[16:33] Quick question, do you think it would be better for the Linux community as a whole for us to only publish reviews on distros that pass the "basics"? [16:35] are you asking me as a developer, or as a person? [16:36] and will i be quoted on any of what i said above [16:36] off the record [16:36] and as both [16:37] to answer the question, I think it's good to publish any review, as long as it's tested on multiple machines, and is unbiased. You want to get a review of how the distro works for most people, not just for a few. [16:37] And you want to make sure that the people are not pre-biased to prefer one distro to another, based on waht they've previously been told. [16:37] And I think you, in your review, have failed all the above points. [16:38] But, I am afraid that all it does is hurt Linux to report that distro doesn't work....I am thinking of a list of recommended distros and reviews of them [16:38] not overly - because people will then go for the ones that do work. [16:38] hobb, I'm sorry you feel that way......it's what is expected of me.....if I am too soft the readers think I biased the other way [16:39] BUT, you *have* to make sure you're doing unbiased reviews. You will cause more trouble to linux if you keep writing like you have in your pre-released. [16:39] -d [16:39] If it's expected of you to be biased, and you want to be a good journalist, then you should seriously consider leaving wherever you're writing for, and finding a more credible company. [16:39] i'd be interested to see your mandriva review - and see how biased that is. [16:40] ok, first of all....I am biased toward Slackware if anything....I hate distros that are just eye-candy, won't compile anything out of the box and don't come with sources... [16:40] http://bigcatlinux.com/mandriva.html [16:41] the results of the 6 machine test are listed there but only as a note to my boss, they won't appear in the final publication [16:41] Now I don't normally toot a distro's horn and I can be quite critical. My review of Debian Linux back in '02 got be banned from their irc.freenode.org support channel. The flack I got after my Lindows review prompted my superiors to make me hide my identity when I am doing research. We've spent a long long time testing Linux distributions. We started with Mandrake 7 and it appears that the “grandchild” of that that distribution is stronger [16:41] than ever. [16:41] that worries me. [16:42] I really don't think you had a problem based on your harshness. [16:42] I think they put into question your credentials, your bias, and I don't think you answered them. [16:42] your bias, in particular. [16:43] I am biased toward distros that work, yes [16:43] also, it's bad form to slag off a particular people group, in the middle of writing a technical report. [16:43] I don't hide that [16:43] didnt you ever learn that in school? [16:44] distros that work on your particular hardware. [16:44] which, i'll again note, you havent mentioend [16:44] works on my 2 computers fine. *shrug* [16:44] it's called bias - if you're ignoring your bias, you'll have your reputation ripped to shreds. [16:44] which again I'll mention, full system specs are listed in the final printing [16:45] likewise, i wouldnt dare say "it works on all machines, as it works on both of mine" [16:45] whatever.....you know I write under psuedonyms and people read it and then I get tons of emails that say "You were right! This works great!" which means I am converting people [16:46] 18 paragraphs. 2 of them slagging off other people. classy. [16:46] oh, i'm not saying that your *content* is right - it probably is. [16:46] at least, some of it [16:46] okay, you don't like my writing style I get it [16:46] no, listen ot me [16:47] can we move on? [16:47] if *anyone* wrote like that, they wouldnt get published. isnt this supposed to be a technical report? [16:47] no [16:47] so, it's supposed to be a blog post on what works for you? [16:47] no [16:47] that's how it's written [16:48] if you care, you'll fix that. if not, you'll be marked, by multiple channels, by the way you write. [16:48] It's an article....written from a brand new user's point of view.....what they would see and expect..... [16:48] yes, but you havent got any quotes from new users in there. [16:49] which you'd expect, if it were actually from a brand new user's POV. [16:49] hobb, yeah....it's about a distro they "haven't" tried yet [16:49] in this case I am playing the part of the newb....doing everything from gui the way a newb would..... [16:50] you're not losing yoru bias in the process. [16:50] which you need to, if you wish to actually write something worht reading. [16:50] again, did they not teach you this in school? [16:51] ok, well thanks for telling me all that....now can we move on? [16:51] if you have something useful to say, because you're clearly not listening to me.