FOSS
What can Linux learn from Toyota?
(Special thanks to coronastx for the image.) Toyota’s recent missteps in safety and reliability have certainly harmed Toyota – no doubt there – but they also sent shockwaves through the entire Japanese auto industry. When the all-star member of a team displays weakness, the entire team suffers. So it is with desktop Linux. Love it or hate it, Canonical has been very successful in positioning Ubuntu as THE desktop Linux OS to try. In 2008, when I again decided to try desktop Linux after several years away, the obvious choice of distro was Ubuntu. Many, many blogs pointed to it as the best place to experience Linux, and since then Canonical and its throngs of loyal fans have only strengthened that message. Frankly, I think the users of every other distro should be concerned. When Canonical positions Ubuntu as the best incarnation of desktop Linux, then proceeds to release multiple problematic versions in a row, it reflects poorly on ALL desktop distros…
Dear Ubuntu: I Have Some Concerns
Dear Ubuntu: For the last couple years, life has been good. Every time I’ve shown you to a friend or family member, they’ve compared you to what they’re familiar with – Windows XP or Vista, mostly – and by comparison you’ve looked brilliant. Yeah, your ugly brown color scheme was a bit off-putting at first, but once people saw how secure, simple, and reliable you were, the response was almost universally positive. But recently, things have changed…
Why I Use and Promote Ubuntu Linux
I’ve been pretty hard on Ubuntu lately. Considering that the product is free, is it appropriate for me to do things like insult its appearance and request huge lists of fixes? I believe it is. The first statement in the Ubuntu Philosophy reads: Every computer user should have the freedom to download, run, copy, distribute, [...]
On Sharing (Licenses, Copyrights, and Fair Use)
You may not realize this from scanning my site, but I was this close (envision thumb and pointer finger nearly touching) to pursuing a career in intellectual property law. I even went so far as to take the LSAT, enroll in a pre-law seminar, and participate in a semester-long legal internship. I’ll spare you the [...]
Why Google Worries Me
Who doesn’t love Google? Between search, Gmail, Google Docs, YouTube, Google News, iGoogle, Google Maps – chances are that you interact with something “google” everyday. But have you really stopped to ponder what kind of company Google is? Maybe not, which is I’m writing this article. Google provides some brilliantly useful services, but like any major company their huge reach and ubiquity lends itself to some worrisome possibilities. Read on to learn more about the new Google and their potentially problematic plans for the future…
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