I caught this from a post over at Websnark.com:

As long as Pepsi Cola's been taking a shot at the marketplace, they've held "Pepsi Challenges." You know the theory: two cups of soda. The person drinks them both and says which one he likes more. "Gosh," he says. "I preferred the Pepsi!" Cue logo. You never saw Coca Cola hold those taste tests, or talk it up, or even mention Pepsi. They talk about "The Real Thing," and teaching the world to sing, and polar bears that drink soda. But they don't talk about their competition. They don't have to. They're at the top of the heap. It's the same with McDonald's. Burger King talks a lot about how flame cooked burgers are better than fried, and any number of other invidious comparisons to the golden arches. McDonald's? McDonald's has "I love this place." Burger King isn't in their world.

It took a while to connect, but I finally realised that this could be said also about Microsoft, in particular with their Get The Facts campaign. They continuously talk about GNU/Linux and try to convince people that their system is better. Looking at advertisement for Free Software, such as the ones from IBM, they never mention Microsoft. They talk about how good Free Software and GNU/Linux is. Like McDonalds and Coca Cola, the competition isn't there. It doesn't have to be. Free Software is at the top of the heap.

I caught this from a post over at Websnark.com:

As long as Pepsi Cola's been taking a shot at the marketplace, they've held "Pepsi Challenges." You know the theory: two cups of soda. The person drinks them both and says which one he likes more. "Gosh," he says. "I preferred the Pepsi!" Cue logo. You never saw Coca Cola hold those taste tests, or talk it up, or even mention Pepsi. They talk about "The Real Thing," and teaching the world to sing, and polar bears that drink soda. But they don't talk about their competition. They don't have to. They're at the top of the heap. It's the same with McDonald's. Burger King talks a lot about how flame cooked burgers are better than fried, and any number of other invidious comparisons to the golden arches. McDonald's? McDonald's has "I love this place." Burger King isn't in their world.

It took a while to connect, but I finally realised that this could be said also about Microsoft, in particular with their Get The Facts campaign. They continuously talk about GNU/Linux and try to convince people that their system is better. Looking at advertisement for Free Software, such as the ones from IBM, they never mention Microsoft. They talk about how good Free Software and GNU/Linux is. Like McDonalds and Coca Cola, the competition isn't there. It doesn't have to be. Free Software is at the top of the heap.

Han går der, jamtn, lugn å trygg,
serfärlein, seker, bli å snygg
i ljösgrÃ¥ vÃ¥mmÃ¥lsdräkt. Ã... vÃ¥r han e, Ã¥ vÃ¥r han fer,
nå fjäsk han aller estimer;
han aller spring i ogjort ver,
â€`` om han e riktut äkt.

En äkta jamt han e se lik,
hort han e fattu eller rik,
om bonn hell ämbetsman.
Kan aller bli en fjasku''n sprätt,
ifall han ha sitt fulle vett.
En höygfälstok blir ittnå sett,
bland folk i Jamtelann.

Ã... fast han syns sÃ¥ allvursam,
ja nästan butter, â€`` sprÃ¥k Ã¥ glamm
de e hans lust å liv.
Te få e rävråmp riktut rögd,
te få en bralstut tyst å strögd,
ja â€`` bällt du luur''n â€`` dÃ¥ blir e frögd,
som går int te beskriv.

Ha jamtn bra te sköytes på?
De bäste, vå je kan förstå,
den friskest rot å stam.
Frå friheitsfolk i Svealann,
frå friheitsfolk på Trondheims strann,
som int fördrog når treldomsbann,
ha jamtn vyxe fram.

Ã... jamtn e sin feder lik,
en friheitssjel i politik
i meir än tusn år.
Han hata allt slags tyranni,
veit ittnå bätter än va fri.
Ã... sÃ¥ je tror han kom te bli
så läng, som väla står.

Han går der, jamtn, lugn å trygg,
serfärlein, seker, bli å snygg
i ljösgrÃ¥ vÃ¥mmÃ¥lsdräkt. Ã... vÃ¥r han e, Ã¥ vÃ¥r han fer,
nå fjäsk han aller estimer;
han aller spring i ogjort ver,
â€`` om han e riktut äkt.

En äkta jamt han e se lik,
hort han e fattu eller rik,
om bonn hell ämbetsman.
Kan aller bli en fjasku''n sprätt,
ifall han ha sitt fulle vett.
En höygfälstok blir ittnå sett,
bland folk i Jamtelann.

Ã... fast han syns sÃ¥ allvursam,
ja nästan butter, â€`` sprÃ¥k Ã¥ glamm
de e hans lust å liv.
Te få e rävråmp riktut rögd,
te få en bralstut tyst å strögd,
ja â€`` bällt du luur''n â€`` dÃ¥ blir e frögd,
som går int te beskriv.

Ha jamtn bra te sköytes på?
De bäste, vå je kan förstå,
den friskest rot å stam.
Frå friheitsfolk i Svealann,
frå friheitsfolk på Trondheims strann,
som int fördrog når treldomsbann,
ha jamtn vyxe fram.

Ã... jamtn e sin feder lik,
i meir än tusn år.
Han hata allt slags tyranni,
veit ittnå bätter än va fri.
Ã... sÃ¥ je tror han kom te bli
så läng, som väla står.

Some words of caution for all IT workers out there: Forty per cent of IT workers vomit at office Xmas party :-)