RE: Non - Linux - But good article

You can see that you are training in the art of law....  ;-)



On Wed, 2004-03-31 at 11:48, Graham Brown wrote:
> Richard,
> 
> Your comments on the effect of dust on network propagation, or how E-Smith 
> has made dust administration easy would be most welcome, although some 
> would argue that they should be in the tech list :-).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> At 11:34 AM 31/03/2004 +0800, you wrote:
> >I still do not see how anything I wrote before was "political"?  I
> >posted the link FIRST before my text for obvious reasons of "context".
> >
> >I am often horrified by how some people are quick to say something is a
> >slur or racist or political.  Yet as a 3rd generation Irishman, why
> >should I not get offended at those "Irishman, Englishman, American"
> >jokes that lay claim to the apparent stupidity of my forefathers?
> >
> >Is that not racist also?  Of course - but that is politically
> >'acceptable'.
> >
> >If I go and make a comment about the quality of construction in Beijing,
> >I am labelled a culturally insensitive gate crasher?
> >
> >Go figure?
> >
> >The fact of the matter is this:
> >
> >A perfectly good article was presented and Fred went of half-cocked,
> >half-informed and half-enlightened and got his knickers in a knot.
> >
> >Let's not obfuscate the issue.  I was unilaterally tared and feathered
> >for injecting some "food for thought".  Dare I mention anything about
> >the dust storm yesterday, I could get labelled as some kind of unwanted
> >environmentalist practitioner.
> >
> >
> >RF.
> >
> >
> >On Wed, 2004-03-31 at 11:08, Graham Brown wrote:
> > > Hi Amy,
> > >
> > > Clearly,my comments were not addressing the article itself.
> > >
> > > Your views are welcome, but Fred is also probably right that the real 
> > issue
> > > is whether the list is a space for the expression of political views that
> > > are not technically related to Linux or OS issues.
> > >
> > > There are plenty of Linux related political issues for those interested in
> > > advocacy:
> > >
> > > Despite all the open source "advocacy" of the Chinese government, many
> > > government websites are only MS compliant, not standards compliant.   This
> > > creates problems in accessing information from OS browsers such as Mozilla.
> > >
> > > Writing tax receipts (fapiao) requires (unless there are alternatives that
> > > I am not aware of) the use of software that only runs on MS 
> > windows.  There
> > > are other "official" issues that similarly require that you have MSW 
> > installed.
> > >
> > > There are also China specific graphic file formats that are, so far as I
> > > know, only supported in MSW.
> > >
> > > If China adopts its own wifi and other standards, who is going to write 
> > the
> > > linux drivers?  Will information be made available to enable drivers to be
> > > written?
> > >
> > > etc etc.
> > >
> > > At 10:26 AM 31/03/2004 +0800, you wrote:
> > > >the point was not about the article but the comments in the email... I 
> > guess
> > > >I was not clear enough.
> > > >Besides this is a Linux group and not a Freedom of speech group. I 
> > remember
> > > >not so long ago the issue being raised about sticking to Linux/Open source
> > > >subject.... so why not anymore?
> > > >
> > > >Fred
> > > >
> > > >-----Original Message-----
> > > >From: blug-general-bounces-+qp3TudyjKPvfBIPTTProkB+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org
> > > >[mailto:blug-general-bounces-+qp3TudyjKPvfBIPTTProkB+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org] On Behalf Of Su Jiang
> > > >Sent: Wednesday 31 March, 2004 10:16
> > > >To: 'Beijing LUG general non-technical discussion list - Not
> > > >publiclyposted'; [email protected]
> > > >Subject: RE: [blug-general] Non - Linux - But good article
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >Hi, as a Chinese I would like to make a few comments too.
> > > >
> > > >I like the article that Richard recommended.  I am really into my job and
> > > >can't follow up with the discussion in this mailing list all the time.
> > > >Often I skipped the articles that Bluggers recommended in their email 
> > but I
> > > >happened to read this article and found it is very informative, 
> > interesting
> > > >and intelligent.  Personally I would like to thank Richard to have taken
> > > >efforts and time to pick this great article and shared with us, isn't
> > > >sharing the true spirit of Linux?
> > > >
> > > >I tend to think Fred has been a bit emotional on this issue.  Whatever we
> > > >felt about the wordings or opinions of the article does not change the 
> > fact
> > > >at all, right?  The truth is out there, hiding from the truth does not
> > > >change it, neither denial.  The article may not telling the ultimate 
> > truth,
> > > >but it is informative enough to expend the horizon of our knowledge about
> > > >skyscrapers, isn't this a nice thing?  Why we geeks have to sit in the 
> > well
> > > >of technology and stay away from other interesting knowledge?  The 
> > spirit of
> > > >technology is not about learning and building but to explore with 
> > passion -
> > > >it is a fun tour!
> > > >
> > > >I understand Fred's concern about saving bluggers' time by keeping this
> > > >mailing list specialized in technology issues only.  I have to say 
> > that this
> > > >sound a bit too up-tight for me. I am an up-tight person at my job 
> > too, but
> > > >I don't take this mailing list as serious as my job, and I don't think we
> > > >need to.  I think this is a mailing list of freedom. Richard has the 
> > freedom
> > > >of posing articles for people's interest, people who are not 
> > interested has
> > > >the freedom of not reading it, and Fred has the freedom to claim that 
> > he was
> > > >offended.  I don't agree to make any rules on this mailing list for that
> > > >will break the spirit of freedom, which is also the spirit of Linux.
> > > >
> > > >Another thing I can't agree, is the way of your debate.  Where is this
> > > >leading?  The article is informative and useful but your debate is not.
> > > >Sorry to say so but this is my freedom to express my feeling.  : )
> > > >
> > > >Regards,
> > > >
> > > >Amy
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > blug-general list
> > > [email protected]
> > > http://list.beijinglug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/blug-general
> >
> >_______________________________________________
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> 
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Graham Brown
> 

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