whatever currency you use to buy a brand new car, and when you get home you find the locks are faulty and don't work!! you ring the dealer and say" the locks don't work", and the dealer replies "oh no sir they don't on that model, the manufacturer is aware of the fault but couldn't be bothered to sort it out before putting the model on sale". what would you do? complain, seek a replacement (different model), demand a refund, seek legal advice (all would be available to you (plus others i'd expect). however with microsoft none of these things are available! you could complain but we all know where that would get you, absolutely nowhere!!!. seek a replacement? well what's available, that is compatible with where you work? as regards a refund, what from microsoft ha ha ha aha you must be joking. and who knows of a lawyer who could take on the mighty microsoft corporation legal department!!! (even the american government thinks twice before attempting that one) you see!, where are your consumer rights now? you gave them up when you agreed to the microsoft licensing agreement. now don't get me wrong, i'm not just bashing microsoft out of hand, i happen to think microsoft has done a terrific job of bringing computers to the masses, making using a computer easier. but the animal (read family pet) which did these wonderful things, has now become a pack of african wild dogs (ie a real beast) totally out of control in the midst of a feeding frenzy. i believe the time has come to tame the beast, and the gpl and the open source movement is a good step in that direction. it puts forward the idea of community, say i develop a programme and it works for me, and i license it under the gpl. you see that programme and like it but want to tweak it just for you, well under the terms of the gpl you can so long as you make the tweak available to me as well. there is the true way forward. because anyone who is able to develop a programme (write the code) can add to or improve my programme to the point where it becomes more and more useful to many many people and it constantly evolves at an exponential rate (providing the interest is there in my programme). i personally think that in the end microsoft will lose out purely because it won't be able to keep up with the speed of development in the IT industry (microsoft can only employ so many coders) whereas the open source world has many working all over the world and the number is growing rapidly (indeed rumours abound that even some microsoft employees are working on open source software in their spare time!! (and not to the detriment of it either)). microsoft is diverging into many different areas and has been for some years now, i think the reason for this is the open source movement. i think the big guns at microsoft know the games up and changes need to be implemented in order to survive. microsoft can twist and turn down every legal loophole they can find but in the end they know they have lost before they even begin the fight. it may take three years, it may take ten years, but eventually microsoft will lose the operating system battle and then maybe while its sitting back licking its wounds it may just stop and think, like george michael "i have made more money than i need thanks to my fans, maybe its time to give something back". maybe they will go open source?, maybe they will become a niche product? maybe they will lose the battle and go back to the coders bench and produce the best damn operating system ever and make a come back (but hopefully with a different business model (as regards customers rights)). who knows ? certainly not me! after all what do i know, i'm just this ordinary guy sitting in my bedroom at midnight using my computer which is running mandrake linux 9.2 and typing this using kword. (damn, if i'd used openoffice.org writer it would have been compatible with microsoft word ;0) ). still as i said at the begining, what do i know? this is just my two pennies worth. regards to you and your family, take care and good luck may you be happy, healthy, and rich in spirit (if not in pocket because you've just payed out for the latest microsoft system). reb2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urza9814 Posted June 13, 2004 Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 (edited) wow...I feel inspired...to...uh...dang, I can't think of anything :P One thing you said though bothers me greatly: and who knows of a lawyer who could take on the mighty microsoft corporation legal department!!!(even the american government thinks twice before attempting that one) I know exactly what you mean, and...that's just not right. When the government reaches the point where it can be pushed around by a business...that's just not right! *sigh*...another argument to add to the collection made by all of use 14 year olds who hate capitalism and think we should be communist... :P Edited June 13, 2004 by Urza9814 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoopy Posted June 13, 2004 Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 take a car for instance, you go out and spend thousands of whatever currency you use to buy a brand new car, and when you get home you find the locks are faulty and don't work!!you ring the dealer and say" the locks don't work", and the dealer replies "oh no sir they don't on that model, the manufacturer is aware of the fault but couldn't be bothered to sort it out before putting the model on sale". what would you do? complain, seek a replacement (different model), demand a refund, seek legal advice (all would be available to you (plus others i'd expect). however with microsoft none of these things are available! Hmmm, I would expect the manufacturer to tell me it is NOT their fault, but the fault of either the dealership or the place I purchase my gas. I would shell out more money on an upgrade plan... just hoping it will fix the problem. I would just keep forcing the doors to open and close until I could afford to purchase a newer model ( from the same stupid company ) to replace that "piece of crap." Yeah, might as well buy a whole new one --- even though the rest of the components are perfectly fine and I still own the original ( which probably could be easily fixed... IF I only knew how ). Yep, I still believe this is the best darn company in the world. I will continue to support them by buying all their cool stuff... I mean, what else is there? I just can't believe people. Wish I could run a business like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyme Posted June 13, 2004 Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 reb2: no to go off-topic, but i think you just beat out Gowator for the longest post ever :lol: I'll have to read it later, i have some stuff to attend to at the moment... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannonfodder Posted June 13, 2004 Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 It's the longest no caps post I've ever seen ;) Thing to remember is that a corporation is owned by stocks so the execs of the corporation must do the most to make money or get kicked out. Still I am awfully glad Linux is around to provide an alternative that we can use... