NetSlaves.com: The Failure of Tech Journalism

Read initially for personal curiosity, the article gets around
to (and aims a few barbs at) advocacy sites before moving on to
broadsides against just about every other facet of tech journalism,
including fawning Windows reviews and the cursory consideration
given the worst abuses of the dot-coms:

“Well, two Mexican engineers tried “the Linux can be
used by anyone” solution and well, nobody knew what the heck to do
with it. They were shocked that they couldn’t magically deploy
Linux and have the masses use it. Well, if you drop TV dinners over
New Guinea, you’ll kill people because the food will go bad because
they will eat the melted, rotting food long before they get the
microwaves to cook it.

Folks, Linux is complicated. Not as much as brain surgery, but
without serious help, most people can’t use it effectively. The
people who use it say “I got my grandmother on it” neglecting to
mention they have 130 IQ’s and are computer professionals. Oops.
Think dad the accountant is going to learn to compile his own
kernel? So the failure of the Mexican project is as surprising as
college kids having unprotected sex in dorm rooms.

Of course, the story ran in Wired News.

In the same way, you’ll never see a story about school districts
rejecting the high costs of Apple in Macaddict. You have
publications who have clearly taken a side and then stick to it.
Linux skepticism is long overdue, but the missionary ideologues
jump on your back and kick you in the balls. The kind of
independent tech journalism needed to cover Linux doesn’t exist.
Not to slam Slashdot, because they do what they do, advocacy. But
there is a need for more than that.”

Readers sensitive to profanity will want to approach this item with
care.

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