Felinoid's Journal: Microsoft philosophy vs Linux philosophy

Someone posted a comment that struck me as obserd at the time but later on with reflection I understand where the idea came from.

There is a whole philosophy around Linux that is almost cult like in folowing.
Linux folows the philosophy of knowladge being the access key and ignorence being it's own restriction.
You can't drive unless you know how. You can read or write untell you learn to do so. That is the restriction. There are no others. The idea of keeping knowladge from wemen is obsolete and proven to be an artifical limitation by means of artifically induced ignorence.

If you can't drive you obveously can't get anywhere. If you can't code you can't write programs. If you don't know how to use a computer you can't.

Historicly this is a falty approch but it works.
Let us remember the green card spammers used Unix shell acounts. Not MacOs not Windows and not even Linux but an honnest to goddess Unix account. With code in perl to do the grunt work.

However we had more problems with "newbe" users when AoL provided Internet access with some AoL users thinking Usenet was all there was to the Internet and one AoL user actually clamming America Online created the Internet.

Microsoft has a diffrent approch.
With Microsoft ignorence is not a restriction and knowladge is not a liccens.
We are told time and time again if the kind of users that used Windows were using Linux there'd be a lot more problems in the Linux world.
An intresting charge... Solarus land would argue that Linux land has such users and they provide quite remarkable proof thow I hardly needed it myself as I can tell you for a fact such people do use Linux with out any problems at all.
Where is my proof? Me. I'm not some uber geek. I got kicked off my first Unix shell account in the week I signed up.
What makes me specal that rises me above the "avrage user" isn't my brains or some geek quest. I use Linux becouse I refuse to pay for software. If I were to use Windows I'd be pirating it and quite frankly Linux is the legal route for me rather than the cheaper route.

But I do use Linux and it challanges me to understand what I'm doing. I can't fling about in ignorence. I need to learn how to use my computer so that I may use my computer. It's just that simple.

The Microsoft philosophy is that of "trusted computing" the computer manufacter is in charge. They get to deside if you should have access to the Internet or not. They deside what software you should use they deside what websites you can visit they deside what e-mail you can have they deside what features are good and what are evil.

The computer manufacter is the ultimate judge of what you should have.
Becouse the avrage user is dumb. The avrage user dosen't have a certification or specal trainning.
The oversight philosophy. One large monolythic entity that can be sure all are good. Virus writers are individuals outside the loop and one way to stop them is to forbid them access to software develupment tools.
Annother way is to develup a secure operating system.

Then there is the Apple philosophy....
(Apple users always feel left out and in this case I think the Apple philosophy really matters to the topic)

Ignorence isn't a limitation...
But knowladge IS the liccens.

Apple provides the foundation. The computer the operating system etc. You can start up reasonably quick.
From there if you want to code you learn to code. If you want to do something you learn how.
But unlike the Linux philosophy it dosen't require the study of a bunch of unrelated things.

I'd liken Linux to a University with a bunch of BS courses to get to what you really want.
Windows to a toltalitarian government where the gatekeepers are in charge.
Apple to "real life" just do it.

But other anologs work...
Linux is the school of hard knocks.. Learnning the hard way.
Windows is the DMV pass a test get a liccens.
Apple is Nike.. Just do it..

Linux is the Internet download compile research and study.
Windows is the TV or radio "We deside what to will or won't know"
Apple is the libary and book store. Find a nice big fat book on the subject and if it's not enough find annother nice big fat book.

Linux is your car and the tools to repair it. How is something you must learn.
Windows is the macanic who fixes it for you.
Apple is the "how to fix your car" book.

Thies are not perfict anologs of course...

The eductaion system is Linux with all the BS courses.
The education system is Windows with "We will deside what you need to learn" adadtude.
The education system is Apple with "No child is left behind"
The education system is IBM a large monolythic entity who is beaten up and largly the target of much aggression.
The education system is BeOS sabotoged yet doing the best it can to survive and failing.
The education system is BSD a long tradition and history.
The edication system is Geoworks.. nobody believes in it anymore.

And that shows you how an anolog can go anywhere you want to take it...
I may be in love with anologs but I know the weakness. So use it as an oversimplication....

The Mac Os of examples....

Ouch.... Sorry Apple users.... Ouch...
Hay Don't blame me Apple for years sold Mac as "Newbe only"... at least your not like Amiga.. sold as a toy...