ZDNet: My way or the highway

“Linux and Palm OS are both good operating environments, but
both have distinct drawbacks. Most expert users of both platforms,
if they took a dispassionate look, could probably outline those
drawbacks better than anyone else. But the moment they hear a
discouraging word, some of these OS partisans get lathered up and
have to fight back — even if no one was really challenging
them.”

“That kind of response is counterproductive to these users’
causes. Rational discussion of pros and cons can lead to
incremental improvement in products. But when extremists attempt to
bury that discussion under a flood of peripheral issues, they quash
the opportunity for improvement. They also weaken their case among
dispassionate observers; if their favorite operating system can’t
stand up to constructive criticism and reasoned discussion, it must
have flaws that such discussions would uncover.”

“The trick for IT departments is to figure out what tool is
right for a particular job, and use that tool. In some
organizations, particularly centralized organizations that have
standardized on certain hardware and software, that task may be
easier said than done. In those cases, sometimes it takes a zealot
to prove that the unconventional choice is the right one. That’s
fine — but confine the arguments to the specifics of the
situation, and don’t bring up arguments that degenerate to ‘Mom
always loved you best.'”

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