Actiontech router?

[Buddy Brannan]

On Thu, Jul 03, 2003 at 10:31:05PM -0400, jack mendez wrote:
> i guess what i am trying to say is that if you don't use the tools which
> you have available to you simply because of some idealogical and really,
> foolish motion that open source is better just because, you are a fool.

Why not tell us what you *really* think, Jack? 

I hardly think, first of all, that the notions you mentioned are
foolish at all. They're just as valid as any other reasons one might
choose to use open-source (or more narrowly, free) software. And
people who choose to use, or not use, tools for what you consider to
be foolish reasons are only fools in your limited vision. (BTW, I
really think you might've worded your opinion in a more constructive
fashion, but that, in turn, is my opinion.) 

I could argue that people who don't use tools, for instance, such as
the tex typesetting language, preferring instead to use a WYSIWYG word
processor, are foolish for not using a tool that has the power to be
much more exact in its execution of typesetting of documents. They are
foolish because they don't want to take the time or energy to learn to
use these tools and instead choose to use something easy. Copping out
if you will. I won't say so, and I don't believe this is true. Sure, I
might think that the non-use of these tools is short-sighted (I don't,
necessarily). Or I might think a lot of things. Thing is though, we
have a choice, and we can make that choice based on whatever criteria
we like. Ideological, ease-of-use, power. But because someone's
choices and reasons are not yours, they are not fools, nor are their
reasons foolish. (Now if one chooses to support bloated, monopolistic,
predatory, short-sighted, sloppy, shoddy software companies, I
wouldn't say they're fools either. Short-sighted, maybe; ignorant of
all the facts, perhaps; lazy, could be; they don't see anything wrong
with this picture, possibly; but I don't know everyone's
motivation. But their ideology's not mine. Fools? Probably not.) 

Sure, I'll use something if proprietary and closed if an open
alternative is not available. I'll even use something that's open
source if something as useful isn't available as free
software. (Please understand the distinction.) However,
*ideologically*, and maybe in your eyes *foolishly*, I will use a free
software product if it is of as much utility--or close to as much
utility--as something that is not free. Heck, I'll even pay for free
(as in speech) software and support it over non-free software (even if
the non-free software is free (as in beer)). 

I, for one, look forward to the day--and it's coming--that I will no
longer require the use of proprietary, non-free software. And I'll
gladly ditch all of the proprietary, non-free software. Unfortunately,
being a realist, I recognize that there will always be some things
that will require some software that isn't free. Doesn't mean I have
to like it. 

BTW, at least some of the reason I love GNU/Linux is ideological, so
scuse me while I dust off my dunce cap. 
-- 
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV/3   | "And if the ground yawned,
Phone: (814) 455-7333     | I'd step to the side and say,
Email: davros at ycardz.com  | "Hey ground! I'm nobody's lunch!"
http://www.ycardz.com/    | --Eddie From Ohio