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urza9814 Posted June 13, 2004 Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 (edited) Hmmm, I would expect the manufacturer to tell me it is NOT their fault, but the fault of either the dealership or the place I purchase my gas. I would shell out more money on an upgrade plan... just hoping it will fix the problem. I would just keep forcing the doors to open and close until I could afford to purchase a newer model ( from the same stupid company ) to replace that "piece of crap." Yeah, might as well buy a whole new one --- even though the rest of the components are perfectly fine and I still own the original ( which probably could be easily fixed... IF I only knew how ). Yep, I still believe this is the best darn company in the world. I will continue to support them by buying all their cool stuff... I mean, what else is there? I think you hit it right there with that last phrase: 'what else is there'. With M$ and some other companies, you really don't have an option. I mean, sure, you could use Linux, but most of your stuff wouldn't work. It'd be like buying a hydrogen car...where are you gonna get the hydrogen? The thing is, with cars, you have options. You could get a Ford, or Toyota, or Saturn, etc... With M$, you either keep buying the next version, or you get stuck with nothing you have being compatable. I mean, I suppose most things you could find a different way, and sure for most of use here that's ok...but think of businesses, or just people who are busy. They don't have time to mess around with that stuff...they don't wanna spend all that money to get someone else to do it in the case of a business, so they really don't have much of an option. And that is exactly what Microshaft wants. Edited June 13, 2004 by Urza9814 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixthusdan Posted June 13, 2004 Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 Hey reb2, my father gave me some sage advice. 1) the day I stop making mistakes is the day everyone else will stop. 2) Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bvc Posted June 13, 2004 Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 (edited) Hey reb2, my father gave me some sage advice. 1) the day I stop making mistakes is the day everyone else will stop. 2) Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. B) so that's why we're always on these fallible things (computers) /me runs off to see why I can't boot into mandrake after another/second-hd install of xp..next to mandrake... :unsure: ..sheesh..it's only 1:30AM....got pleanty of time :D Edited June 13, 2004 by bvc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixthusdan Posted June 13, 2004 Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 Me? Mess up my computer? Never!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb2 Posted June 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 Just to clear up one little point. As someone said in one reply "I wish i could run a company like that". I am glad i don't. looking at microsoft from a pure business sense, it is a terrific company. It has succeeded in smashing the competition and making a nice little monopoly for itself. Tied every user of its products to its apron strings, and sucks and leaches the money every chance it gets! yep what a great business and clever too! and i genuinely mean it! However, a Truly great company would get there by offering better customer satisfaction and better consumer rights + safer, better quality products, and not be afraid of competition. A truly great company wouldn't need to drag its competition through the courts for years, or buy the competition up. (see lindows / linspire story legal issues in europe) the competition would simply go out of business through its products not being as good as the truly great company. ie- competition breeds better products or you go out of business. and as regards the other comment made by somebody else something about capitalism "*sigh*...another argument to add to the collection made by all of use 14 year olds who hate capitalism and think we should be communist... " I like capitalism , I live in a capitalist country, i guess you could say I am a capitalist. But i hate bully's, and i am afraid that is what microsoft has become. besides i dual boot windoze and mandrake so does that make me a hypocrite? and never forget this is just one guy's personal opinion (mine), it doesn't mean i am right. you don't have to agree take care and remember, life is just a bowl of allbran,............. you wake up every morning and its there to be sure, i'll live as best as i can but how can i remember to keep it all together when half the moon is taken away?. (the small faces) reb2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urza9814 Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 I like capitalism , I live in a capitalist country, i guess you could say I am a capitalist.But i hate bully's, and i am afraid that is what microsoft has become. Yes...What I didn't really mean capitalism is totally bad...I know there are some good points...I'm just saying that the fact that our government cannot stop these businesses shows that we need SOME restriction...I mean, I'm not saying we should dump capitalism...I know a lot of people who do...I personally don't care that much...not into that political stuff much...but I think we need restrictions...so companies cannot become bullies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkelve Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 reb2: no to go off-topic, but i think you just beat out Gowator for the longest post ever :lol: I'll have to read it later, i have some stuff to attend to at the moment... you haven't been around here for long then, now have you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyme Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 reb2: no to go off-topic, but i think you just beat out Gowator for the longest post ever :lol: I'll have to read it later, i have some stuff to attend to at the moment... you haven't been around here for long then, now have you :unsure: I've been around since the old board, actually... longer than you, even on this board if you check our join dates :deal: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoopy Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 I just can't believe people. Wish I could run a business like that. you're right reb2, they make tons of money and all, but I am not sure I would be able to live with myself running a company like that and spending eternity in hell. My intent with the comment was more like (notice Mr. Cheesy smiley)... If I would try and run a company like that, I would have been shut down long ago for treating people as they have and selling a broken product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb2 Posted June 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 Yeah sorry scoopy, I didn't notice the cheesy smiley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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