Hi all,
I got a prompt and positive reply from IBM about the ad.
Thanks to Suraj for the suggestions.
We have to speak out if we want our voice to be heard!
Arvind
----- Forwarded message from Sandeep Menon <msandeep@xxxxxxxxxx> -----
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2004 14:57:01 +0530
From: Sandeep Menon <msandeep@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: arvindn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: Yasmin N Jamshedwala <njyasmin@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Regarding IBM's recent laptop ad
Dear Arvind,
Thank you for your mail.
As the person who leads IBM's Linux business, I appreciate your sentiments
and would be equally concerned about the implications, if any. Hence we
took a hard look at the ad which was run by one of our Business Partners.
Please be assured that the intent was definitely not to imply anything
negative about Linux. However, your feedback as a viewer is important, and
we have taken due note of your comments which will be conveyed to the right
people.
As you are aware, IBM is the forerunner in promoting Linux as a credible
and desirable alternative among operating systems. In fact, we ourselves
have a Linux Desktop offering which is very popular in it's own right.
Hence we take such feedback seriously and will pay more attention to these
angles in the future.
Thanks & Regards,
Sandeep Menon
Linux Business Manager - ASEAN/SA
IBM India Ltd.
II Floor, Subramanya Arcade, 12, Bannerghatta Road,
Bangalore - 560 029. Karnataka. India
Tel : +91-80-2063661
Tieline : 926 3661
mail : msandeep@xxxxxxxxxx
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"May the source be with you !!"
Arvind Narayanan
<arvindn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To:
Feedback/India/Contr/IBM@IBMIN
m.ernet.in> cc:
Subject: Regarding
IBM's recent laptop ad
01/08/2004 12:53 PM
Dear Sir/Madam,
I speak only for myself, but as a long time linux user I believe
my opinions are fairly typical of the linux community.
IBM has in recent years been using and supporing linux on the
server side. We think this is great. On the other hand IBM has
always sold desktop systems with Microsoft Windows. We think
that's your prerogative.
This is with reference to the recent ad comparing the IBM laptop with
the Compaq Presario. Apart from how the ad stands with respect to
the Comparative Advertising law, what irks us is the (intentional)
implication that linux is inferior to windows and Compaq is in some
way duping its customers by selling them linux systems.
We know that this is not true. You know that it is not true. The
ad exploits the relative lack of familiarity of the general public
with linux and open source and tries to create a fear of the unknown.
As you know very well, we call this FUD [1]. It certainly leaves a
bad taste in the mouth. We feel that IBM is hitting below the belt.
Even though IBM has so far promoted only MS-windows based desktop
systems, this might change soon in the future. In fact it appears
that this might have already started happening. In any case,
considering the astounding rate at which the effort to make linux
desktop-ready has progressed, it is clear that change is only a
matter of time.
Obviously, any company whose business strategy includes open source
would benefit greatly from being in the good books of the open
source community. Considering that the linux community has a long
memory, it is in your own long term interest to play fair with us.
So we request you to stop running this ad, and refrain from running
such biased ads in the future.
Thank you
Sincerely,
Arvind Narayanan
IIT Madras
----- End forwarded message -----
--
Q: Do you ever think about quantum computing?
Linus: I think that's a load of bull.
(From a Linux Lunacy cruise interview. After the presumptuous disparagement
of QC, Linus goes on to confuse it with DNA computing.)
