Linux Hater’s Redux... dead? Long live... Oiaohm?!

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Saturday, 06 December 2008 18:19

Opinion and Analysis

First the Linux Hater’s blog ended, and now there’s a claim that the Linux Hater’s Redux has gone to the great kernel panic in the sky. Now a mysteriously named person called “Oiaohm” is trying to re-incarnate some of the hate in a new “battle ground” but his sights aren’t set on Linux alone.

Back in early November and throughout much of October I was being pestered by what transpired to be one of the world’s great unknown Linux zealots, a hardware engineer by the lusername of “Telic”.

A big fan of the awesomely cute Tux icons from the Tux Factory at CrystalXP, Telic is very learned and is a big proponent of Linux and FOSS being the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything, and of Microsoft being the criminal monopolist devil – presumably the answer to Death, the Antiverse and Nothing.

Actually Telic is right on many things, and openly admits to taking a “guilty pleasure” in flaming the hell out of anyone that prefers Windows and doesn’t care about learning Linux.

He has even adopted iTWire as his current favourite spot for bashing those who bash Linux, and to be honest, I’m quite chuffed. I never thought I’d have my own Linux zealot, and it’ll be a sad day when Telic finds a better place to bash Windows zealots instead. I'll have to replace him with a pet rock painted with a Tux logo and those plastic little white eyes with the black pupils inside that move around when you shake it. But it won't be the same as a real live Telic.

Heck Telic is probably getting a kick out of reading about himself at this very moment and is undoubtedly preparing some kind of monumental missive in response. I'm sure Matrix is having a good laugh, too. You know who you are.

But hey, Telic, don’t worry, this article really isn’t about you, I’m just having some guilty pleasure and adding to your infamy.

So, even though this article actually isn’t about Telic... let’s go back to Telic just for a sec.

Because he’s very arrogant and annoying, I got jack of his endlessly (mostly) winning arguments and decided to write something nasty about Linux on November the 2nd, because honestly, there’s only so much Linux zealotry you can take before exploding in a blossom of FOSStard insanity, and November 2nd was that day.

Actually I didn’t make too much of an explosive mess.

All I did was to write an article called “Linux Hater's Blog dead, long live the redux”, which simply noted that the original “Linux Hater’s Blog” had reached an “EOF” or end-of-file, and that the "Linux Hater’s Redux" was born.

Given the fact the original Linux hater gave so much joy and angst to those on either side of the OS fence, the passing of the original blog was certainly worth writing about, while the new blog was worth reporting on too.

As a journalist (and, according to Telic, a rather skilled weaver of baskets) I simply did what I do: report. And in a world of blogging, give my opinion.

At the time this got up Telic’s nose, but seeing as that was what I was openly and obviously trying to do, some kind of superior and smarmy comment emerged. I can’t even remember what it was, and can’t be bothered to go and find out. If you really care to see his brilliance, you’ll find it in the comments section of this linked article.

So, given this article actually isn’t about Telic at all, and I originally had no plans to write about anything to do with Linux today, why in heaven’s name am I writing this lovely weaved basket?

And who the heck is “Oiaohm” and why does he claim the Linux Hater’s Redux is dead?

Well, these are all very good questions. Whatever operating system you’re using, clicking over to page 2 will elicit some answers.