Fw: Query about GNU-GPL

[Niall Douglas]

On 29 Mar 2005 at 22:50, Alfred M. Szmidt wrote:

>    > The biggest pain in the ass is windows itself. That has nothing >
>    to do with the GPL.
> 
>    Windows has its advantages and disadvantages. People forget that
>    the world before Windows was worse than now - software was even
>    less reliable and even more costly in most instances.
> 
> You have a very skewed view of history, software has been quite
> reliable since before Windows, if anything Windows started the idea
> that software _doesn't_ have to be reliable.

What are you on? Go back, look at why Linux was started. Go see why 
PC's only penetrated the home market when Windows was made available. 
Windows enabled a common development platform people could rely on - 
and while it had its issues, it was dependable enough for an 
explosion of available software unlike any platform beforehand, 
including the Unices.

>    I'm no MS supporter, but let's be realistic on the good Windows has
>    done for the world.
> 
> I fail to see what good it has done, Windows tries to control what the
> user can or cannot do, just that shows that it has done nothing good
> for the world, only made it worse.  

Windows gave and gives far more freedom than most operating system 
providers did before it. The only comparable would be the home 
computer systems like the Amiga, Sinclair and Acorns - contrast 
against Sun at that time.

GPL believers get so worked up about the evils of Microsoft - ah 
bollocks, I'm too tired to bother anymore. Look you just go on 
believing MS are the devil incarnate, it's pointless to discuss this 
any more :(

Cheers,
Niall