As long as we're quoting excellent postings of mine (Kudos to Tk for linking to it. That was one of my best to the gnome-gui list, and I heartily stand by it), I thought I might post a something I wrote to Slashdot recently about the leaked letter of Microsoft's urging it's supporters to engage in an underground campaign of sabotage against linux. I consider this a necessary public service announcement for those who read advogato diary entries.
How to spot a Microsoft Mole
Microsoft moles can be identified by their unwavering committment to preventing windows users from installing linux. A microsoft mole might be identified by one or more of the following activities:
If you see your friend, spouse, employer, LUG members, or poster to on-line forums such as Slashdot or Advogato engaging in one or more of these counter-revolutionary activities, there is a very good chance that they are an agent of microsoft committed to making sure that linux will never be installed on the machines of existing windows users.
- Tells a newbie who is having a problem to shut up and RTFM
- Claims that a user-hostile program that lacks any kind of usability is "perfectly ready for the desktop"
- Tells said developer of program to "keep up the good work".
- Tells people who criticize a badly designed free software UI to "quit whining" or "you get what you pay for".
- Uses the word "Idiot","Simpleton" or "Moron" in the same sentance as "GUI". An example would be the sentance "GUI's are for morons who can't think".
- Runs around screaming "Don't standardize linux GUI's. It's a matter of choice--don't promote facism."
- Assaults the credibility and necessity of UI designers, chasing them off and therefore insuring that linux will be as user-hostile as possible.
The point to my silly piece is the same one I made two or more odd weeks ago: Bill Gates doesn't have to lift a finger to sabotage linux on the desktop because so many people in the linux community and Free Software development community do his job for him.