OSNews

I haven't had this much fun reading comments on OSNews is a while. Usually, its a bunch of Mac/Windows/Anit-GPL zelots spouting non-sense. This has been a hoot to read!

First, I'm going to make a few comments on the review:

While the non-working options can be removed from the list or installed, this seems rather amateurish.

Gee, it might seem amateurish, because, it is done by amateurs! Not that thats a bad thing... They don't produce a Linux distro professionally, so, they are by definition, amateurs!

CollegeLinux uses a fairly ugly default theme.

I know many people have commented on this, but this random statement was just silly. Had it been a comment posted here, the poster would have been labeled a troll. Why is it that if a troll is in the body of the story, its okay. But if I post a troll as a comment, I get modded down? The author could have used better language here. Something like: "The default theme leaves something to be desired. From a usability perspective, it does not get very high marks." From a review, I expect more than "its ugly". Why does its ugliness impact me? Does it?

The absence of OpenOffice is mind boggling, as is the absence of programs like Evolution, Firebird, and some of the more popular media players. Oddly, Potato Guy (a game for small children is included).

For those of you who have been complaining about the lack of OO.o, I encourage you to read the comment by andrew ( http://osnews.com/comment.php?news_id=5544#182924 ):

Lack of Open Office is surprising, and I understand it was the result of some last-minute problems. It will probably be fixed, eventually.

Instead of criticizing them, how about dishing out some credit. They did not include an unstable package that would have a reduced the user experience of the system. Bravo! I applaud you, CL! Also, not everyone needs OO.o. I, for one, would like to see the dependence on Office suites reduced. People at my work use Excel as if it was a data-storage medium. Aack! If the data in the spreadsheet is important enough to email to 500 people, then the data needs to be in a database. Simple as that. But, I digress. David, can you comment on the lack of OO.o? Was there a problem with including it?

Also, I don't think I've seen a 'major' distro that includes Firebird... I could be wrong. But I think that it is unfair to ding CL because of that (and if there are major distros including Firebird, forget I said anything about it...). Do they include a browser? Yes. They are no worse than Windows at this point.

And this discussion brings up another point: Software choice. There was a story here a few days ago (sorry, can't remember which one), where some people went on a tirade about how Linux distros include too much. 11 window managers, 3 DEs, 25,000 text editors. All I want is one disc! was part of the major complaints I saw...

I don't get it. CL provides you one disc, and now you complain about that? What is it you people want?

Oh, I think I know. You want a single disc that only includes the programs you want. There is a distro for that: Linux from Scratch. Try rolling that, and maybe you'll appreciate the efforts of people like David a little more.

Overall, I think the author of this review missed the point of CL: A learing tool. Provide an easier entry to Linux. This one of the only lines I think the author got right:

Overall, CollegeLinux is a pretty good starting point.

Now, the fun stuff. The back and forth between Eugenia, David, and Kevin is good stuff. Finally, a project owner/leader that stands up for his product. Bravo, David! Stick it to the elitists that write for this site.

While some of you may have been turned off by David's comments, it just made me want to try CL even more. Eugenia seems to enjoy posting these 'reviews' about Linux distros that seem to have been written by a dog after sniffing the disc. Kind of like a PC Magazine review: Read the box cover, then talk about how the competing Microsoft product is better. Never mind actually installing the stuff. Eugenia, maybe you should call these types of articles 'Quick Thoughts'. That way, it doesn't imply in-depth usage, which is what the word 'review' implies.

Later,

Kick