[svlug] Tri Huynh is a good guy (WAS something else, sic)

[Christian Einfeldt]

On 10/19/07, John Conover <conover at rahul.net> wrote:
>
> Re: postings in this thread concerning no such thing as a universal
> pair of pants.
>

I agree with this.

There are lots of people for whom Microsoft solutions are a good choice, in
the short term.  But the problem with choosing Microsoft solution is that
you mortgage your freedom in the long term for short term gain.  At the risk
of sounding like I am spamming our DTP project, I would really encourage
people to watch the Mayor of Munich talk about why the City of Munich
decided to go with Free Software.

http://www.archive.org/details/proof_of_concept_four_mins.mpg

The Mayor, Christian Ude, says that it is important to build in a price
estimate for the lack of control that comes with Microsoft products.  It is
that narrow point that I was addressing.

Ironically, the freedom to choose includes the freedom to choose the right
to give up your freedom.  In fact, there is an axiom to that extent.  I have
forgotten the exact formulation and the name of the person credited with
raising it to the level of an axiom.  But in a democracy, we cannot restrict
anyone else's right to give up their rights, including the decision to give
up their freedoms.  And yet, when one person gives up that right, they
weaken the freedom of each of their fellows, making us all weaker.  While
such is the cost of living in a democracy, just think how awful it would
have been to live in the McArthy era.  Now imagine that Windows Vista was
around then, and think about how people would have felt frightened to use
their computers for fear of people spying on them.  With Linux, at least it
would have been possible for people to know the exact configuration of their
firewalls and their encryption systems.

Freedom counts.  Windows is not Free.
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