[plug] LinuxIT was Facebook

[Leon Brooks]

On Sat, 31 Jul 2010 10:14AM, Scott Middleton wrote:
> Linux is a tool in my toolbox, albeit my favourite tool
> but just one.

Good marks for the attitude!

You've just averted the classic "us vs them" quasi-team
tactic employed by some of the world's biggest monopolies
(who are, in a way, also bullies) & simultaneously
underwritten the reason many (most) FOSS developers do
their thing: because it works.

The tangential foundations of that reason include:

 1. because _I_ need it (not J Random Customer);

 2. because _I_ understand it (& do it every day, so
    I'm not viewing it from a remote ivory tower);

 3. because it isn't owned by a control-freak (or
    control-cartel) so won't be used to control _me_.

That last point (3) carries a double whammy on behalf of
your attitude: if Linux ever gets hijacked by a control-
power it's not going to be an unmitigated catastrophe
for AssureTek, & would be a little less of a problem
than for LinuxIT.

Overtly selfish, yes, but at heart that's Enlightened
Self-Interest: treat others as you'd want to be treated.

Point (1) could be rephrased as "it works for you because
it works for me" which is a key reason much FOSS has
useful features a marketroid'd never dream of including
& is robust (in the sense of few if any viruses etc).

Cheers; Leon