Langa bashing (was Re: Problems getting Linux into homes)

[Donald Correll]

Nice try Danny,

 I also have been following that Info World thread and yes the Langa 
bashing is out of control and getting worse but imho he deserves a 
goodly portion of it. The overall journalistic impact is to discourage 
Linux newbies and to frighten allready uptight IT managers into 
retreating into a Windows only shell. The key points in the argument 
(once again imho) are: 1. He does not give enough specific details of 
the actual hardware or the distro he usedfor anyone to make an informed 
decision and 2. His argument plays handily into the vested interests of 
the Wintel Camp and does little or nothing to properly assign blame to 
OEMs who fail to offer any real  support for Linux hardware.
 From my own experience I have never experienced any problem with Sound 
under any Linux distro but yes installing can be problematical and some 
hardware may require thought but that is as far as fairness can be 
stressed. Windows is no prize either. Who can forget plug 'n' pray. And 
Win 95 Ha Now there is a joke. Not a funny joke but a sick pathetic 
metaphor for user frustration.  No one in his right mind could take any 
Win 9.x product as a paragon of user friendliness. This Windows vs Linux 
controversy is largely more of a  consumer issue than a technical issue 
granted but given the recent scourge of  FUD in the SCO case and the not 
too veiled heavy hand of M$ dirty trixters moving behind the curtain is 
it any wonder that the Linux faithfull have jumped all over Mr. Langa 
who apperently in fine journalistic tradtion is only making a buck by 
publicising the issues for better or worse and as all good journalist 
know all publicity is good publicity but bad publicity sells papers! It 
is needless to even bother with the cynical ever changing nature of 
journalistic opinion either. This is known in the trade as fair play in 
presenting both sides of the issues. And given Mr. Langa's previous 
history it is not too hard to predict that the Wintell faithfull will 
soon enough feel the sting and be publicly damning Mr Langa again for 
his apparent failure to pander to the windows political line.
Sincerely,
Donald Correll
Who is an IT Pro working for the Media in a minor supporting role (at 
least it payssome if not most of my bills).
PS Also in actuallity I agree this really does not on the Fedora List 
but should rather be moved to the OT forumn .

Danny Anderson wrote:

> DISCLAIMER:
> I apologize for this having little to do with Fedora (if I remember 
> correctly, Langa didn't try Mandrake or Fedora versions of Linux).  
> Bad behavior should be confronted and rebuked, or it just festers.  
> Way too many emails go out with people saying things they would never 
> have the guts or credibility to even mutter under their tongues in 
> public. Delete/flame/read on:
>
>
> SOAPBOX:
>
> I actually subscribe to the Langa list that talked about the article 
> in question.  There is no real point to knock Fred Langa- he has been 
> around for a long time and he knows what he is talking about.  The 
> insults are childish knee-jerk reactions.  To be quite frank, it is 
> pathetic to see some of the things people are willing to commit to an 
> email and distribute.  Whoever came up with the idea that making 
> baseless insults about somebody else will somehow increases one's 
> credibility should be flogged.  Then shot.  Then flogged again.
>
> As far as Fred Langa goes, *please* don't take my word or anybody 
> else's word about the man's qualifications.  I would urge people to 
> read a few of the LangaList newsletters (www.langa.com/) and make up 
> their own minds.  The guy is putting it out there for free, anybody 
> can check it out and formulate their own opinions.
>
> He does come from a Windows background, but he is not particularly 
> anti-Linux.  In fact, he is one of the more impartial folks out there, 
> in my opinion.  He has a less-than-flattering article about Linux out 
> there that is making circulation.  Big freaking deal.  He has had 
> other articles slamming Windows and praising Linux distro, OpenOffice, 
> etc.
>
> I don't believe that anybody can say with a straight face that he 
> doesn't have a point.  Even the most myopic nut of the religious 
> zealot camp should be able to see that in the real world, Average 
> Joe's outnumber the rest of us who are interested in computers, Linux, 
> Fedora, etc.  Average Joe is never going to understand and be "ok" 
> with the fact that he can more of less effortlessly do some things in 
> Windows that he cannot do in Linux without some effort.
>
> [Insert as much of the same old rehash of win-vs-linux as you can 
> stomach here.  Zealots can have double portions at no additional fee.]
>
>
> Regards,
> Danny Anderson
>
>