Slashdot.org pointed to the start of some security FUD about Linux. Basically their next big PR campaign will be against Linux and how it’s not as secure as everyone thinks. Uh–huh.
From the slashdot story it sounds like they are predicted to use the fact that Novell’s aquisition of SUSE and the end of support from RedHat for their desktop version as proof or amunition to prove how Free/Open Source software is flawed, or not as secure, or how people don’t use it because it’s better than proprietary software. I do. I’ll have to email them and let them know that.
Anyway, the point is that they still don’t understand what open source software is, which is why they’ll never “beat” it.
Because they can’t beat it.
Because there is no one to “beat”.
Even if every distributor of Linux suddenly dried up and disappeared it wouldn’t mean a thing. Unlike proprietary software the software wouldn’t go away. People would still work on it the software, would still improve and update. The code doesn’t stop being available and the dedicated people would continue developing. Oh sure, it might be a bit slower, as there are a fair number of people who won’t be paid to produce Linux code anymore, but the programs would still be produced and updated. People who program free software generally do it for love or glory, not money (though I’m sure that the latter wouldn’t be objected to 🙂
Companies make money off of Free software (which will come as a surprise to a lot of people as it is), they don’t make free software, and stopping the companies won’t stop free software. You can’t “beat” software that isn’t controlled by a central company, but is organized and put together by hundreds if not thousands of programmers around the world. Even as the head of it, if Linus was hit by a bus Linux would not disappear.
I wish Microsoft would concentrate on making their software better instead of on PR campaigns, though it does do a good job deflecting attention from the outlook virii and worms going around now. How many requests for “cmd.exe” did you get this month so far? I have 441 (28 yesterday and the day before, 42 the day before, 52 the day before that, 70, 15, 23, 1, 14 and 168 on November 1st).
Just in case it’s not clear enough Bill. I use Open Source and Free software because it’s better.