heinousjay's Journal: How I Feel About Things

I admit, I troll the front page quite a bit. I'm always curious how people with deep beliefs react in an essentially anonymous forum with community based censorship. I don't feel bad for doing it - the way I see it, if nothing else I'm sharpening people's arguments.

So, for the sake of having this on record, I'm going to list my honest opinions on some of Slashdot's favorite topics.

Microsoft
A strong business. Very competitive, beyond what most companies even now seem to expect. Not so hot in the software department, at least from a technical point of view. From a business point of view, master of the "good enough" school of thought. Probably in for bad times if and when Bill Gates steps down - no one else has the right feel for what he's built.

The jokes are old. Seriously. At least come up with something new. Calling Ballmer a chair-throwing monkey for the sixteen millionth time just isn't cutting it. Spelling it M$ never cut it.

Linux
A decent OS. It had problems that kept me from using it early on, but that's pretty much licked now. My prediction (based on nothing concrete, but I have a good track record in these matters) is that it will be the dominant desktop in 8 years. It's there from both technical and usability standpoints. All that's left is marketing it to people. Too bad that the part the community finds distasteful. It will happen, though. The advantages are too strong.

RMS
I admit it, the man is a genius. He's a little extreme for my taste, but he's committed to his cause so that's forgivable. In my opinion, history will hold him in higher regard than anyone else computer related, because the GNU project and its associated offspring will be the foundation for all software in the future. Yes, I truly believe that. Software is the first human product that evolves over long periods of time in a continuing fashion, and the GPL is what makes that possible.

Apple
Great technology, so long as you want to do what Apple decided you could do. Great design, period. They make prettier devices than anyone on the planet. I don't like the cult that surrounds the company. When Steve Jobs steps down/dies, the company is fucked. Ultimately, they will be a footnote, but their influence will live on forever.

RIAA
A dying relic. In 10 years they'll be gone, replaced with nothing. The Internet will allow artists to self-publish, and the labels comprising the RIAA will fade.

MPAA
An entity under siege, unfairly lumped in with the RIAA. Face it, everyone likes movies. Even the people who complain that nothing good is made anymore. Movies cost a lot to make. They will continue to cost a lot to make, and frankly, the profits of the studios aren't all that obscene anyway. They will fight piracy forever, probably unsuccessfully, because people will always want something for nothing.

Pirates
Okay, I really think these people are mostly dirtbags. Sure, it's awful you have to pay for music. Christ, why do you have a right to be entertained? I'm not trolling about this one, it baffles me. Just because you aren't stealing doesn't mean you aren't doing something wrong. You can realize this about yourself (if you pirate) by how twisted the logic in your justifications gets. My current favorite: The formats made available aren't convenient for me.

"Linnix"

[Bill Dog]

...it will be the dominant desktop in 8 years.

ROTFL

...the foundation for all software in the future.

Gee whiz dude, ease up on the hippie love-fest. RMS is like L. Ron Hubbard -- just some guy who started some kooky religion. But the religion will never spread past the commie malcontents who are susceptible to it. Businesses (i.e. the real world) will use what makes economic sense (the OS, since it's free (as in beer)), but will never use that which causes them to give away their intellectual proper