People don't care about freedom

That's why they judge the quality of our free system with superficial standards. They don't understand the harm caused to them (and their community) by accepting to be subjected to the software proprietors. Living in subjugation usually means they don't understand the nature of computer software and the potential it has to improve the wellbeing of society.

From a user perspective

I got to say that from a user perspective this article is dead on, most average users don't care for a command line and they don't care how many distros there are they just want to be able to say, point clikck start or install or run.

One of my frustrations about Linux is that there are too many versions; For instance you have Ubuntu and Redhat now if I want to install an application in Ubuntu I go to the repositories and find it click install and this might also be the case for Redhat but can I install a Redhat package in Ubuntu sure but if it's not a .deb package then I'm done for. I would have to go through a series of command line commands to do so. So I see the writers point get a standard format and stop fighting with each other, the reason why Windows appeals to most users is because is ONE OS with a standard method of install, running and crashing applications. So folks let's get it together let's AIM for THE PACKAGE(DISTRO)!

Spartan2276
Finish The Fight Against MS!

Article needs to be re-writen

Honestly the points the author makes are Valid for "Narrow" Minded people. However, the other 90% of people who arent narrow minded see this as "FUD".. Generally in a group you have a few skeptic's, a few people who will sit there and use the product yet down it, and last but least the sheep of the group. This guy is probably the person who uses the product and just bitches about it. All the points here are valid for a narrow minded person, but in reality its all in presentation. So what you have to google something here and there?

Who cares if the concept of CLI appears Archeaic.. pffft. The trend is the more technology is being put in our hands and the closer normal people are getting to the "Geek Point" .. ie Blackberry's , how many Blackberry Pearls do i see out there now? There not only for geeks/Buisness exec's and realistically they're almost UMPC's all in there own, they have Kernel's, etc.

The person who wrote this is acting like everyone is lazy and dont want to learn, but in the long run studies have shown that as we move further into the digital age we are moving way past the Pro-microsoft/digital divide era.

Holiday statistics this year have shown that more linux devices were sold such as.. gPC, gp2x, eee, n8x0's, OLPC, & several other devices.

The point is.. We're not trying to convert people but give them a chance for an alternative to actually having to pay with money. Its more of a concept of intellectual Currency they spend by putting the time in under the hood of what ever distro they stumble on. Dont give me that "Fud" based answer of "Oh theres too many and that scares people away". People are not mindless, weak, and incompetent.. People are bold, experimental, and we need to encourage the new people who are taking the baby steps into linux and into our community.