Comment Re:USE THE FEEDBACK FORM, LUKE!! (Score 1) 1194
Your story by Stephen Evans entitled "Linux cyber-battle turns nasty" has left me feeling somewhat astounded. It implies that "those who want to preserve the open-source Linux operating system" are the perpetrators of the mydoom virus. I work as an IT Manager, I am a great fan of open-source software and a Linux enthusiast to boot. I am a "run-of-the-mill geek" and now, by being likened with vandals and an arsonists as in your story, an offended one. Of course you might respond that this wasn't the intended meaning of the writer. To which I might reply, come on now, he's an experienced journalist. He should, by now, be able to write what he means in a manner that doesn't, at least seem to, try to marginalise Linux enthusiasts.
In contrast to the impression your story gives, geeks, in particularly of the open-source enthusiast variety are, generally speaking, the most fair-minded and level headed people you can meet. We're not the sort that go around invading people's computers with viruses and to use them to inflict DoS attacks. On the contrary, we're the sort of people that give the best advice on and develop the best strategies for protection against data loss, denial of service, malicious code, social engineering tactics and privacy invasion. Such things are our passion.
If I thought like Stephen Evans did then I might conclude that the agenda of this story is obvious, "lest anyone be in any doubt," it is contrived to gain sympathy, or at least publicity, for SCO. I might also speculate that he's in SCO's pocket in some way. Or, perhaps, that there was some other deal struck somewhere by an individual or individuals with more influence over the BBC than they should have. Someone with shares in SCO perhaps.
When the BBC puts out one-sided, oppinionated and 'Hackerist' stories such as this then it doesn't do itself any favours. Now, more than any other time I would have thought, the BBC needs all the friends it can get.
