Re: Recent letter to the Kalamazoo Gazette

["Bryan J. Smith" <b.j.smith@xxxxxxxx>]

Joshua Goodrich wrote:
> First of when I said apologies I will be the first to save I did mean
> regret that is a better term to get the point across.  I did like the
> letter the BS gave how ever I would change

Whatever you'all decide.  Just offered my verbage and I'm sure it
could be changed to sound better.  I'm in Orlando so I don't have to
deal with these people first-hand.  ;-PPP

> I think that if we disagree with his opinion that this letter is still a
> very nicely worded letter that is still being as adam put it tit-for-tat
> letter on our part.

But there is some serious FUD in there that needs to be cleaned up. 
People forget that hardware incompatiblity is not a fault of Linux,
but hardware vendors.  And comparing the response time of an
international E-mail list to a local one was an obvious mis-step on
his part.

> I'm rather disappointed that the Gazette would print a clearly "ax to
> grind" letter.  It is so obviously such that it matters little to me if
> KLUG responds or not.  Someone fuming at KLUG (and this guy ain't the
> first) will do less damage to our public image than a public
> tit-for-tat.  If we respond, lets be the "bigger man" and take the
> sky-high road.  Just my 2 cents,  since it looks like I played a part in
> this somewhere.

I think the letter does an excellent job.  You're inviting him back,
even to teach you a few things.  That says a lot.  It also tells
people that "KLUG is what the community makes it" and is NOT a
corporate organization.  Many people still see Linux as a new,
commercial software effort.  So many people forget that the
difference between Microsoft and Linux is the LUGs, where you can
get free help.  I think Bob Young put it best in a CNN interview:

"Attacking Linux devotees is like attacking Mother Teresa."

-- TheBS

-- 
Bryan J. Smith, President        mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org
(407)366-7013 pager:(888)694-5793 chat:thebs413@AOL/MS/Yho
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