[100699] in RedHat Linux List
the effects of FUD on the mind (editorial,long)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (bsc@klondike.ml.org)
Mon Nov 23 00:47:53 1998
From: bsc@klondike.ml.org
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 21:46:51 -0800
To: redhat-list@redhat.com
Resent-From: redhat-list@redhat.com
Reply-To: redhat-list@redhat.com
I used to use OS/2. It was a wonderful operating system that offered
something Windows didn't at the time (and still doesn't) -- it was
robust and stable. I could run most of the programs I wanted to run,
things were good.
This was around the time that Fidonet was popular. Ahh, Fidonet -- the
poor man's Usenet. A heck of a lot higher signal to noise ratio than what
you experience in today's Usenet. It had a feel not unlike the atmosphere
on this list -- qualified people helping others with their problems. It
was a community.
That was before IT started.
I don't know when IT happened, it was sort of a slow realization that
something was wrong. We were seeing messages posted by people that
started flame wars amongst those that should have been agreeing. Sly
comments made fleetingly and then just as quickly withdrawn -- yet the
seed was sewn, the damage done.
I remember one time it was proven that one of the more vociferous
complainants against OS/2 was actually a paid MS employee. His motives
for being on the echo (as the Fido groups were called) were never proven
to my knowledge but with the documents that have surfaced as recently as
three weeks ago, you have to swallow a mighty big gullible pill to
believe he was there innocently.
Slowly many of the discussions took on more of a conspiratorial tone.
Often there was chat of us VS. them. The lines were drawn and battleplans
drawn up. There was a siege mentality about the group, of which I was part.
Everyone started to act like the great behemoth from Redmond was going to
storm through our doors, club our children and steal our computers.
The actual plan was much more insidious, the truth was much worse.
Skip ahead a few years.
I read the Halloween document with some interest. It brought back
memories of thinking myself foolish for feeling paranoid. Surely a
company would not resort to FUD tactics as a business practice. Press
releases are one thing, infiltrating a newsgroup, mailing list or Fido
echo another. But here it was in black and white (or whatever colors were
used in the markup). Perhaps we had been warranted in our paranoid
feelings.
I don't know about anyone else in this mailing list but I've been looking
over my shoulder a bit more than usual. I've been reading posts that
slyly indicate there might be something subversively wrong with the OSS
movement, perhaps there is something wrong with the way Linux is
developing. I hate the feeling, the paranoia is back, but once burnt,
twice shy.
I'm not evangelizing Linux as the perfect OS/Movement/whatever. It is
good, you only have to look at it's performance to know that, but it's
not perfect. What I am asking is, how should a person be reacting to what
has come to light in the last three weeks, particularly in regard to
Microsoft's competition tactics? Should we be wondering who we can trust?
Should we question the motive of every poster?
It took me a long time to decide how I was going to write this letter.
You could look at this message and deduce that I'm just another MS shill
trying to stir up the pot. Worse, you could assume I'm just some
conspiratoiral nut with nothing to do between wondering how Kennedy got
away with killing Jack Ruby and how long we have before the aliens
overtake us from there underground base at Area 51.
I wondered if I should even write this letter at all, it all sounds so
terribly maudlin. Conspiracies and their ilk have a way of making people
on the fringe look positively looney. Certainly not the best light to
have yourself taken seriously in.
Then I decided that wouldn't be the right thing to do.
The only way to battle a hidden agenda is to bring it into the light.
Expose it for what it is. Perhaps this message will inspire others with
greater insight than myself to ponder this question and come up with
answers. Perhaps.
Regards,
Blair.
--
--- end ---
Blair Craft
bsc@klondike.ml.org
http://www.klondike.ml.org/~bsc
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