Is Vista the New Windows ME?

I still remember Windows ME, the big publicity, the great sales, people's expectations for a better Windows 98 -- and nearly everyone's disappointment when ME turned out to be an absolute mess. Apparently, I am not the only one that remembers the ME fiasco. Many of us believe Vista is another Microsoft product that should not have seen the light of day. Please read Justin Fielding's blog and you may gain a new perspective on the launching of Vista.

FUD: Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt

Microsoft learned well from its mentor. IBM mastered the art of FUD (Fear-Uncertainty-Doubt) in its marketing campaigns back in the 1980s and 1990s. This week, Microsoft shot the latest in a long series of FUD shots in a lame attempt to scare the computing community into not using open-source products because "they violate Microsoft's patents." What a pile of cow manure! Even the lawyer that wrote the report being quoted by Microsoft has come out to tell everyone that Microsoft is misusing the information in his report. He clearly told Microsoft that Open Source software is LEAST likely to be in violation of filed patents as compared to Closed Source products. Microsoft's attempt to scare us all is pathetic. Personally, I had already decided not to use Vista or any other future Microsoft products except as required by my employer. At home, we will slowly but surely become a Microsoft-free zone. There are so many better choices out there that it is a no-brainer concept. If we all help each other, we can send a clear message to Microsoft (and others like it): we will NOT be dominated by fear and misinformation. We have choices and the responsibility to exercise such and support organizations that demonstrate ethical behavior and attitudes. Clearly, Microsoft is not in that category.

Cryptome

This week I saw the Cryptome website shutdown by Verio/NNT. Fortunately, it is now being hosted elsewhere. Why were they shutdown? Censorship. There were no specific violations specified, simply a reference to Acceptable Use Policy. There was also no opportunity to correct any problems -- just a notice that their account was terminated. Fortunately, John Young found a new home for his repository of knowledge and discovery. I encourage you to visit it and spend a little time going through the materials therein. I think you will find it worthy of your time -- but not worthy of censorship.

7 Keys for Joyful Living!

I just read Chris Widener's latest article "7 Keys for Joyful Living!" and I think he is on target with all of them. He starts the list with "Know your purpose." I believe this is one of the areas where most of us tend to have problems -- we simply do not know what our purpose is! We go through daily motions and routines without achieving long-term satisfaction. One of the reasons I believe we struggle with determining our purpose is that the process of defining such takes time and patience -- and who has time or patience in today's hectic world? However, even if you can set aside 15 minutes per week to stop and think about your purpose in life -- and write your thoughts and feelings -- you will find that the picture will become clearer after a relatively short time. These few minutes are your minutes -- invest them wisely to define your purpose. Once you know what you are supposed to be doing in this lifetime then everything else will be so much easier to accomplish! I encourage you to read the rest of Chris Widener's article -- I am confident it will help you find more joy in life!