It's the Monopoly, Stupid!
Found an article with the above name. There's a link on the left.

Unplugged
Found another good article you should read. It is the link titled "Unplugged."

I don't do Windows
"Computers are like air-conditioners. They stop working when you open windows."

After my last diatribe against Micro$oft, I promised to talk about other operating system options we can use on our PCs instead of windows.

The most popular alternative is GNU/Linux, although most people just shorten it to Linux. Linux is basically a clone of the Unix operating system. Linux is distributed under the General Public License (GPL). The GPL states, among other things, that the software may be freely distributed. That is, having obtained the software, which can be purchased or downloaded from the web, one may do whatever he or she likes with it. Install it on all your computers, make copies and give it to your friends/relatives/neighbors. Modify the software code to make it work the way you want it. You can't do these things with proprietary software such as everything Micro$oft sells. In fact, if you own two computers, M$ will make you pay for two copies of its software. No sharing with your spouse. Windows XP has a little spyware thing built into it that can access the internet and tell on you if it thinks you are installing it on more than one machine. And don't even think about trying to get the source code.

Linux is available in many flavors. Since it is freely distributable and changeable, many people put together pacKages called distributions or distros and bundle it with lots of different software. The typical Linux distribution comes bundled with huge amounts of free software for which you would normally pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for if you purchased proprietary versions.

To learn more about Linux, check out the links on the left or send me an email.

Another operating system I've been studying about is called FreeBSD. It is also Unix-based. I haven't tried it out yet, although I may do so soon. For more information, check out that link.

Why Windows?

It seems that we live in a windows world. From a computing standpoint, that is. The almost universal assumption is that if you own a PC, you are running windows. Not everyone, of course, but most folks. As I reflect on this state of affairs, the question I keep asking is, "Why?"

Windows really doesn't work all that well. How many times this week have you had to reboot your system? I know XP is supposed to limit that problem, but it certainly doesn't eliminate it. If you owned anything else that worked as well as Windows, you'd throw it out and buy something that actually worked. But we tolerate it in our operating systems. Why?

In addition to really not working well, it has to be continuously updated. Notice how often your computer is downloading windows updates? They have to keep fixing problems which should never have been there in the first place. Also, updates are constantly needed to fix the myriad security vulnerabilities in the stinking thing. Windows is a dream for those of us interested in writing malicious viruses, worms, etc. We fork out big bucks for virus protection and such because our operating system leaves open a bazillion back doors for malicious intruders.

Don't forget, every so often a new version of windows comes out, promising all the things we should have gotten in the previous version. Of course the new version is always much bigger and bloated and needs more speed and RAM and other hardware to run so that whatever machine you have already is incapable of running the new version. And what if you want to keep your current hardware and windows version? Windows stops supporting your version of the OS. All the software vendors flock to write stuff for the new OS and forget about yours. The hardware vendors stop supporting and writing drivers for your system, because they are also jumping on the bandwagon. The result is that even though you have a perfectly good system, all the vendors ignore it and through no fault of your own, it becomes obsolete before its time and you are almost forced to upgrade everything in order to keep working with everybody else. This is good for the vendors, of course.

Let's not forget the fact that Mr. Gates and his company are convicted criminals. They use monopolistic, unfair, and sometimes illegal practices in order to eliminate any competition (Check out the links at right under "M$" for examples). Do you knowingly do business with individuals or companies which are dishonest? I'll bet you don't. Except when it comes to your computer.

But yet, the world still chases after Micro$oft. Why?

Now, some of you are saying, "So what, there really are no alternatives." You are mistaken. That is another falsehood MicroSoft would have you believe. There are alternatives, and I'll be talking more about those later.

First post from old blog
This was my first post from my old blog.

To me, the internet is about communication. It's how I stay in touch with my extended family, who are spread out all over the place.

I wanted a weblog as a place where I could post my thoughts and give the maximum number of people the chance to read them.

I intend to post whatever concerns me, and my interests are many: theology, philosophy, politics, music, sports, literature, and many more. Of course, the goings on of my life might also be mentioned!

So, please check back and see all the things I'll be writing about. You may think I'm wrong or infuriating, but I'll try not to be boring.

Moved
I have decided to move my blog to Tripod. It just seems to work better. I will transfer the entries from diaryland here soon. Also, I will be updating all the links listed on the side.
You are always welcome to post a comment, or you may e-mail me through the "View Profile" page. Also, my IM ids are there.