Linux is a great OS, but the question is not so much Windows versus Linux,
but why a Linux advocate would even care what is going on in a Windows based
newsgroup, except to troll for answers. As I have plenty of troll food
available, I am willing to bite.
For many, the answer is: .NET is where the jobs are in my market. You may
think this is stupid, but there are many markets where Linux skills and 50
cents will buy you a cup of coffee (except at Starbucks, where it is around
$3.50). In other markets, .NET skills have similar value. In Nashville,
where I live, the world revolves around Microsoft. There are some Java jobs,
UNIX jobs, Oracle jobs, but the strong suit here is anything Microsoft. If
you are very good at Microsoft software, you are employed; if you know .NET,
you are becomming more and more valuable each day.
As for the freedom comment, it really depends on your definition of freedom.
To many, freedom would be equated with ease of use. To others it is simply
the amount of money spent. Linux has a much steeper learning curve (although
it is shortening). As such, it requires more time to learn. How much is your
time worth? Mine is worth a lot, with what I pull in per hour, so learning
Linux is a luxury, not a freedom. As I am a bit of a mega-geek, I have Linux
distros in the house and feel rather comfortable around the whole UNIX
kernel concept (to me, Linux is UNIX for Intel, which I realize is an
oversimplification). But, the time spent learning Linux could have been
spent learning something directly more profitable. With that in mind, is
Linux really free?
If you are in school, and have the freedom of time (at least while the
parent's/scholarship/personal money holds out), Linux is very appealing. I
would not knock anyone that takes that route either. Just be prepared to
live where the Linux jobs are (or convert to UNIX, if it is a more proper
decision). If they are in sufficient numbers in your city, or you get really
good at Linux and can demand top dollar, more power to you.
--
Gregory A. Beamer
MVP; MCP: +I, SE, SD, DBA
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Think Outside the Box!
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"gnu" <ka******@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:62**************************@posting.google.c om...
You can compile anything you want. Redistribute anything you want. You
can name the OS distribution your name burn CDs with it and make a
donation to 100 schools. You can make a distribution boot from a
memory stick. You can make your own filesystem, call it MyFS and be
forever happy. You can call yourself Chief Software Architect. You
don't have to sign NDA. It's called freedom. GNU Public License.
