On Sun, 22 Mar 2015 20:00:24 +0000
KatolaZ <katolaz@???> wrote:


> What is strange in the report made by Jaromil is the fact that just
> asking a question about the systemd-nonsense classifies you as a
> troll, which is quite unusual in the free software community.

Characterizing the anti-systemd person as a troll is standard operating
procedure throughout large swaths of the Linux world. It's *not* just
on the Debian-User mailing list.

A guy on a LUG list was bragging about his favorite distro, and I asked
him several questions about its init system, and he got extremely
hostile.

Another LUG list: I said systemd is a mess, and was accused of
immaturity.

On my own LUG list, GoLUG, a LUG that I created and am the nominal
leader of, I got hostility from more than one person for my questions
about where to go to get away from systemd, and one usual attendee did
not attend my GoLUG presentation on alternative init systems.

On the Claws-Mail list, I asked about possible future systemd
entanglements, got some hostility, before the answer finally came down
that one, tiny, optional portion depends on systemd (via dbus) for
telling you there's email, but beyond that, no systemd dependencies
would ever be necessary.

When I advocate for Epoch, runit, OpenRC or Devuan, some react with
hostility. The guys with the biggest megaphones say we're trolls, and
the (amazingly clueless) rank and file LUG inhabitants take their word
as the gospel.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT...

We're doing it. Making a no-systemd distro, and having it work, is pure
credibility. So is solder-bridging an alternate init around the
force-installed systemd on a random distro, and letting the world know
about it. So is patiently educating LUG members who think they know so
much, but treat init as a black box, why systemd's architecture is so
dangerous to the OS we all use. And most of all, when you are met with
hostility, as you most certainly will be, let them know you live in a
free country, you use free software, and you're free to banish any
software from your computer. And explain why it makes your computer
usage better and more satisfying to do so. Above all, keep
evangelizing. We faced the same hostility in the late 1990's while
evangelizing Linux. We've been here before.

I'll leave you with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi:

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you,
then you win."

SteveT

Steve Litt                *  http://www.troubleshooters.com/
Troubleshooting Training  *  Human Performance