[oclug] Linux talk tonight.

[Brad Barnett]

On Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:55:24 -0400
William Case <billlinux at rogers.com> wrote:

> Thanks Andy;
> 
> On Mon, 2007-10-29 at 11:32 -0400, Andy Civil wrote:
> > William Case wrote:
> > > 
> > > In your experience, what is the best site to recommend to Windows
> > > users to begin exploring Linux?
> > > 
> > 
> > I doubt there is such a thing. I know I've been derided for suggesting
> > 
> > wikipedia before, but you could do worse than this:
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Windows_and_Linux
> > 
> Don't be skittish about using or suggesting Wikipedia. If it isn't the
> final authority on something, it sure is the best *start* place for most
> subjects.  No body's ravings is going to change that.

Ah, but people are not raving.  It is simply, as said many times before,
that Wikipedia is not a trusted resource.

That does not mean that Wikipedia will be incorrect when you go to a
specific page at a specific time.  The lack of trust is not in the editors
that are contributing wisely, but in those that are not.

Wikipedia understands these issues.  There have been changes and changes
over the years that have fixed some of them.  For example, there are many
pages that are not editable unless you are logged in.  What a freaking
surprise that is, huh?  

Wikipedia's issues will only be resolved when there is a way to publish
a static page by consent, perhaps every week or month or so.  When this
occurs, Wikipedia's strengths will no longer be cancelled out by its
weaknesses.

Until then Bill, you're nuts if you hand out Wikipedia urls as trusted. 
This specific page in question will likely move all over the place in the
next six months.  It could easily move to rants against Windows, and back
to rants against Linux.  It could be entirely replaced for fun by someone
over a period of a few hours, and not caught for a few days.  I could be
replaced by a picture containing child porn, and during the few minutes it
stays, be viewed by someone you have sent there.

Silly, silly, silly Wikipedia.

> 
> Went to your recommended article.  If I don't find exactly what I am
> looking for, I will use that.  I can change my talk so that I segue
> right into that page.
> 
> > As a side note, I have encountered genuine shock in people seeing my 
> > Thunderbird on Ubuntu: "but it looks just like Outlook".
> 
> -- 
> Regards Bill
> 
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