Back to FUD (was Re: [TriLUG] Linux is more secure.)

[Mike Mueller]

On Tuesday 23 September 2003 10:54, Byarlay, Wayne A. wrote:
> I recently read an article in The Economist
> (http://www.economist.com/business/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2054746) which
> paraphrased Microsoft as saying that... "Microsoft and its allies have
> sought to discredit open-source software, likening its challenge of
> proprietary ownership to communism and suggesting that its openness makes
> it insecure and therefore vulnerable to terrorism."
>
> So now not only is it communist, but also contributes to terrorism. That
> does it, i'm reformatting my hard drive and replacing my linux install with
> 2003 server... It's worth the $$ to stop terrorism. :P

Thanks for posting that link.  I really like the Economist. Take a close look 
at the date of the article.  Irony or manipulation?

>From the article:
<quote> [Munich] did not wish to place the functioning of government in the 
hands of a commercial vendor with proprietary standards which is accountable 
to shareholders rather than to citizens. </quote>

There's the word "accountable" which was the topic of a thread on this list 
last week.

Taking the lead from master of FUD, the anti-FUD statements are emerging:

Positive:
OSS helps in the Coalition's War Against Terrorism (tm).
OSS is accountable to Americans.
OSS creates American jobs.
OSS protects the American Constititution.
OSS is of the people, by the people, and for the people and shall not perish 
from the earth.

Note: These can be modified for different nationalities and value systems.

Negative:
(BSC is Big Software Company to avoid liability issues)
BSC controls customers with Soviet-style fist.
BSC eliminates American jobs.
BSC discourages American choice.
BSC lax security helps terrorists.

Happily for the good guys, RHAT stock is soaring.  They're in the black ink. 
It's horribly overvalued selling at high multiple of next year's projected 
earning, so don't buy it now unless you have money to lose or have a love 
affair with RHAT.  The good news is that Wall Street is pumping them.  And 
business realizes that open source software is a natural check and balance 
for closed source software.  RHAT is doing a good job of selling to the CxO 
crowd.  It'll take a few more quarters of positove earnings before they can 
afford enough lobbyists to do business with .gov.
-- 
Mike Mueller
324881 (08/20/2003)
Make clockwise circles with your right foot. 
Now use your right hand to draw the number "6" in the air.