who is who?

[mi...@invalid.org]

Question (or two)...

Are there two Grants posting using 'o...@grrr.id.au'? If so, which is real?

What filter is used to kill the enity emulating lew and/or Sylvain?

Thanks, I appreciate any help in this matter.

--
later on,
Mike

http://www.topcat.hypermart.net/index.html

[Dan C]

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:56:44 +0000, mike wrote:

> Question (or two)...
>
> Are there two Grants posting using 'o...@grrr.id.au'? If so, which is
> real?
>
> What filter is used to kill the enity emulating lew and/or Sylvain?
>
> Thanks, I appreciate any help in this matter.

You mean like there are two of *YOU*?

"mss" and "mike", same person.

Bugger off, nymshifting troll.


--
"Ubuntu" -- an African word, meaning "Slackware is too hard for me".
"Bother!" said Pooh, as he harpooned Flipper.
Usenet Improvement Project: http://twovoyagers.com/improve-usenet.org/
Thanks, Obama: http://brandybuck.site40.net/pics/politica/thanks.jpg

[mss]

Dan C <youmust...@lan.invalid> wrote:

> On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:56:44 +0000, mike wrote:
>
>> Question (or two)...
>>
>> Are there two Grants posting using 'o...@grrr.id.au'? If so, which is
>> real?
>>
>> What filter is used to kill the enity emulating lew and/or Sylvain?
>>
>> Thanks, I appreciate any help in this matter.
>
> You mean like there are two of *YOU*?
>
> "mss" and "mike", same person.
>
> Bugger off, nymshifting troll.

No, I'm changing new readers here so till I get the rcfile
worked out it may show differing names (mss, mike) for me.

I'm hoping someone besides Dan will chime in...

[o...@grrr.id.au]

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:56:44 +0000 (UTC), <mi...@invalid.org> wrote:

>Question (or two)...
>
>Are there two Grants posting using 'o...@grrr.id.au'? If so, which is real?

Get real! I certainly haven't a clue what you see on your
news provider ;)

>
>What filter is used to kill the enity emulating lew and/or Sylvain?

You can filter on header info?

>
>Thanks, I appreciate any help in this matter.

I doubt you appreciate anything that tickles your misperceptions.

Grant.

[Sylvain Robitaille]

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:56:44 +0000 (UTC), <mi...@invalid.org> wrote:

> What filter is used to kill the enity emulating lew and/or Sylvain?

There isn't a simple answer to that one. What's mostly significant,
though is that he tends to inject his messages using Google Groups Web
Client, while I don't use that (nor do I cower behind a Gmail address,
let alone one created from someone else's name). There are other aspects
that can be used to tell real messages from fake ones, in the headers,
but it might be best to use a mental filter, as it really isn't difficult
to tell the real messages from the fake ones.

With respect to others that you might be tempted to filter, I urge you
to not underestimate the value some people who might otherwise be rather
"sandpaper-y" can bring to a discussion when they choose to (and yes,
they do at times choose to). Heck, even Maynard used to sometimes post
messages that contributed real ontent, but it seems he gave that up a
few years ago. Again, the best filter really is the mental one.

As you've discovered, this newsgroup is not for the thin-skinned, and
months can go by when very little of the traffic is on-topic, let alone
of any value, and then some real gems come through. Many of the regulars
here are (perhaps only virtually) old dogs (to paraphrase a long lost
former blowhard/troll who should not be named; you might be entertained
to find an archive of the group, going back about 8 or 9 years; it was
entertaining at the time, if rather time consuming), and you came along
apparently wanting to trade new tricks. Most of the Old Dogs (tm) likely
already have their own ways of addressing the same questions or problems
or issues addressed by your new tricks, and probably no two are exactly
alike, and they're probably all better than any of the others, but each
in their own way. Old Dogs (tm) can get ornery in such situations.

