Open Source

I have used the Firefox browser now for over a year, and find it more useful than Internet Explore 6. World-wide, Firefox is gaining ground and it has picked up 25% of the browser market, with Microsoft browsers still leading with 64%.

The most important reason why I use open source products is that I mistrust big corporations like Microsoft. Governments throughout the world want more and more control of their populations. Microsoft code is not published for programmers to examine. Even though Microsoft keeps saying that they will never make a deal with the CIA to hide "spy code" in their software, I don't believe them.

Actually we don't know what kind of code is in Internet Explorer 7. With the way Microsoft checks every PC using its "Windows Genuine Advantage" software, it seems like the CIA is already involved.

The upcoming Vista operating system could be a hotbed of hidden spy code for all the world's special interest groups.

Linux is the alternative. Since the code that makes up Linux can be examined by programmers throughout the world, any irregularities would be quickly reported.

Almost everything that can be done with Microsoft can be done with Linux and all with open source software. A lot of commercial software that we've gotten used to on Windows is still unavailable on Linux. We have to get used to similar open source equivalents. As more people move to Linux more powerful software will become available.

I've been working with Linux web servers for over seven years. I must admit, I've still been using Windows as my primary desktop. I'm currently trying out Linux desktops using Fedora, OpenSuse, and Ubuntu distributions and I hope to choose one of them as my main desktop operating system.

I don't expect to buy Vista, since I don't want any type of "Big Brother," government or corporate, watching all my PC movements.

Categories: Firefox, Internet Explorer, Linux, Open Source