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Redmond, WA - A recent study funded by Microsoft shows that Linux
users can go Windows if they have enough determination. "Linux
use is not encoded in your DNA or a result of an abusive childhood. It's
a choice that people make, and we think it's a mistake," said
chief researcher Marc Switzer. "Our study shows that
with enough determination that 'mistake' can be corrected."
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| Linux users often wear blue ribbons to show
support for their lifestyle. |
Mr. Switzer continued, "All those cryptic terms on the command
line just aren't natural. That's not what God...er...Mr. Gates
intended."
In response to the study, Microsoft has set up a nationwide hotline
at 1-800-GO-WINDOWS which offers counseling services for Linux users
who need support in making the switch. Cindy Kohn, a Microsoft counselor
said, "A lot of our callers are just confused youth who are
unsure of their OS orientation. We help guide them so they
can make informed choices."
Of those who embraced the Windows lifestyle after years of using
Linux, 80% stated that "pressure from society and co-workers" was
their chief reason for switching. Others said that their Linux
use was "just experimentation", or a "mistake while
they were drunk in college." Thirty percent of the research
subjects said that they had not told their family about their Linux
usage.
One participant in the study who "switched" said, "I'd
go into the computer lab, and ask the Lab Captain if they had any
machines running Linux that I could use. That's when the stares
would start. I got rather uncomfortable. Finally, I
just started using Windows so I would fit in."
Gary Liu who heads up the National Unix and Linux Users Task Force
criticized the study, "The research was funded by Microsoft,
a company that is a well known perpetrator of lies about Linux. The
studies that we've conducted show that long time Linux users rarely
switch, and are very comfortable with their decision. We've
got a saying among our type of people. 'Once you hack, you'll
never go back.'"
Going from Linux to Windows isn't the only direction people switch
said Mr. Liu, "We know of many users in the Linux community
who at one time were Windows users. In fact we know of many
users who go both ways on a daily basis. There are many colors
on the OS rainbow. People should be free to choose."
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