--
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sylvain Robitaille s...@encs.concordia.ca

Systems analyst / AITS Concordia University
Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science Montreal, Quebec, Canada
----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Glyn Millington]

Sylvain Robitaille <s...@alcor.concordia.ca> writes:

> On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:56:44 +0000 (UTC), <mi...@invalid.org> wrote:
>
>> What filter is used to kill the enity emulating lew and/or Sylvain?
>
> There isn't a simple answer to that one. What's mostly significant,
> though is that he tends to inject his messages using Google Groups Web
> Client, while I don't use that (nor do I cower behind a Gmail address,
> let alone one created from someone else's name). There are other
> aspects that can be used to tell real messages from fake ones, in the
> headers, but it might be best to use a mental filter, as it really
> isn't difficult to tell the real messages from the fake ones.
>
> With respect to others that you might be tempted to filter, I urge you
> to not underestimate the value some people who might otherwise be
> rather "sandpaper-y" can bring to a discussion when they choose to
> (and yes, they do at times choose to). Heck, even Maynard used to
> sometimes post messages that contributed real ontent, but it seems he
> gave that up a few years ago. Again, the best filter really is the
> mental one.

Absolutely agree, not least because you don't want to miss Grant, Sylvain
or Lew's responses to any topic you might raise!


Realto Margarino has been around for years and once upon a time could be
rather clever (long ago and far away), but that depends on his current
relationship with his medication. The stuff he posts about Lew is
disgraceful/disgusting, but it is easily spotted and ignored.

> As you've discovered, this newsgroup is not for the thin-skinned,

Understatement of the year?!


atb


Glyn
--
RTFM http://www.tldp.org/index.html
GAFC http://slackbook.org/ The Official Source :-)
STFW http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&group=alt.os.linux.slackware
JFGI http://jfgi.us/

[Aragorn]

On Tuesday 17 January 2012 01:56, mi...@invalid.org conveyed the
following to alt.os.linux.slackware...

> Question (or two)...
>
> Are there two Grants posting using 'o...@grrr.id.au'? If so, which is
> real?

This I have not noticed yet, but it is possible that Roger Maynard is
impersonating Grant as well.

> What filter is used to kill the enity emulating lew and/or Sylvain?

Roger Maynard appears to be posting exclusively via Google Groups these
days, so a filter on "googlegroups.com" in the Message-ID should do the
trick. It does for me.

--
= Aragorn =
(registered GNU/Linux user #223157)

[Aragorn]

On Tuesday 17 January 2012 08:49, Glyn Millington conveyed the following
to alt.os.linux.slackware...

> Sylvain Robitaille <s...@alcor.concordia.ca> writes:
>
>> As you've discovered, this newsgroup is not for the thin-skinned,
>
> Understatement of the year?!

To be quite honest, I think that this reputation is unjust. I reside in
loads of other GNU/Linux (and generic UNIX) newsgroups, and I have found
there to be far less invective in this group here than in some others.

Particularly alt.os.linux.ubuntu has already long become a place where
you'd better be wearing full body armor, helmet, a shield and a
broadsword. Stalkers, nymshifters, people who can't write five words
without swearing at least twice, Win-droids who consider the group their
personal blog and who keep on raving on about their Mrs., their Garmins
and "their mates down at the pub", a possibly authentic Microsoft shill,
and lots of trollfeeders.

It's also perfectly okay to stray off-topic there - which is fine by me
- but some people are very sensitive to political issues and will
object. And usually so against the wrong people, rather than at the
ones who took the thread into that direction.

It's a little bit like comp.os.linux.advocacy - a group I was once
subscribed to on a Blue Monday - but with still a little bit of
technical information seeping through every once in a while.

[Aragorn]

On Tuesday 17 January 2012 08:49, Glyn Millington conveyed the following
to alt.os.linux.slackware...

> Sylvain Robitaille <s...@alcor.concordia.ca> writes:
>

>> As you've discovered, this newsgroup is not for the thin-skinned,
>
> Understatement of the year?!

[Glyn Millington]

Aragorn <str...@telenet.be.invalid> writes:

> On Tuesday 17 January 2012 08:49, Glyn Millington conveyed the
> following to alt.os.linux.slackware...
>
>> Sylvain Robitaille <s...@alcor.concordia.ca> writes:
>>
>>> As you've discovered, this newsgroup is not for the thin-skinned,
>> Understatement of the year?!
>
> To be quite honest, I think that this reputation is unjust. I reside
> in loads of other GNU/Linux (and generic UNIX) newsgroups, and I have
> found there to be far less invective in this group here than in some
> others.

