RE: Classic case of why Linux ultimately must fail

Quoting Pablo Vieira <listas-FYuJXz9k+h59uiUsa/[email protected]>:
> (Knock, knock, anybody home McFly???) You must be joking, but anyway:
> 
> 1. Dex was wrong about the attitude towards someone who clearly feels
> insulted by the classic arrogance of Linux gurus and fans (read the
> subject and you'll get the feeling). 

Arrogance? I'll tell you what arrogance is: 

It's someone (me) who writes a Fortran program using the MS-DOS Fortran 5.0 
compiler (plus pwb and the linker that comes with it), then finds a bug in the 
compiler (how the compiler (mis)interprets the INT() function), so I fix my 
program with a little workaround but I'm a little bit annoyed about the bug, 
but bugs are a fact of life so I accept it,... for the moment. However, since 
the compiler is mine, and fully paid for, and MS gave me a nice little customer 
service card with my customer number and a service phone to ring, I ring the 
service desk. 

2nd grumble: I have to ring Sydney but I live in Melbourne so it's a long 
distance call, bugger! but I persist, after all it might help someone else in 
the future, and I'm a nice guy. 

3rd grumble: Recorded message plays for 5 minutes before it gets to my 
option "If your problem is with Windows 3.1 press 1, if your problem is with 
Word 2, press 2..... If your problem is with Fortran 5.0 compiler press 287"

4th Grumble: This is the first human voice speaking to me, no hello, no good 
morning, "What is your credit card number?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"I need your credit card number!"

"What for?"

"So I can help you"

"I don't want you to help me, I'm trying to help you, <sarcasm>and it's 
obviously very difficult!</sarcasm>"

"What do you mean?"

"Well I found a bug in your compiler, and I'm trying to report it!"

"Ah a bug!, then I need your credit card number so I can help you workaround 
the bug!"

"I've already worked around the bloody bug by myself! I don't need your help, I 
just want to report the bug so you can fix it with your next release"

"Sorry, if you don't want our help, I can't help you" <click> <hang-up>

Now that's what I call arrogance, not to mention sheer stupidity :^)

Never had this problem with Linux though, you post a message on usenet, you're 
just about certain to have at least 1/2 a dozen responses by the next morning, 
and more than half will be exactly correct. And if you report a bug it is also 
gratefully accepted. And not once have I been asked for my credit card number 
by the Linux community.