Software has many moral gray zone’s…
The sad thing is that because of very tricky marketing, and wide-spread mis-information; most people just accept this as the only way. I feel that one of the biggest flaws of American Culture is raising our future generation’s to believe the ads that flash across their picture boxes.
A ton of people out there just simply don’t want to think for themselves. This is kind of like Out-sourcing. Most of the time’s that people hear about out-sourcing it means sending jobs over seas. Sending jobs over seas, because it is usually cheaper to do so. This is giving up a lot of control, and hurting the American economy. When someone out-sources their thought’s they Lose their freedom to choose, and become a slave to the corporate American machine. The best example of this is Microsoft.
Microsoft and their Windows Operating systems for all of it’s innovations that challenge the computer industry, is still a software program meant to deceive the users into stealing their freedom. Because Microsoft comes installed on most computers by default from the factory, people actually think it’s free. It’s only free until the next version of windows is released, every two years or so. Then they Use tricky marketing to make you think you have to run right out and buy the newest Full version. Sometimes you may only need the upgrade. Then there’s the scare tactics of Microsoft to intimidate people who are not intelligent to know better that their Windows Operating System is not valid, and stolen. Then they make their pitch that they need to buy a whole new Windows so their computer will keep working.
Microsoft then installs a bunch of pre-installed third-party software from the factory, but many of this software is unneeded, only works for a limited time before needing to be purchased(trial-ware), and often creates a security & Identity theft risk once the trial phase of the software has ended. One example might be a backup utility a home user thinks is keeping their data safe and backed up, but when the trial date ends the program; & the users backup data are under control of the third party software company. This means that in order to restore the computer and get needed files from your backups you might need to buy one more software program you might not have needed to when you bought the computer. Another classic example of this is Norton security. After the 90 day trial, your computer will not update unless you pay through the nose for a license. Without any security software running on your system you are vulnerable to a hacker with the knowledge and ambition to want to steal your identity.
Is this moral? Is this right? Is there another option? Can you get rid of windows? Who should have the choice corporate America or you? How would the developers of the software pay their light bills? Do you think that the amount of charity a company like Microsoft(or the Bill Gates foundation), is makes deceiving the computer Users of the world justifiable? These are questions that people need to answer should be answering for themselves.
Since this is my Blog I will give you my thought’s… First of all I should tell you all that this is an ongoing debate in my own mind. Many might argue that if you give the average user too much control is a bad thing.
Giving an average User control over their software is risky, and that it will probably break their system. Once they break their Software they will get frustrated, and probably give the software a bad reputation, and possibly give up. This is especially intimidating these days where anybody has access to marketing through social marketing propaganda.
I don’t want people to think that I think there is only one way to do things. I don’t want the people reading my Blog to think that I have all of the answers, and that I am always right. I actually quite often say that I reserve the right to be wrong. I kinda enjoy being proven wrong, as odd as that is. It means that someone has just thought me something. Often this makes my ego shrink, but my brain usually grows in the process.
I think that many companies do many incredible things, that might not be possible if the amount of money that the company wields were not not present. Many of these things are for the greater good of the Human race. The Bill gates foundation being a prime example. They are trying to wipe out disease, and improve farming techniques for third world countries that are well below the poverty level. Does this balance Mr. Gates’ karma wheel? Does this account for the corporate takeovers initiated by Mr. Gates, that robbed many Americans of much needed jobs? Does this count for the fact the innocent American Victims?
Many people think that Linux and Open-Source are destined to over-take the heart’s and minds of People who are brain-washed or forced to use Microsoft or Apple Products. I believe that this in not only highly unlikely, but wouldn’t be truly beneficial in the long run. This is for the simple reason that competition leads to innovation.
Both Apple and Microsoft have made incredible strides in the way of innovative UI(User-Interfaces), productivity, simplifying communication etc. I believe that Apple’s stability comes from it’s root’s in the Unix Operating system. Unix was muli-user from the start. So Apple is great at giving a simple to use system that is stable. Apple is often favored by media editor’s like video editors. This is because the mac kernel is based on BSD which is much better at math than windows, and yes sad to say even Linux. I believe that Microsoft’s coolest feature is it’s ability to push the PC(Personal Computer) gaming market.
Many of you might say what about Linux. Has the Linux OS(Operating system) given us some undeniable revolution? The Linux revolution is based in the innovation of the furthering of web technologies. A perfect example would be Google and Mozilla. Linux is about a choice for a counter-culture alternative choice. I often think what if Linux were no longer the under-dog. Would it be as cool to know Linux. I have gotten work simply because I know Linux before. I have had people beg me to install Linux on their system’s so they would be free from contracts, and trial-pay business models. Linuxes greatest strength has always been the community. Unfortunately Linux is full of many myth’s. For example many might argue that Linux doesn’t have any good games. There are TONS, of great games for Linux, it’s just that games aren’t well advertised. Also that the games bought on store shelves might or might not work in Linux. I hope to create a Blog in the future about the myths of Linux, so stay tuned!
Stay close(not closed) to the source my friend’s…
Kevin James Lausen
code weavers When you purchase code-weavers What you are purchasing is support for Wine, from the developers of Wine. Available for Linux/Mac. Proceeds directly affecting Wine Dev.
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