02.20.09
New Examples of ‘Slackreporting’
Picture contributed by BN reader
SOME SEEMINGLY-INNOCENT journalists keep reciting and spreading the misconception that Moonlight 1.0 is news. For the third time: it’s not news [1, 2, 3]. And yet, this does not prevent Tim Anderson, who received a Vista 7 laptop as Microsoft 'endowment', from pushing this envelope some more. The very same man, Tim Anderson (pro-Microsoft writer by the way) also admitted that Mono was a problem due to the Novell/Microsoft deal and now he is boosting Silverlight — along with Microsoft DRM — using Novell’s work which Microsoft is assisting (Moonlight needs Novell and vice versa).
Microsoft should get serious on Moonlight
[...]
What about Silverlight and open source? Here, the big announcement last week was the release of Moonlight 1.0, Novell’s open source implementation for Linux.
But it’s not news, so it’s careless to harp about it. Is he trying to make Microsoft a ‘standard’ or does he permit Microsoft to poison GNU/Linux with patents that he considers to be a problem? The SFLC holds a similar position.
This is either negligent reporting or coverage with agenda, in this case Microsoft’s. Given the messenger, this is unsurprising.
“This is either negligent reporting or coverage with agenda, in this case Microsoft’s.”Another separate example would be Dana Blankenhorn, whom we mentioned last month (no offence, Dana). Blankenhorn writes: “I believe the Android is Linux-based, but I know Symbian’s not, and I don’t think LiMo is.” (context here)
How can a guy who is running ‘the’ “Linux and Open Source” blog not know that Li[nux]Mo is using Linux? To quote from the official site, “LiMo Foundation is an industry consortium dedicated to creating the first truly open, hardware-independent, Linux-based operating system for mobile devices.” Is Blankernhorn also unsure about whether or not Android is Linux based? The above suggests so.
This probably says a lot about the quality of ZDNet more than anything else, but how can this be surprising when the person in charge of ‘the’ “Linux and Open Source” does not even use GNU/Linux and probably not open source, either (he occasionally bashes it)? You cannot properly become a reviewer or steak houses if you are a vegetarian. The practice and insights are not compatible, leading either to misinformation or hostility.
It is getting increasingly difficult to trust the supposedly 'big' sites/press, not just due to bias but also due to serious mistakes and excessive parroting [1, 2]. █