Fair enough - I really only lurk here and on certain Emacs related
groups, which tend to be rather civilised :-)

[Sylvain Robitaille]

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:59:19 +0100, Aragorn wrote:

>>> As you've discovered, this newsgroup is not for the thin-skinned,
>>
>> Understatement of the year?!
>
> To be quite honest, I think that this reputation is unjust.

I like to think I've spent enough time in the group to know it by more
than mere "reputation".

> I reside in loads of other GNU/Linux (and generic UNIX) newsgroups,
> and I have found there to be far less invective in this group here
> than in some others.

I frequent several other groups (and have frequented many more beyond
that, over the years), though I admit no others that are distribution
specific, and no others with the degree of attention I pay to this group.
It's always worth keeping asbestos-lined coveralls nearby. This group is
better than a lot of others, but if you have thin skin or a weak heart,
participation may still not be advisable.

[Fritz Wuehler]

Dan C <da...@nambla.org> wrote:

> Bugger off, nymshifting troll.

You'd like that wouldn't you faggot?

> --
> "Ursontoo" -- an African word, meaning "Your boy's penis is too hard for me".
> "Bugger!" said the cell mate, as he harpooned Dan C up the ass.
> Usenet Improvement Project: http://danc.iloveboys.org/
> Thanks, Mama: http://randyfuck.danc40.net/pics/danc/youngboys/pedo.jpg

[Miro]

On Jan 17, 11:03 am, Fritz Wuehler
<fr...@spamexpire-201201.rodent.frell.theremailer.net> wrote:

> > Thanks, Mama:http://randyfuck.danc40.net/pics/danc/youngboys/pedo.jpg- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

We really are turning into 4chan, aren't we?

[mss]

Sylvain Robitaille <s...@alcor.concordia.ca> wrote:

> There isn't a simple answer to that one. What's mostly significant,
> though is that he tends to inject his messages using Google Groups Web
> Client, while I don't use that (nor do I cower behind a Gmail address,
> let alone one created from someone else's name). There are other aspects
> that can be used to tell real messages from fake ones, in the headers,
> but it might be best to use a mental filter, as it really isn't difficult
> to tell the real messages from the fake ones.

Oh, its no big deal all in all. I can filter it now, but the regex I was
using in slrn (now tin) tends to be overly zealous.

> With respect to others that you might be tempted to filter, I urge you
> to not underestimate the value some people who might otherwise be rather
> "sandpaper-y" can bring to a discussion when they choose to (and yes,
> they do at times choose to). Heck, even Maynard used to sometimes post
> messages that contributed real ontent, but it seems he gave that up a
> few years ago. Again, the best filter really is the mental one.

Sure enough, I see your point (I'm looking at it as a savings in time...)

> As you've discovered, this newsgroup is not for the thin-skinned, and
> months can go by when very little of the traffic is on-topic, let alone
> of any value, and then some real gems come through. Many of the regulars
> here are (perhaps only virtually) old dogs (to paraphrase a long lost
> former blowhard/troll who should not be named; you might be entertained
> to find an archive of the group, going back about 8 or 9 years; it was
> entertaining at the time, if rather time consuming), and you came along
> apparently wanting to trade new tricks. Most of the Old Dogs (tm) likely
> already have their own ways of addressing the same questions or problems
> or issues addressed by your new tricks, and probably no two are exactly
> alike, and they're probably all better than any of the others, but each
> in their own way. Old Dogs (tm) can get ornery in such situations.

mmm... well, I asked folks to share their tricks in the 'one liners' thread,
& I think some considered it so much voodoo, chuckle. Honestly, I think
it'll settle down after a spell. But yes, I do enjoy reading the code others
post here, its nice to learn something new...

Thanks Syl, very clear & methodical advice, does not fall upon deaf ears.

[mss]

Aragorn <str...@telenet.be.invalid> wrote:

> Roger Maynard appears to be posting exclusively via Google Groups these
> days, so a filter on "googlegroups.com" in the Message-ID should do the
> trick. It does for me.

