Re: [edlug] Stallman's talk

[James Eaton-Lee <james@xxx.xxx.xxx>]

Craig,

that's interesting; SuSE's actually the linux distribution I have the
least experience with; I'll have to track down the copy of SuSE I burnt
a few weeks ago and install it on a spare machine; last time I used it
for a desktop, the interface design was well done, but I've never
touched it for a server. 

 - James.

On Sat, 2004-05-29 at 14:23, Craig Perry wrote:
> Suse have pretty well refined, microsoft SBS beating products. I've 
> deployed standard server 8 and the business desktop system for a 
> company, and consequently locked myself out of a support contract 
> because their "computer guy" felt it was easy enough that he could 
> maintain everything.
> 
> craig
> 
> James Eaton-Lee wrote:
> 
> >As someone who works indirectly with charities (and has had involved
> >them before), it really depends upon what view you have precisely of
> >intention - without getting overly philosophical, it depends loosely
> >upon whether you're looking at an action itself or the consequences as a
> >measure of value.. 
> >
> >If you're looking at the act in itself, you might conclude that
> >charities shouldn't ever use Microsoft products in their work - and the
> >consequence would be that very few charities ever made any money. At
> >all. For a charity which has a small office and a few employees all of
> >whom are working full time to make money for other people, there simply
> >isn't the money to train or hire someone competant in *all* of the
> >fields which they require to administer a set of linux machines to
> >handle all of their needs: the average small to medium charity office
> >requires:
> >
> >i) E-mail
> >ii) Webhosting (locally or remotely)
> >iii) Database (access or mssql)
> >iv) Office packages
> >v) filesharing amongst the office machines
> >vi) authentication and logon services
> >vii) internet connection sharing (dhcp/router)
> >
> >SBS (Small Business Server) does all of these things - and does it well,
> >in a manner which is relatively simple to administer for a layperson.
> >Utilising linux, on the other hand (since I think I'm right in saying
> >that at the present time, there aren't any boxed solutions which (a la
> >smoothwall for internet connection sharing) do all of these things. They
> >could happily use openoffice for their office work, but the majority of
> >server-related small business applications really need Small Business
> >Server, and this is one niche in the market which Microsoft have nailed.
> >
> >On the other hand, if you're looking at the ends (ie. accomplishments)
> >of peoples' actions, charities almost always make the world a better
> >place - even if they license a few copies of SBS server and a few
> >windows 2000 workstations whilst doing it. I would rather Amnesty
> >International (no particular choice of charity, just one off the top of
> >my head) exist - and run windows - than not exist at all. This is one
> >case in which we should endure the lesser of the two evils, because in
> >this circumstance (as in most), it's better to gradate principles rather
> >than setting them in stone (and looking in the eyes of everyone sitting
> >on the fence just as bad as the people in the other camp).
> >
> >In short, I have no problems with charities using windows, even if I
> >would prefer (and encourage) them to use linux.
> >
> >That sounded rather rant-like and got rather long, didn't it? Sorry, I'm
> >on the train from Glasgow to Edinburgh and I'm replying to e-mail in a
> >more leisurely fashion than usual ;)
> >
> >kind regards,
> >
> > - James.
> >
> >On Thu, 2004-05-27 at 17:44, michael calwell wrote:
> >  
> >
> >>Attended the talk today, and enjoyed it. Much as a personally feel I owe 
> >>to GNU AND Linux , I have a couple of points...
> >>
> >>1: Assuming that people are fully aware of the issues, are fully aware 
> >>of the implications of their choices, shouldn't people be free to choose 
> >>non-free software? That, to my mind, is a basic freedom. Similarly, to 
> >>write and develop non-free software? IMHO, there's something essentially 
> >>contradictory in his message that Free Software is innately better than 
> >>proprietary software, and that you shouldn't develop software along 
> >>proprietary models. It's like suggesting that you should codeify and 
> >>enforce Darwinism.
> >>
> >>2: It's completely throwing the baby out with the bathwater and frankly 
> >>immoral to suggest to a guy who works for a charity that he shouldn't 
> >>work for that charity because they happen to use Microsoft Windows. We 
> >>have to live in the real world and make a crust - we can't all be 
> >>Richard Stallman and make a good living out of being poor and preaching 
> >>about Free Software. Furthermore, suggesting that a Free Software 
> >>advocate can't work for a company that uses proprietary products is like 
> >>telling a priest that they can't work with sinners. It only compounds 
> >>the problem.
> >>
> >>3: He shouldn't have been completely speechless about trends in hardware 
> >>and lock-in. That's a very, very important issue, and I don't think you 
> >>claim that you have much to say about the future and direction of 
> >>computing generally without having a stance on that issue.
> >>
> >>But - you can't fault the guy, he does what it says on the tin. Just 
> >>like the development model he hates - take it or leave it, but you can't 
> >>change it.
> >>
> >>-
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> >>
> >>
> >>    
> >>
> >
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> >
> >  
> >
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