[Nottingham] Linux in the BBC news

[Martin]

Simon Osborne wrote:
> 2009/10/27 Martin <martin at ml1.co.uk>:
>> Folks,
>>
>> After the rampant splash of articles giving 'free advertising' to
>> Microsoft and Windows 7, perhaps the BBC are trying for a little balance:
>>
>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8326264.stm
>>
>>
>> At least Linux is becoming far less "obscure"...
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Martin
> 
> It wasn't a bad article really and was needed since the previous "24
> hours with Ubuntu" didn't go down well in the community. Some of the
> comments on Rory Cellan-Jones' BBC blog are straight-up abusive.
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2009/10/24_hours_with_ubuntu.html
> if you didn't read them yet.
> 
> To say it's made me quite angry is an understatement, but
> unfortunately shows a darker side to the Linux community which we
> really could do with ending. To quote Rory: "Finally, is the kind of
> hostility shown in some of these comments really going to win over
> millions of the undecided to the Linux camp?"


Well, I judge the tone of the review as "It ain't Windows so it just 
can't be any good." Suspiciously casually provocative.

It could be that it was an off-the-cuff deliberately provocative review 
to generate a lot of furore and angst for the reviewer to then gauge 
'interest' to then write a more positive follow-up.

Scanning through the first batch of posts, I was impressed by the very 
sane and even-handed comments from the pro-linux posts despite a few 
crass Windows-esq posts.


At over 240 posts and the comments needing moderating, at least it shows 
there's some good interest stirred there! Hopefully the follow-up will 
be soon enough to help avoid at least a few Windows7 punters being 
disappointed with the money they've misspent...


Linus is famously commented with: "Microsoft Hatred is a Disease"[*]

Perhaps Steve Ballmer needs to be able to be quoted with similar comment 
such as "Linux hatred is a disease"?


Cheers,
Martin


* See: http://www.osnews.com/story/21887/Linus_Microsoft_Hatred_is_a_Disease

for a few more details.


-- 
----------------
Martin Lomas
martin at ml1.co.uk
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