Lxer article (was Re: Is Linux a desktop operating system? )

[Tom Adelstein]

On Tue, 2005-05-24 at 13:45 +0100, James Wilkinson wrote:
> or everyone as Windows and OS X are. 
> 
> One of the oldest dodges in journalism, whenever a magazine or newspaper
> has run out of ideas or wants more readers, is to find or invent some
> controversy. Then they can strongly support one side in an opinion piece
> that takes little research, little effort, contains huge amount of hot
> air, and takes a lot of space.
> 
<snip>
> And computer magazines (on or offline, or broadcast) have picked up this
> trick.  For at least the last eight years, the Linux community has been
> an ideal target, because of its many vocal and passionate supporters.
> Before that, they could get much the same effect by running the same
> story about Macs, or Amigas, or STs.
> 
> And we've had loads of stories saying "Linux is not suitable for...". Or
> "Can you trust your data to random bearded scruffies from the Net?"
> You'll all have seen them.
> 
<snip>
> Situation normal. Tech journalists can't think what to write about /
> broadcast. They make up some controversy.  It hasn't stopped Linux so
> far.
> 
> They used to run "Linux is not suitable as a mission critical server"
> stories. Even Microsoft seem to have gone quiet on that one (probably
> because if Linux isn't suitable, Windows certainly isn't!)
> 
> James.
> 

As a journalist myself, I back up James statements. I've seen it and
even spoken to writers who create these stupid controversies because
they get a beat and don't know the subject.

I published an article on lxer.com yesterday that said Linux as a
desktop is a irrefutable truth.

Here the link if you have an interest: 
http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/36897/index.html

It was yesterday's "big story". 

If you don't know about Lxer - it's the web site started by the founder
of LinuxToday after he sold out.