[Gllug] Bringing home the revolution

[Jim Bailey]

On Sat, Apr 19, 2003 at 11:07:27AM +0100, Adrian McMenamin wrote:
> As (most of us) are off work for a few days I thought I'd ask a general 
> question or two.
> 
> 
> 1. When will the big breakthrough come? Is it here already (servers) and we 
> should stop worrying about desktops?

I think for me the big breakthrough came in 1980 and GPL then again in
1992 and the beginnings of the Linux kernel being a usable and and
attractive object of desire for kernel hackers.  Let not forget IBM
turning into every geeks friend etc.

GNU/Linux is already accepted in the smart technically literate centers
of the IT world.  academic computational computing, investment banking,
oil and gas exploration, CGI effects houses.  Linux on the desktop is
just another one of those places.
> 
> 2. Does it matter anyway - would a world without MS be a better place or not?

A world without Microsoft doesn't interest me as a debate, however a
world without the behavior of MS executives, SCO executives and many,
many other groups who believe that to lie, cheat and steal is acceptable
business practice.  That is a debate I am interested in but not on this
list.
> 
> From my personal pov I think we are still too surrounded in mystery, too 
> often thought of as CLI freaks. Where I work the sysadmin runs a Windows 
> network, and he's quite good at it - but he's resistant to the way I have 
> brought a couple of 'nix servers (reusing old hardware, so costing little but 
> my time), because he thinks it's a far more "difficult" technology and what 
> if I feel under a bus ---- who would handle the squid server then?

There is no mystery, you are completion and a threat, it is an attitude I
seen in MSCEs and companies in general when Free Software threatens the
nice little status quo and the people involved lack the imagination and
effort to learn the new.  Step very carefully and contain your
enthusiasm, listen to all he has to say about why he doesn't like what
your doing and try to met him half way.  Ultimately watch your back.
> 
> Of course, a lot of this is tied up in the whole hacker culture thing. Linux 
> is fun after all and we are deliberately counter cultural....

Linux at Merrill Lynch is hardly counter culture.

Peace Jim

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