Everyone, stop bashing Windows.

This wasn't even the original point of Linux or GNU. GNU's point was to implement a free UNIX. Linux had the " point originally.

The flamewars are long over and Windows nor Microsoft were a part of that. Microsoft has in the past bashed Linux and bashed open source, but that's Microsoft. They ALWAYs do something sneaky and underhanded. TCPA is one example of Microsoft trying to extract freedom from our computing, but we already know things like this. We've all heard the bashing, some of which comes from us, alot of which comes from Microsoft users themselves and frankly, I'm tired of hearing things like Microsuck, and M$ and Micro$oft, or other similar names. We can sit here and make fun of them, or we can build the OpenSource community by building the better, more bug free app, or investigating bugs in the Kernel and whatnot. No more bashing! The only bashing we should do is of the #!/bin/bash variety.

My ears are practically bleeding I'm so sick of it.

I half agree with you. But I don't mind the occasional "M$" or "Micro$oft" now and then. It's when people might include that in all of their posts that it gets out of hand.

Ditto@patrickmay.
The occasional "Windoze" or "M$" don't hurt, but apart from that, I agree.

Yeah I partly agree and see your point but a little fun never hurts anybody!

I fully agree. its just too......immature.....

bash windows? Windoze has alternate shells?

Personally I'm with a prior poster - what's wrong with a little fun? If it truly bugs you just ingore the posts that do it. Its not as if decrying it will make it cease suddenly. In fact it might just make you a target - some people live just to exploit others' weaknesses.

The advice my mother gave me about nicknames I didn't like:
Just don't answer when someone calls you by that name.

It was a simple but effective strategy that worked for me much better than railing at people about calling me by my right name. (My real name being "Puddin' Head" of course.)

Not so easy to do, I'm afraid. You can't ban it, but you can encourage people to not be so infantile. Frankly, bashing Windows is counterproductive. It does not welcome new users. It does not open people's eyes to the beauty of Linux or open source. It does nothing but confirm stereotypes, alienate potentially new users, and make a few people think they're clever for coming up with another "pun" variation on the word Windows. It's one thing to ignore when you yourself are being called names. Did you mother say, "If you see people calling other children names and making fun of them, just ignore them"?

We'll have to agree to disagree I'm afraid. It seems to me that much of the problem with the world is people who want to make others behave the way they think is proper. I notice this often goes to trying to make people think the things they enjoy are somehow evil and its something I'll never understand.

Of the 4 people in my group here 2 are dedicated to Windows and they seem to understand it is a joke when I make comments about my working on "real" operating systems. If you're suggesting that there are folks so sensitive as to be offended by comments made about their favorite OS I'll have to say that is a personality problem that I won't let bother me. So far as I could tell the original post here was about bashing an OS not bashing individuals which I DO agree is wrong especially on site such as this aimed at helping people.

I am a potentially new linux user and I am not offended by windows bashing. I like my old win 2k box with office 97.

My new computer is a dual boot with XP 64 bit and Ubuntu 64 bit. I have been gravitating toward ubuntu ever since installation. I like the office applications and the plain desktop more than windows.

No flash plug-in is a bit annoying but other than that Linux is just a superior product.

Now if only they would start releasing the new games in linux.

First of all, no one is saying "Bashing Windows is henceforth forbidden. Anyone who does so will be banned immediately."

There's a big difference between making a plea that people do something because it is right and forcing someone to do it. So if someone said, "I think it's a good idea to say 'thank you' when people do us favors," would you then say, "People shouldn't force others to behave the way they want them to"? I think that's ridiculous. An intelligent suggestion is a far cry from a repressive regime. A little thoughtful sensitivity is very different from a police state.

Just because you're not offended and I'm not offended doesn't mean that the constant bashing of Windows doesn't in some small way alienate users. Do you think if people feel alienated, they immediately sign up for a forum and feel the need to express that alienation? Most likely, they just go their own way and never look back.

It's often the little things that help to create an atmosphere. It's not one remark. It's not two remarks. It's an atmosphere. It's like if you have a sexist workplace. Likely, if it's male dominated and there are crude sexual remarks all the time, and one of the male co-workers asks a female co-worker, "You're not offended by that comment, right? I mean, I didn't mean to be offensive," she'll probably say, "No biggie." But it's not the one remark that offends, it's the constant sexism and harassment that makes women feel they don't connect in a male-dominated workplace full of insensitive individuals.

You can hardly argue that it's just the occasional anti-Windows remark that pops up every now and then on these forums. And it's not always restricted to the OS itself. I've seen people implicate or state outright that people who use Windows are stupid.

"The flamewars are long over and Windows nor Microsoft were a part of that. Microsoft has in the past bashed Linux and bashed open source, but that's Microsoft. They ALWAYs do something sneaky and underhanded. TCPA is one example of Microsoft trying to extract freedom from our computing, but we already know things like this. We've all heard the bashing, some of which comes from us, alot of which comes from Microsoft users themselves and frankly, I'm tired of hearing things like Microsuck, and M$ and Micro$oft, or other similar names. We can sit here and make fun of them, or we can build the OpenSource community by building the better, more bug free app, or investigating bugs in the Kernel and whatnot. No more bashing! The only bashing we should do is of the #!/bin/bash variety."

Microsoft is learning the hard way that it is easier to start a war than to end it. I am very active in the attack on Microsoft. My reply to Microsoft's entreaties for peace is to quote Marshall Blucher as he ordered the final Prussian charge at Waterloo.

"Show no pity. I will shoot any man who shows pity."

-------------------------
Steve Stites

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Gee mom... Ok I won't tease Billy any more...

Hmmm, sorry, no can do...!!!

KC

For every stupid windows bash I read, I will un-install linux and re-install windows on one of my machines. If there are good windows rants with actual facts, and a point... No problem.

Ive finnaly started liking windows. I got NT 4.0, it was actually stable. I could do something. Im on XP, its fine. I can leave it on all day for weeks straight as my internet and http/ftp/video server, no problems. Its fairly easy to use. It doesnt have any more problems than I ever had with linux.

I tried fedora core 4. I had to search for several hours on google before I even found instructions which were usefull, in order to install my Ralink RT2500 driver (found them on this site). Worked fine.

Fedora keeps de-activationg my network cards, DHCP fails to start, and I dont have the slightest clue what to do about it. I cant find much on google. Its a pain in the ass to use compared to freesco.

That is where I stand. Windows plays games, inner-nets, works as a server, and its fairly easy to figure out how to fix it.

Linux doesnt have a whole lot of game support, its a pain in the ass to learn, and many people I know, including myself, have trouble getting it to do what we want.

Cut the BS out of windows-bashing. Go ahead and whine about IE integration, but dont go on and on about "Dood M$ is teh suxxorz cause it sux dood ". If your going to rant, have a point to it. Rant about the networking. Rant about activation. Go on about something that is actually thuthfull and productive.