Reposted below with my comments IN CAPS
RL
Home > Opinion
2/13/07
Make move to open source
By Maria Cesar
Page 1 of 1
With the launch of Microsoft's Vista operating system Jan. 30, I can't
help but wonder why people have such unrelenting faith in the faulted
system. ECONOMIES OF SCALE PERHAPS?
According to news articles published in December 2006, a month before
Vista's official debut, Russian hackers had posted information about a
key vulnerability in the system, forcing Microsoft techies to scramble
for an embarrassing emergency response. Such a security breach allows
hackers to act as the superusers of a computer system, giving them the
"clearance" needed to change whatever their little hacker hearts
desire. THE BIGGER THE TARGET, THE MORE HACKERS, NUFF SAID.
For now, I wonder why more people haven't heard of a sexy little
Finnish operating system called Linux, a free, highly compatible,
highly functional system for which there exist only 40 known viruses,
none of which have become damaging to businesses. As a reference
point, Windows has a known 15,000 viruses, many of which have toppled
entire data systems. WELL 40/15K IS ABOUT 0.3%, WHICH SEEMS LIKE THE
REAL MARKET SIZE OF LINUX COMPARED TO WINDOWS
But the security alone, while a highly attractive feature of Linux,
isn't the only reason it's managed to score a steadily growing cult
following. YES, CULT IS RIGHT! For most, it's the open-source
philosophy, with its emphasis on sharing that makes the egalitarian
kid in us want to share a piece of the pie. FOR MOST? YOU GOTTA BE
KIDDING ME. I BUY A PC TO DO *WORK*, NOT TO ENGAGE IN *PHILOSOPHY*
LIKE A *KID*.
Linux uses the GNU General Public license, which assures that its
users retain the freedoms to run, copy, distribute, study, change and
improve the software as they see fit. And strangely enough, that
concept seems to draw a lot of fans. I BEG TO DIFFER. GNU GPL DOES
NOT GIVE THE RIGHT TO IMPROVE--TO THE CONTRARY YOU CEED THESE RIGHTS
TO FREE-LOADERS.
Linux is also marvelously packaged. There is only one installation CD,
which contains most everything the user will ever need. PACE THE 15 CD
DISTRO FOR DEBIAN LINUX. The CD has repositories, which are a
collection of all the programs ever compiled for that specific
distribution. And since most programs on your computer are open
source, you can count on the developers of those programs to post
updates and fix bugs, which the system promptly notifies you of.
WELL, IF THOSE DEVELOPERS MOVE ON TO BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS, JUST
HOPE OTHERS WILL FOLLOW IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS. HOW MANY LINUX DISTROS
ARE NOT AROUND NOW FROM 5 YEARS AGO? WILL 'PUPPY LINUX' BE AROUND IN
10 YEARS?
Since Linux applications aren't bogged down with Digital Restrictions
Management agreements, you're free to do whatever you want with your
media. GOOD POINT, I'LL GRANT THAT. Although DRM rights are a highly
controversial topic, the increased sharing of MP3 files, movies and
other digital collaborations among college students seems at least a
silent testament to the overwhelming number of people who prefer to
share, swap and mix. YES, FREE MUSIC IS BETTER THAN PAYING FOR IT,
EXCEPT FOR THE ARTISTS THAT GET SCREWED. BUT THEN AGAIN IF THEY ARE
POPULAR ENOUGH THEY CAN DO LIVE CONCERTS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES, AND GET
PAID THAT WAY. Because Windows has copyright protections built in,
some songs and movies you download through file sharing programs can
be blocked by your system.
I switched to Linux my freshman year after viruses crippled my
Microsoft system and forced me to reinstall the OS. Twice. NO BIG DEAL
THERE. I'VE INSTALLED WINDOWS OS COUNTLESS TIMES. USE NORTON GHOST
AND BACKUP YOUR IMAGE FILE TO PREVENT PROBLEMS THAT REQUIRE
REINSTALLATION. Needless to say, I wasn't a happy camper. WELL YOU
WON'T BE HAPPY WITH LINUX--THE INSTALLATION APPARENTLY IS THE ENTIRE
'VALUE ADD' OF THE PROGRAM. I couldn't understand why the anti-virus
and anti-spyware programs Microsoft recommended be installed and
constantly updated were horribly failing me. WHAT'S YOUR DEGREE
AGAIN? OH YEAH, JOURNALISM. AND YOU WANT TO MIGRATE TO LINUX? GOOD
LUCK BABE.
When I first installed Linux, I partitioned my hard drive so that I
could run both systems side-by-side. Since Linux is completely free,
you don't have to overhaul your system to cop a feel of what the OS is
really like. If you don't like it, you can delete it. DELETE IT I DID
WHEN I HAD A DUAL BOOT OF LINUX AND WINDOWS NT ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO.
But the fateful day came when Windows pissed me off for the last time.
I was attempting to view Powerpoint notes for a class I had missed and
was having some difficulty. When I tried opening the Powerpoint
document, my Windows system promptly alerted me that I didn't have the
software needed to do so, and that I needed to purchase said Microsoft
software.
It is worth noting that Microsoft offers major student discounts on
their software, but that window of opportunity is limited to the
length of your higher education. SHELL OUT THE 100 DOLLARS GIRL AND
QUIT COMPLAINING.
After having used Linux, where I was able to find every program that I
would ever need for free in the system's repositories, anything less
seemed naturally infuriating. Whenever I wasn't able to view a
document or run a program in Linux, the system would tell me what
program I needed, redirect me to the repositories, and there I would
download it for free. FOR FREE. SOUNDS LIKE A WOMAN TALKING.
I couldn't believe that Win-dows, already overpriced, was trying to
extort more money from me. Needless to say, I've been a Linux user
ever since. EXTORT? C'MON. WE LIVE (for now) IN A MARKET ECONOMY,
UNLESS YOU SOCIALISTS TAKE OVER.
Cesar is a journalism junior. FIGURES. SEE HOW SHE LIKES IT WHEN SHE
STARTS WORKING 'for free'.
RL
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