Hey Aragorn.

Appreciate it. (Hoping to tweak the ng's signal-to-noise ratio on my end)

[Martin]

Aragorn wrote:

> On Tuesday 17 January 2012 08:49, Glyn Millington conveyed the following
> to alt.os.linux.slackware...
>
>> Sylvain Robitaille <s...@alcor.concordia.ca> writes:
>>
>>> As you've discovered, this newsgroup is not for the thin-skinned,
>>
>> Understatement of the year?!
>
> To be quite honest, I think that this reputation is unjust. I reside in
> loads of other GNU/Linux (and generic UNIX) newsgroups, and I have found
> there to be far less invective in this group here than in some others.

it is at the tamest it has ever been. 10 years ago this place was quite
different. I mostly lurked in those days. The regulars were as smooth as
sandpaper, and i'm talking 24 grit here. and then wasn't there someone on a
crusade against a wild pack of dogs? :D

as for you-know-who (never incant the name lest he might turn up): i've
always found him marginally entertaining from my lurking position. it is
only when he lost his domain by his own fault that he turned genuinely
nasty.

[notbob]

On 2012-01-17, Martin <n...@spam.invalid> wrote:

> it is at the tamest it has ever been. 10 years ago this place was quite
> different. I mostly lurked in those days. The regulars were as smooth as
> sandpaper, and i'm talking 24 grit here. and then wasn't there someone on a
> crusade against a wild pack of dogs? :D
>
> as for you-know-who (never incant the name lest he might turn up): i've
> always found him marginally entertaining from my lurking position. it is
> only when he lost his domain by his own fault that he turned genuinely
> nasty.

heh.... nice summary.

Yep, usta be much more traffic. Despite slack being bigger than ever,
IMO, less traffic here. I figure it's the advent of IM and forums and
other more flashy social watering holes, plus major ISPs dumping
matter-of-fact access that's killing usenet. Only the hardcore who
are willing to seek out the few remaining drinking spots are left to
hash it out. It's still a viable resource, IMO.

nb

--
vi --the root of evil

[Martha Adams]

===================================================

Self-expanding creep. -- Martha Adams [Wed 2012 Jan 18]

[Chick Tower]

On 2012-01-17, <mi...@invalid.org> <mi...@invalid.org> wrote:
> Are there two Grants posting using 'o...@grrr.id.au'? If so, which is real?

Last week or so there were two Grants posting here, but I don't think
they were using the same e-mail address. They conversed with each
other in a couple of posts.
--
Chick Tower

For e-mail: aols2 DOT sent DOT towerboy AT xoxy DOT net

[Chick Tower]

On 2012-01-17, <mi...@invalid.org> <mi...@invalid.org> wrote:

> What filter is used to kill the enity emulating lew and/or Sylvain?

I have a few that seem to be working, as I didn't see the offending
posts. However, the problem with posting them publicly is that the
offenders can learn how to evade them, and thus they become less useful.

[Martin]

notbob wrote:

>
> Yep, usta be much more traffic. Despite slack being bigger than ever,
> IMO, less traffic here. I figure it's the advent of IM and forums and
> other more flashy social watering holes, plus major ISPs dumping
> matter-of-fact access that's killing usenet. Only the hardcore who
> are willing to seek out the few remaining drinking spots are left to
> hash it out. It's still a viable resource, IMO.
>
> nb
>

true. most people seem to be drawn to linuxquestions.org these days. The
forum isn't bad but I still think php-over-http is the wrong technology for
a number of reasons.

[o...@grrr.id.au]

On 18 Jan 2012 17:40:51 +0100, Chick Tower <c.t...@deadspam.com> wrote:

>On 2012-01-17, <mi...@invalid.org> <mi...@invalid.org> wrote:
>> Are there two Grants posting using 'o...@grrr.id.au'? If so, which is real?
>
>Last week or so there were two Grants posting here, but I don't think
>they were using the same e-mail address. They conversed with each
>other in a couple of posts.

The other Grant (not me!) has a surname starting with Mac...

While this Grant (me!) posts with valid o...@grrr.id.au addr.

