🚀 go-pugleaf

adam@soda.berkeley.edu (Adam J Richter) writes:

>In article <5075@stl.stc.co.uk> "Andrew G. Minter" <agm@stl.stc.co.uk> writes:
>>However, when advising others, I consider that I
>>have a duty to be objective.  This means that while I may explain my
>>concerns about Apple's policies I would not go out of my way to dig up dirt
>>about the companies products 

>	Going out of your way to dig up dirt about a company's
>products makes your opinion more objective, not less objective, since
>your new opinion would be based more on facts and less on gut feeling.
>You have no obligation to stop yourself from learning about the
>deficiencies of Apple's products.

  I don't think that is what Mr. Minter was saying.  The original request
made by arnej@lise.unit.no FIRST asked for ancedotal dirt on A/UX and
then, almost as an afterthought it appeared, for comparisons between
A/UX and other UNIXes.  It seemed to me that the poster wanted some
stuff with which to screw up Apple demonstrations at the university.
Education of people about Apple's computers or corporate policies did
not appear to be goal.  Wouldn't passing around leaflets containing
(1) objective technical comparisons between Apples and other machines
and (2) a statement of the rationale for the GNU boycott be better than
lobbing anonymous cheap-shots at Apple salespeople? This is above-board
and honest.

>	Also, you have no obligation to provide people with helpful
>information about the Macintosh any more than a chemistry student
>should feel obligated to sell terrorists on nerve gas.  You need not
>point out opportunities for people to gain by doing things that have
>a negative tota effect, like producing nerve gas or buying from Apple.

To compare Apple's business practices with terrorists producing nerve
gas is absolutely outrageous.  Please get some perspective.  In addition,
don't the means that arnej@lise.unit.no proposes for influencing people
at the university bother you?  Or is it "the means justifies the ends"
when talking about Apple?

>Adam J. Richter			adam@soda.berkeley.edu
>409 Evelyn Avenue, Apt. 312	....!ucbvax!soda!adam
>Albany, CA 94706		(510)528-3209

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