I apologize for this having little to do with Fedora (if I remember correctly, Langa didn't try Mandrake or Fedora versions of Linux). Bad behavior should be confronted and rebuked, or it just festers. Way too many emails go out with people saying things they would never have the guts or credibility to even mutter under their tongues in public. Delete/flame/read on:
SOAPBOX:
I actually subscribe to the Langa list that talked about the article in question. There is no real point to knock Fred Langa- he has been around for a long time and he knows what he is talking about. The insults are childish knee-jerk reactions. To be quite frank, it is pathetic to see some of the things people are willing to commit to an email and distribute. Whoever came up with the idea that making baseless insults about somebody else will somehow increases one's credibility should be flogged. Then shot. Then flogged again.
As far as Fred Langa goes, *please* don't take my word or anybody else's word about the man's qualifications. I would urge people to read a few of the LangaList newsletters (www.langa.com/) and make up their own minds. The guy is putting it out there for free, anybody can check it out and formulate their own opinions.
He does come from a Windows background, but he is not particularly anti-Linux. In fact, he is one of the more impartial folks out there, in my opinion. He has a less-than-flattering article about Linux out there that is making circulation. Big freaking deal. He has had other articles slamming Windows and praising Linux distro, OpenOffice, etc.
I don't believe that anybody can say with a straight face that he doesn't have a point. Even the most myopic nut of the religious zealot camp should be able to see that in the real world, Average Joe's outnumber the rest of us who are interested in computers, Linux, Fedora, etc. Average Joe is never going to understand and be "ok" with the fact that he can more of less effortlessly do some things in Windows that he cannot do in Linux without some effort.
[Insert as much of the same old rehash of win-vs-linux as you can stomach here. Zealots can have double portions at no additional fee.]
Regards, Danny Anderson
