[Dclug] [DC LoCo] Fwd: Fwd: Random Hacks of Kindness Invitation

[Serge Wroclawski]

On Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 08:41:27AM -0400, Kevin Dwyer wrote:

> > Sorry to post on this Way Late. M$ may have been rendered "impotent" for
> > awhile now, but their influence still lingers on. Funny how the shortest day
> > in Winter is seldom the Coldest one.
> >
> > In many shops, it's almost impossible to get a Linux Desktop due to the
> > policies that were put in place long ago.
> >
> > Most of us don't "capitalize" on anything. The World is run by Businessmen.
> 
> I can't tell if you're trolling me by writing "M$," since you're the
> one who has demonstrated Many Years Of Wisdom, and who Doesn't Like To
> Be Lectured, vis-a-vis another recent thread.  :-)
> 
> I've been professionally developing software from a Linux desktop for
> the past 6 years.  This company at least sees the obvious value in a
> Linux desktop for their developers.  I monitored and tested the
> security of a corporate network at an ISP for 4 years before that, all
> from behind a Linux desktop.  It happens to be the best tool for my
> job.
> 
> If we were writing iPhone apps I would imagine we would be using Apple
> computers.  If we were writing Windows desktop software, I would be
> utterly shocked if we were not working on Windows computers.  If
> policy says you must use an operating system that is not a reasonable
> technical choice, then policy at that organization is fubared and the
> solution is to leave.
> 
> It was suggested that Microsoft would be up to no good by supporting
> Random Hacks of Kindness.  I am suggesting that this kind of thinking
> is silly.

+1

While no one would argue that Microsoft isn't still a large and powerful corporation, and few of us would deny the harm 
they've created in the past, it's a stretch to imply any harm in their support for events which are to the public good, such 
as Random Hacks of Kindness.

I'll also point out that those who are the most vocal about the evils of Microsoft at RHoK didn't actually attend the event.

- Serge