As any technology journalist knows, the best way to attract attention is to write something critical about Linux. The operating system — as well as free and open source software in general — has an enormous body of adherents; it wouldn't have survived, let alone prospered, otherwise. Most of these are sensible people who behave in a civilised and professional manner, but some let their enthusiasm fire a crusading manner that wouldn't shame an axe-wielding maniac driven by imaginary voices. Others find themselves in positions of authority due to the success of something they've produced, and take the opportunity to be insufferably rude to anyone they consider too stupid to properly understand their wonderfulness — that is, most of us. When a question provokes a reply of 'Just how stupid is that?', you don't come back.
The damage that zealotry and arrogance causes is significant. It lends considerable ammunition to the other side, who can point to examples of foaming invective or snotty support forums and ask 'do you really want these people writing your software?'. Some examples of rabid intolerance are so unnerving one is tempted to suspect agents provocateurs at work, were it not for the sheer inadvisability of accusing vocal Linux supporters of being paid shills.
Of course, religious devotion to the cause can be found in all walks of IT. Anyone who has worked in technical support for a commercial product will know how virulent opinions can be about users, software, managers and even harmless journalists. But that's behind the scenes: when the salary depends on behaving with respect towards others then that's what happens, at least in public.
Some situations require a passionate response; there are times when a clear-minded, coherent yell of outrage is needed to counteract shameless nonsense. But these are uncommon; it's certainly not a good idea to respond to errors of fact or unwelcome opinion with bluster and invective. That unwelcome opinion may in fact be well-founded, and batting it away denies an opportunity for improvement. And if it's just idiotic, then it never hurts to behave better than an idiot.
Free and open source software deserves respect from everyone, and that includes those involved in creating and supporting it. That respect involves taking criticism soberly, moderating emotions and considering whether actions are worse than their provocation. Anything less runs the risk of doing more damage than the competition can manage unaided. In the words of one of our more ardent Linuxophile readers: just how stupid is that?
Talkback
Your an idiot.
Sorry...but Laura Didiot deserves every critism that she gets.
She IS an idiot. And has ZERO CREDIBILITY.
And I am not talking about some zelotous teenagers / college hackers...I am talking about 30-50 year old IT pros...WE ALL know just as much as the kids do that she is an idiot and her lousy company "Yankee Group" is a total joke.
Just keep quoting them in your articles and we IT pros will keep not taking your publications seriously, there are plenty of other sources to get our IT industry information.
I like football although there are football hooligans.
It is not the hooligans that play football, likewise, if there
are OSS/Linux "hooligans" I doubt they produce any code.
So lets not be stupid.
"Your an idiot..."
I guess we come from different schools of diplomacy. I suggest that "I think you're mistaken..." or "I disagree with you..." would be more likely to predispose a person to listen to your point of view. As it is, your grammatically incorrect rant just makes YOU look like the idiot.
For what it's worth, I have read a lot of Laura DiDio's output over the last year or so and I believe she is a poor excuse for a journalist. She obviously has a bee in her bonnet about Linux and open source ingeneral. Her stories are always entertaining but I wouldn't rely on my of them to be true. They read as if she has sat down at her computer screen thinking "How can I be even more controversial than the last story?"
I like her. I wouldn't trust her as far as I could throw her but I like her.
'When support becomes sabotage'
Very much my own thoughts. A well constructed article pointing out the truth.
Flaming and offensive posts do not advance the cause of linux and open source.
The same points an be made in cogent argument and considerate language.
This is not to say that I approve, by way of example, pf Ms DiDio's biased and uniformed articles, but intemperate responses play into the hands of those seeking to damage the reuptation of linux and open source. Who are the idiots then?
I say the choice is wake up and be responsible or harm linux and open source. The choice is yours, but if you don't wake up it is the managers who were polled by Ms Didio who will always reject linux and open source and you will wonder why when linux is so much better.
Another point.
I emailed Sunbelt Software, who apparently assisted in the survey carried out by Ms. Didio, to express my disappointment and my concerns by way of a reasoned and courteous argument. I received a courteous reply acknowledging my concerns and even agreeing with some points.
There's more than one way to skin a rabbit.
Excuse any typo's in this and the previous post.