Considering where I was mid 2011, you can understand I'm still
easily confused ;)

Grant.

[Aragorn]

On Wednesday 18 January 2012 18:45, Martin conveyed the following to
alt.os.linux.slackware...

> notbob wrote:
>
>> Yep, usta be much more traffic. Despite slack being bigger than
>> ever, IMO, less traffic here. I figure it's the advent of IM and
>> forums and other more flashy social watering holes, plus major ISPs
>> dumping matter-of-fact access that's killing usenet. Only the
>> hardcore who are willing to seek out the few remaining drinking spots
>> are left to hash it out. It's still a viable resource, IMO.
>

> true. most people seem to be drawn to linuxquestions.org these days.
> The forum isn't bad but I still think php-over-http is the wrong
> technology for a number of reasons.

I agree with that. And on the one hand, the move of the greater
unwashed masses towards web-based forums with pointy-clicky HTML
interfaces - where you can see real smileys! <grin> - is indicative of
the general dumbing down of the people and would therefore signify less
chances of GNU/Linux becoming more popular on the desktop and thus
gathering more support. After all, pointy-clicky toys are the domain of
Microsoft and Apple.

But then again on the other hand, this theory does not seem to rhyme
with the facts. More and more companies are beginning to realize that
by not supporting GNU/Linux, they are missing out on an ever-growing
userbase, so many companies are now actively beginning to support and
endorse GNU/Linux. And as such, the amount of home and office desktop
GNU/Linux installations is even more growing than it already was before
that. Slowly but steadily. Like a 4x4 in low gear. It's slow, but the
torque is so powerful that nobody can stop it.

And also on this other hand, with the pointy-clicky crowd focusing on
those web-based forums - where you can see real smileys! <grin squared>
- Usenet kind of gets the weed filtered out. Usenet is still the place
to find valuable information, and the information on Usenet will be much
more to the point, because Usenet is where the real geeks hang out, and
the real geeks are the ones with the knowledge, because on those web-
based forums you will find mostly ex-Windows users, and their knowledge
or real information technology is extremely limited.

So to a point I agree with "notbob", but I do not agree that Usenet
would be dying. Yes, there has been some slimming down of the populace
by both the "flashy social watering holes" - as he put it so aptly - and
by ISPs dropping Usenet support due to the abuse of binary newsgroups
for distribution of copyrighted and/or otherwise illegal content. But I
think this makes Usenet a stronger and in overall more valuable
environment, bringing it back to the core of what it used to be before
all the pirate warez idiots figured out how to distribute their stuff
here. And at the same time, lots of independent dedicated news
providers have started to emerge. I'm using one of them right now.

It is similar to IRC. ICQ, MSN and the likes - and more recently,
Facebook, MySpace, Twitter et al - killed off IRC for the commoner. I
know that all too well because I've been running an IRC network for
several years - it's dead now, but that has other reasons. Those people
who still know of the existence of IRC today and who use it are not
commoners anymore; they are geeks. And those geeks use IRC (and
Usenet!) as part of the software development process. Just check out
the amount of users on irc.freenode.net. It's one of the largest IRC
networks out there today.

Sure, there are mailing lists too, and some newsgroups have entirely
moved over to mailing lists because they were being spammed to hell -
cfr. alt.os.linux.gentoo, which was spammed to hell and back for over a
year due to a broken BBS that kept on feeding back old posts several
times a day - but in overall, groups like this one here are still very
much alive. And that is a Good Thing (tm).

I don't know whether Pat is monitoring this group - maybe he doesn't
have the time for that - but several distributions have their developers
and package maintainers monitor (at the very least) the Usenet groups
dedicated to their own distribution, e.g. PCLinuxOS, Mageia, Mandriva,
openSUSE.

In the end, let's not forget that it was here - well, not in this group
<lol>, it was in the Minix group - that a Finnish student by the name of
Linus Torvalds announced a hobby OS that he was developing now over
twenty years ago, with as a result that loads and loads of very
intelligent people jumped on his post and started helping him out - as
was the intent behind his post - at developing what we know today as
GNU/Linux. (Linus initially received lots of flack from Andrew
Tanenbaum, the maker of Minix, for not having chosen a microkernel
design, but even Tanenbaum later on had to apologize and express his
admiration for what Linus had accomplished.)

