Don't Advocate: Discredit! It's the comp.os.linux. "advocacy" Mantra

The basic tenants of Linux advocacy revolve around several simple rules.

1. Never admit Linux has a problem. 2. Never agree with a person posting problems with Linux. 3. Never bring facts into the discussion. 4. If you make the mistake of not following #3, just make up "facts". After all, who is going to check? 5. Always call the person a troll. Blame it on Flatfish if you must. 6. ALWAYS attack the messenger and not the message.

#6 is the tactic used by the COLA MAFIA MOB in the thread I will now use as an example. Let's look at a recent message posted by a person having problems with Linux and observe how the COLA MAFIA MOB (CMM) have reacted.

The thread is enbreastled :My First Impressions of Linux Are Not Good. and can be found here:

Let's take it one item at a time, and again observe the reactions of the CMM.

First problem is DHCP either not set up properly by Linux and-or losing it's settings after rebooting. This seems to be a common problem with Linux Here is one example, but there are many more.

So how did the CMM react? Ruel Smith is the only one offering good advice. Unruh "No idea what you are talking about. "If you told us what the "geek code" was...."

Maybe unruh should consider something along the lines of ifconfig

Kelsey plays the distribution dance. Alan Connor is so vulgar it's depressing. Robert Hull has his head buried in the sand. Complete denial.

and so forth....

Keep reading the thread and you will see the disgusting, behavior of the CMM in action.

Not a single admittance that this problem does exist.

Second Problem Volume settings not being saved after a reboot.

I can't even imagine how the CMM can categorically deny this problem because it has been an ongoing problem with Linux for YEARS.

Check the ALSA fora for details.

Again the CMM offers nothing but insults.

Third Problem Playing more than one sound at a time from different applications.

There are many more hits on this one.

Fourth and Fifth problems Logging into Windows boxen from Linux machines and using a printer on a Linux box with Windows.

While technically this is not a Linux problem per-se' , the CMM have to understand that most people trying Linux already have Windows systems so it is in Linux's best interest to make interaction with such Windows systems easy. Even if Samba is already set up, which chances are it isn't, and the Windows machine sees the Linux machine and printer, Windows will try and download the drivers from the Samba-Linux machine and obviously this will not work. Some manufacturers allow a "dummy install" of drivers, meaning the printer doesn't have to be attached to or found by the Windows machine and the drivers will install anyway. This is the solution. However, some canned install programs will barf if they can't find the printer. The user is on his own.

So while this is technically not a Linux problem, a new user will blame Linux anyway. Why? Because with Windows he just plugs things in to the network and everyone finds everyone, with simple file sharing. A security risk? Yea, but home users shouldn't need to worry about their local network and it's easily modified if they do. Point is it works easily. Linux? There are entire websites devoted to Samba-Cups-Printing and how to make it work with Windows.

Now the next one is a the creme de la creme of Linux CMM in denial.

Taking mpeg or avi or wma files and making a DVD that will play in a standard DVD player the kind that connects to an entertainment center or television.

I use Nero and it is as easy as dragging and dropping the mpg, wma, avi files onto the program and that's it. All the conversions are done automatically for you and a couple of hours later you have a DVD that can be played on your entertainment center.

Now let's look at some of the CMM Linux advocates lies in response to this question. First notice how Kelsey denies everything but when he gets to this issue all of a sudeen "he can't stand it anymore" and snips. Seems odd that he makes several more posts to a thread "he can't stomach". The truth is he knows it is a nightmare under LInux to send mpgs-avi-wma to DVD and make them playable in standard players.

Then we have unruh, who seems to be a total moron of sorts, drop a one liner in response to this question.

k3b, says he.

Really?

So I can just drag and drop these mpeg files to k3b and it will churn out a DVD I can play on a standard console player?

I don't think so.

Also notice how none of the CMM correct him. They can sure take the time to scream insults, but correct a blatant error from another CMM? Not a chance.

For those who do not know, here is a little example of what is required and BTW this is also a much discussed problem.

Oh and the process is just a beauty!!!

Yea, that's as simple as dragging and dropping the mpeg file to Nero..

Another example of how the CMM is FOS.

Here are a number of other links that back up the OP's points as well:

But of course this guy is labeled a troll so everything he says is not true. WRONG!

The CMM should look at this thread and see how foolish they look and how anyone with a few minutes time can google the problems this person posted and discover that they are indeed problems that Linux has with certain things. I did it and I'm a Mac user most of the time although I run PClinuxos as well.

But of course, why Discuss when you can Discredit?

And that's the COLA way, isn't it?

Kudo's to Ruel and Flatfish for at least being reasonable and as far as PClinuxos is concerned I too feel it is a very good distribution of Linux. But that doesn't mean it is error free. Nothing is.

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