Honestly, we've had trolls in the past. In fact, we've *produced* trolls that go out and spam pro-Microsoft boards. There's a fine line between a constructive presentation of alternatives, and outright bashing their products (though they leave much to be desired). True, they aren't honest or forthcoming when it comes to problems with their OS, but why tell the users THAT? Are we to assume that they're sufficiently stupid that they HAVEN'T noticed these problems yet? If they hear the alternatives and still want to use Windows, that's their perogative (misinformed though it may be). Besides, if we were to go to a Microsoft BBS and suggest alternative OSes rather than helpful software for that platform, are we not trampling the right of the user to choose whether they WANT or NEED Linux/Be/etcetera in the first place? I don't see people coming in here recommending Microsoft tools over FOSS, but that could be due to the fact that they have this incredible tendency to spam us and subsequently get banned when they do so.
As far as being on Microsoft's side... I'll forgive that, as you're new here.
EDIT: Oh, and for future reference, you might want to note that the history of this entire board - 9 times out of 10 - has had people posting things like "please help these poor misguided souls" followed by one post that says, and I quote, "Winbloze suxorz 2 mny wayz 2 cout!!!!!111" after which the originator never returns to elaborate. At least you care enough to stick around and back your posts up, I congratulate you on that.
I don't doubt that there have been trolls on this board before but I know better on the rights and wrongs of how to bring people over to a cause. I don't see sites like Microsuck as a fringe culture, I see them a cause that needs to be spread. I'm here for the same reason everyone else is: Microsoft is an evil monopoly that engages in- and gets away with- unfair business practices and it's existance as such is detrimental to maintaining a fair and honest world market.
As for focusing simply on OSes, thats just a small part of a much wider picture. Most people actually need a version of Windows whether it be for games, work, or because they don't have the computer savvy to master Linux or because they don't like the cost and lack of cross compatibility with Macintosh. Further advances in Linux will close the gap between itself and Windows eventually, but not right now. As for the bigger picture, people can be let to know that you don't need things like MS Office, Outlook, Internet Exploiter, MS Server, Windows Media Player, Hotmail, etc. We all know the reasons why and we all know the free and superior alternatives.
As a culture, we know we should do our personal best to use as few MS products as possible. As a cause, we should be letting as many people as possible know what is wrong with Microsoft, both their business ethics and product quality (or lack-there-of) and inform people of the alternatives.
Infighting is counterproductive and its against my nature to hold a grudge. Therefore, I'm willing to declare a truce between us.
