Move over PC and Mac; it's time for "I'm Linux"

David M Williams
Sunday, 18 January 2009 17:00

Opinion and Analysis

Without understanding what she was ordering, she purchased a laptop with Ubuntu Linux preinstalled because it had a cheaper pricetag than the equivalent model with Microsoft Windows.

However, she found she couldn’t load her Internet Service Provider’s CD, and that she couldn’t load on Microsoft Word which her institution had stated was “a requirement.”

Consequently, she took the remarkable step of dropping out of her course.

Reading this story makes me cringe. It shows how entrenched the Microsoft way is in the thinking of consumers – and not only consumers, of corporations and educational institutes.

Savvy types like iTWire readers know that you don’t need any special ISP software to set up a broadband modem or router, particularly if you use Ethernet or WiFi. It stands to reason Schubert didn’t know, nor needed to know, and it seems to be a failure on the ISP’s part (Verizon) that they shipped a Windows-only CD, let alone that they perpetuated the myth some sort of ISP involvement is necessary.

Similarly, we know that OpenOffice can save documents in Microsoft Word format. Or indeed, documents can be converted to PDF or plain text or anything else. It is also a poor indictment of the college to have wording that stipulates a specific word processing package, and all it entails, be a mandatory requirement.

Mind you, I still find it astounding the girl dropped out but that’s a different matter.

WKOW filed a follow up where they expressed their sheer surprise at how wide the story went, and how remarkably nasty many reader comments had been. Schubert herself reported she was receiving harassment on her Facebook account.

It’s a disappointing start to the year; it would have made a far more positive story had the follow up reported that legions of Ubuntu users offered to help Schubert out and get online and become an OpenOffice power user. After all, we all know how terrific the Linux community really can be, with the ugly side of fanaticism not generally rising to the fore.

So here’s to “I’m Linux” advertising; let’s send out the message that Linux exists and the ordinary person in the street shouldn’t fear it. And let’s also send out the message that us Linux types are nice people and while we might strike out at Microsoft we’re not going to lash out at individuals.