10.18.10
Why IDG and Slashdot Let Microsoft Attack Dogs Call Linux “Dead” (Updated)
Summary: What PC World and Slashdot ‘forgot’ to tell you about the author of the latest attack piece on desktop GNU/Linux
ONCE in a few months comes the point where a Microsoft booster goes to the drawing board and reuses old talking points against GNU/Linux. Microsoft has internal and highly confidential presentations specifically dedicated to this. In them, Microsoft speaks of “insider friend, ‘the fox’” (people whom Microsoft uses to push its agenda) and “unix Bigots”. Well, it seems like it’s time for Microsoft to send another one of its “foxes” to attack those so-called ‘unix Bigots’ and PC World is a popular platform for this. PC World is one of many IDG publications (paid by Microsoft) and it occasionally publishes anti-GNU/Linux (desktop) pieces from Gartenberg without disclosing his relationship with Microsoft (former evangelist [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]).
“Windows Vista Magazine seems like a failed publication based on its very poor traffic ranking, so no wonder its editor turns to attacks on GNU/Linux.”Today we find a new article in the Web site and it comes from Robert Strohmeyer. I have never seen him writing for PC World before (I read all the headings in PC World for years until a month ago when I publicly said I dumped it for obvious and excessive provocation/trolling). We prefer not to feed the IDG FUD article by linking to it directly*, but it is fed by the founder of Slashdot, who put it in the front page of the site along with a terribly biased summary. I publicly dumped Slashdot for similar reasons because there was distinctly a period where it was pushing a lot of pro-Microsoft agenda [1, 2], including obvious marketing/trolls. The timing of this piece is interesting as argued by our reader and contributor FurnaceBoy [1, 2]. Well, it’s already being discussed in Twitter/Identi.ca and it is easily being refuted in our IRC channels too. It’s just the same old tired FUD, which has been debunked over and over again for years. We don’t need more of the same arguments again, so we’ll just cut to the chase.
Usefully enough someone in Twitter let me know about the source of this latest attack (the author Robert Strohmeyer):
@schestowitz Linux is Dead according to the editor of VISTA MAGAZINE http://www.blogger.com/profile/5530582
Yes, he says “I’m editor of Windows Vista Magazine and an Moleskine nut.” Guilty as charged, eh? Windows Vista Magazine seems like a failed publication based on its very poor traffic ranking, so no wonder its editor turns to attacks on GNU/Linux. █
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* Watch what IDG’s IDC is doing for Microsoft at the moment. It’s appalling what money can do to coverage.
Update: Look who joins this FUD attack with almost identical talking points. As the comment from “Denis” says, “How interesting — Robert Strohmeyer over at PC World decided to write pretty much the same whiny nonsense on the same day. Did you guys coordinate or something?”
twitter said,
October 18, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Windows Vista Magazine? Now there’s a guy who knows about desktop failure. Microsoft people often use the “we’ve already won” argument as a trump against all reason and further effort. The fact of the matter is that both Vista and Windows 7 have remarkably low market share and Microsoft is running scared. I wonder why Slashdot bothered.
Dr. Roy Schestowitz Reply:
October 18th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
It got many comments because it’s provocative. Thom joined the band because he too is a longtime Vista 7 booster. Last week we saw anti-OpenOffice.org videos from Microsoft, now this FUD… same day as Bill Gates’ successor falling on his sword. Coincidence?
twitter Reply:
October 19th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
The timing of this display is an interesting question. The comments are all the usual troll accounts, so I don’t think anyone is actually listening. I wondered why they would be flexing their muscles that way, get a troll story pushed then blanket the comments in a way that shows they still own Slashdot. Shame on Taco. Microsoft thinks in war terms, so this might be some kind of “covering fire” for bad news. Combined with all the Java and Open Office FUD, there’s a lot of marketing money being spent and credibility burnt.
Agent_Smith said,
October 18, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Ohh, dear GOD. Always the same bla-bla-bla. I’ve read about the death of Linux desktop since 2005, when Ubuntu started to thrive in the desktops. They never change, neither change their arguments.
Dr. Roy Schestowitz Reply:
October 18th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
Yes, the rebuttals stay the same too, so why bother?