Comments on: Time to Drop the Word “Zealot” from Software Debates?

By: JohnD

JohnD — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:50:47 +0000

I think it was mentioned in the marathon thread the other day.

By: zatoichi

zatoichi — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:09:28 +0000

Godwin’s Law specifically applied to comparing your opponents to Nazis. I’ve seen that on the IRC channel, not on the site so far. I wouldn’t be surprised to find it, though.

By: JohnD

JohnD — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:43:41 +0000

Exactly – 10 points and a gold star for Roy B.

By: Roy Bixler

Roy Bixler — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:39:12 +0000

Agreed. In older times and other forums, that was known as invoking Godwin.

By: JohnD

JohnD — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:01:44 +0000

There are guilty parties on both sides of the “discussion”, personal attacks are hardly limited to Mono supporters.
I have tried to refrain from such remarks as they seldom provide positive/logical support for a point of view.
Several weeks ago I made a post about the title of one of Roy’s posts. I felt that it could be easily misinterpreted by a casual reader. Roy agreed that it was possible, but stated that the wording was “technically” correct so he refused to alter the wording.
This was a simple reminder about how the sword can cut both ways.
Personally don’t find the word zealot offensive. I happily wear the title of zealot, disciple, geek etc for the products I like: OS/2, Netware, Lotus….
It goes back to the whole sticks and stones thing.
Now equating supporters/detractors to terrorists – that was the truly offensive statement.

By: Needs Sunlight

Needs Sunlight — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:32:23 +0000

Mono proponents have always responded with attacks since the beginning to change the topic. Name-calling is the best they have.

The Mono technology sucks and the best non-attack counter ever offered is along the lines of ‘ooh, it will be so full of mono goodness Real Soon Now”. The licensing sucks and, aside from a little doubletalk from time to time, the best non-attack counter ever offered is, well, silence.

Oh how time flies.
http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-08-1998/jw-08-volanomark.html

The original J2EE just keeps getting better:
http://java.sun.com/javaee/

By: JohnD

JohnD — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:12:21 +0000

2. zealot – a fervent and even militant proponent of something

Don’t see anything in this definition that restricts the use to religious or political conversations. So I’d say the use is “technically” correct and should continue.

By: zatoichi

zatoichi — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:04:42 +0000

As soon as you folks drop the word “shill”, Roy, and stop insisting that Stallman is a figure above any criticism, that anyone who touches a Mac or a WIndows machine is “not a real Linux person”, and, in general, using your little “purity tests” to determine who’s on which side of this “war” you imagine you’re fighting.

But you first, Roy.