By Dwight Johnson
Very few computer columnists generate more extreme reactions
from Linux enthusiasts than Jesse Berst. His fence-straddling
pronouncements from the ZDNet AnchorDesk are almost guaranteed to
generate flames. Does he get it, or doesn’t he get it? No one can
say for sure.
Jesse’s latest column, The Only
Windows 2000 Guide You’ll Ever Need is a perfect example.
On the one hand, to the marketing pressure Microsoft will bring
to bear to deploy Windows 2000 right now, he advises: “Don’t. Hold
firm. If ever there was a case for due diligence, it’s now, before
you lose time, money and productivity on a product that may or may
not be right for your business.”
He goes on: “Despite its soon-to-be defacto status, Windows 2000
isn’t your only option. Maybe you should switch to Linux…”
But then he backpeddles and presumes that, of course, you
will upgrade to Windows 2000: “ZDNet can help you take out
some of the guesswork with its handy Windows 2000 upgrade
advisor.”
But wait! Here is an opportunity to voice our opinions about a
Windows 2000 upgrade, a ZDNet QuickPoll, which asks:
“When will you switch to Windows 2000?
- Immediately?
- In six months?
- When they pry Linux from my cold, dead hands?”
This is an opportunity too good to pass up.
John ‘maddog’ Hall as already voted and reported his vote to the
Linux International Board of Directors mailing list (bod@li.org).
I’ll bet you can guess what it was.