On 2004-09-23 12:30:57 +0100 Matt Parker matt@mpcontracting.co.uk wrote:
You see, this is the reason why Linux itself is only being slowly accepted into the mainstream. Mindless zealotry and sarcastic attitudes. [...]
I agree, but I probably blame the "other group" to you.
Yes, some advocates are zealots and some of them can *deliver* very nasty sarcasm. Most of them seem to have thought about it (so it's not mindless) and it's not really a sarcastic attitude but just occasional sarcastic words.
On the other hand, most of the denials seem to have few clear reasons and none based on sound technical analysis: at best, there's empirical evidence for them. That seems more zealous to me. Many then assume that any advocates disagreeing with them must be idiots, which is the basis for what looks like sarcasm to most people.
Maybe some advocates don't deliver explanations in the way you would like, but I'm not sure you're really helping communication. To a subversion advocate (and you knew one was on this list before posting), a paragraph about judging it only by version number probably couldn't seem more like a troll if it were short with green hair and jumped out from under Troll Bridge screaming "I'm a troll! I'm a troll!"