(And yes, the GNU guys, pedantic as they may be, have contributed
significantly to both the development and the success of the operating
system, because unlike all other operating system kernels that GNU
supports, Linux is specifically tailored for use with a GNU userland,
and it's also the only UNIX-style FLOSS kernel licensed under GPLv2.)

Anyway, I'm rambling again. ;-) Earlier today, I was (unjustly) called
a "fanatic" by someone in another group because I called Microsoft
Windows the worst operating system design on the planet. But it is
true. Microsoft's logic is irrelevant in the greater picture of
information technology, and even as a company, Microsoft only joined the
game very late in the evolution of information technology. UNIX already
long existed before Gates and Allen founded Microsoft. And GNU/Linux is
right on the spot - albeit that there are some disturbing trends
occurring there, cfr. the whole systemd/udev and move of all binaries to
"/usr" debate, which is long from over - but in my humble opinion,
GNU/Linux is probably the best operating system on the planet.

There's a reason why, despite the mainstream media boycot on GNU/Linux
in favor of the shiny pointy-clicky Windows propaganda, GNU/Linux is the
most used operating system on the world's supercomputers, on the servers
powering the internet, on mainframes, in rendering farms, et al.
Microsoft had to bribe its way onto the desktop and twisted some arms
along the way. GNU/Linux was never advertised, and yet its userbase and
deployment statistics are growing. So does the appreciation of this
technical excellence make one into a fanatic? I think not.

I have studied IT at the college level. I have studied IT in my spare
time, buying books or getting them from the libraries. Nobody was
holding my hands. I didn't have an internet connection yet when I first
installed GNU/Linux, but I had zero problems doing it, and I was blown
away by what it was and what it offered from the first moment on. But I
have learned most of what I know of information technology today from
using GNU/Linux. Not only does it all make sense from the system design
point of view, but it's also easy to study and delve into. I am
grateful for that. And being able to share what I know with others is
helping in keeping the spirit of Free & Open Source Software alive. And
Usenet, where it all started for the little penguin (and possibly for
the African ungulate as well), is the perfect place for that.

Time to get off my beercase, and my apologies for the excess verbosity.
:p

[mss]

Chick wrote:

> Last week or so there were two Grants posting here, but I don't think
> they were using the same e-mail address. They conversed with each
> other in a couple of posts.

Yeah, I found out the hard way :/

[Martin]

Aragorn wrote:

>> true. most people seem to be drawn to linuxquestions.org these days.
>> The forum isn't bad but I still think php-over-http is the wrong
>> technology for a number of reasons.
>
> I agree with that. And on the one hand, the move of the greater
> unwashed masses towards web-based forums with pointy-clicky HTML
> interfaces - where you can see real smileys! <grin> - is indicative of
> the general dumbing down of the people and would therefore signify less
> chances of GNU/Linux becoming more popular on the desktop and thus
> gathering more support. After all, pointy-clicky toys are the domain of
> Microsoft and Apple.

That's not what I had in mind. In fact, I reject the notion of MS/Apple
products being easy to use and easy to maintain while GNU/Linux are not. I
have found quite the opposite.

Even more I reject the idea that GNU/Linux software SHOULD be hard to use in
order to separate the technical elite from the masses.

In my opinion everything should be easy to use, be it pointy-clicky or via
speech, gesture and thought control.

The problem I have with MS/Apple is of a different nature. It is related to
their business ethics and the fundamentally unfree nature of everything they
do. They are at the center of an industry wide business model that makes
people pay royalties at every juncture, and controls everything including
information and documentation to keep people in a state of dependency.
According to them I am not even allowed to watch the films I have legally
purchased in the way I want.

> But then again on the other hand, this theory does not seem to rhyme
> with the facts. More and more companies are beginning to realize that
> by not supporting GNU/Linux, they are missing out on an ever-growing
> userbase, so many companies are now actively beginning to support and
> endorse GNU/Linux. And as such, the amount of home and office desktop
> GNU/Linux installations is even more growing than it already was before
> that. Slowly but steadily. Like a 4x4 in low gear. It's slow, but the
> torque is so powerful that nobody can stop it.

