Understanding Media Propaganda

Submitted by fyl on 8 April, 2008 - 12:24.

Oh, I mean marketing. And unbiased reporting. And ... Quite honestly, this article has almost nothing to do with Nicaragua and most people won't even see the "almost" until I explain it below. What is has to do with is how to spin things. In this particular article the spin is about Microsoft trying to slow down the flow of Microsoft customers to Linux.

Yes, you will say I have a pro-Linux bias here and that is very true. But, the reason is more seeing what is good for Nicaragua and not a way for me to personally benefit. The article translates some Microsoft spin into what the author sees. I feel it is a good example of why we need to see the subtext in messages—whether it be advertising or "unbiased" news.

For the Nicaragua piece of the picture, it is all about money. And it is the computer equivalent of the 1980s concern of the Reagan administration that a Sandinista success in Central America would be the threat of a good example. This article deals with Microsoft backtracking on forcing everything to "upgrade" to Vista.

Aside from issues about Vista just plain being broken, it is a resource hog. Low-end, low-cost computers and even "last year's computer" can run Linux just fine. The economics in Nicaragua is such that many if not most computer users cannot afford the suggested upgrade. If you don't believe this, just go to an Internet cafe. You generally find some assortment of Windows 98 and Windows 2000.

So, what if people picked Kubuntu Linux (free), OpenOffice (free), the GIMP (free), ... as their software? They could run it on the computer they have or one of the very low end new machines. Not just Microsoft loses sales dollars but so does Intel and everyone else involved in the computer hardware business.

To me, it is a good example of why you need to follow the money when reading, well, anything.

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Is it additudes, expectations or maybe a learning curve??

Submitted by 1st Capt. Ron on 8 April, 2008 - 19:39.

My background is a Certified Novell Engineer. Yes that's right Novell. I have encountered PASSIONATE attitudes for and against a particular operating system many times. Novell people will tell you Microsoft sucks and Window's people will tell you Novell sucks. Linux people will say they both suck –ha! I have found this attitude to be more prevalent when there is a lack of knowledge for the opposing operating system. This makes me wonder how many of the Windows Vista objections are based on feelings and not fact. I am typing this on a Vista Ultimate Machine. Vista does have some big limitations. It is large, it is an expensive OS, it requires top of the line hardware and it cannot do some things Windows XP can do. Despite this I think a lot of the complaints about Vista is simply because it is NOT Windows XP. I mean there is a learning curve the goes along with Vista. People want things that are comfortable to them, they do not want to relearn an operating system every 5 years or so. As an operating system I find Vista to be a legitimate contender. This being said, I do not see a reason to upgrade from Windows XP. One thing I like about Vista is the security. Like Linux, you do not use Administrative\Root permissions all the time. You need to specify when you want to use these rights.

1st Capt. Ron

Vista.....

Submitted by Doug on 8 April, 2008 - 15:32.

(I had to think a bit,

having worked with every version of Windows and some of their DOS versions as well, to come with an accurate, honest opinion of it)

......SUX BIGTIME

-Doug.... I hear the call of the Penguin...

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate

I have Windows vista on my HP Laptop

Submitted by dirtbag on 8 April, 2008 - 13:20.

I'm not exactly thrilled with it, came along with the purchase..no choice at the time.

Not that I am geeky or tech savvy in the least, however, a lot of my friends that are, have complained and some have switched. I'm sure that there are a lot of folks like me whereas we take what we get and just plod along. Mostly to do with my age group, my sons, 14yrs and 23yrs old are a whole different breed of techies.