I hope you're right. But I have my doubts.

> And also on this other hand, with the pointy-clicky crowd focusing on
> those web-based forums - where you can see real smileys! <grin squared>
> - Usenet kind of gets the weed filtered out.

This again is the elitist idea I disagree with. The reason I prefer Usenet
for topical discussions is simply that it is the better tool for the job.

> [...]

>
> I don't know whether Pat is monitoring this group - maybe he doesn't
> have the time for that - but several distributions have their developers
> and package maintainers monitor (at the very least) the Usenet groups
> dedicated to their own distribution, e.g. PCLinuxOS, Mageia, Mandriva,
> openSUSE.

Bad news for you: Pat is more likely to respond on linuxquestions.org. ;)

> [...]

>
> Anyway, I'm rambling again. ;-) Earlier today, I was (unjustly) called
> a "fanatic" by someone in another group because I called Microsoft
> Windows the worst operating system design on the planet. But it is
> true. Microsoft's logic is irrelevant in the greater picture of
> information technology, and even as a company, Microsoft only joined the
> game very late in the evolution of information technology. UNIX already
> long existed before Gates and Allen founded Microsoft. And GNU/Linux is
> right on the spot - albeit that there are some disturbing trends
> occurring there, cfr. the whole systemd/udev and move of all binaries to
> "/usr" debate, which is long from over - but in my humble opinion,
> GNU/Linux is probably the best operating system on the planet.

I agree on the technical flaws in MS Windows (minus the superlative) but
this is not a function of the age of an OS. Linux is of similar age but
clearly benefits from the open nature of its development. Nonetheless I have
a few issues with Linux mainline as well. ;)

> There's a reason why, despite the mainstream media boycot on GNU/Linux
> in favor of the shiny pointy-clicky Windows propaganda,

I'm beginning to repeat myself: this has nothing to do with pointy-clicky.
It has to do with the incompatibility of the business models. Mainstream
business abhors the concept of freedom.

> GNU/Linux is the
> most used operating system on the world's supercomputers, on the servers
> powering the internet, on mainframes, in rendering farms, et al.
> Microsoft had to bribe its way onto the desktop and twisted some arms
> along the way. GNU/Linux was never advertised, and yet its userbase and
> deployment statistics are growing. So does the appreciation of this
> technical excellence make one into a fanatic? I think not.

Linux is quite heavily advertised as part of business solutions by some of
the big players (IBM etc.) but only where it plays the function of a
commodity, enabling value-added products and services of big business.

In the education and research sector there are different considerations yet,
mostly to do with budget.

> I have studied IT at the college level. I have studied IT in my spare
> time, buying books or getting them from the libraries. Nobody was
> holding my hands. I didn't have an internet connection yet when I first
> installed GNU/Linux,

in fact I had to write a CD driver for Linux on m68k in order to get hold of
the content of the big university ftp servers. ;) At that time there was no
internet for the masses, just bulletin board systems that you would access
with a 1200 baud modem, or later with 19200.

> but I had zero problems doing it, and I was blown
> away by what it was and what it offered from the first moment on. But I
> have learned most of what I know of information technology today from
> using GNU/Linux. Not only does it all make sense from the system design
> point of view, but it's also easy to study and delve into. I am
> grateful for that. And being able to share what I know with others is
> helping in keeping the spirit of Free & Open Source Software alive. And
> Usenet, where it all started for the little penguin (and possibly for
> the African ungulate as well), is the perfect place for that.
>
> Time to get off my beercase, and my apologies for the excess verbosity.
> :p

forgiven. ;)

[Grant]

On Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:56:44 +0000 (UTC), <mi...@invalid.org> wrote:

>Question (or two)...

>
>Are there two Grants posting using 'o...@grrr.id.au'? If so, which is real?

I dunno which one is the real me ;)

>
>What filter is used to kill the enity emulating lew and/or Sylvain?

The one between your ears!

>
>Thanks, I appreciate any help in this matter.

Grant.