LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: Mark Newton <newton@atdot.dotat.org>
  To  : LINUXSA@linuxsa.org.au
  Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 14:53:51 +1030 (CST)

Re: To the LINUX Advocates/Evangelists among us...

SBS expt wrote:

 > OK... so - by you - LINUX fails a test for
 > suitability for real-world usage?

I make no claim either way -- That's the whole point.  To get on
the y2k page you pointed to, you need to sign a statement which
makes you legally accountable for y2k flaws in the product.  There's
a world of difference between saying, "I trust that this has no Y2K
problems," and "I trust that this has no Y2K problems and I'm happy
for you to sue me to hell and back, even though I can't get insurance,
if I'm wrong."

 > Are you therefore suggesting that anyone
 > who INSTALLS such an operating system may
 > suffer the same "inconvenience(s)" as are
 > posited above...?

I'm happy for you to point to anything in my statements which 
comes within kicking distance of that claim.  I'm confident, of
course, that I have never said anything like that, and that your
question is irrelevent.

 > PS I should think that inclusion of a LINK
 >    to Y2K statement pages on the web sites
 >    of the major LINUX players (Debian, SuSE,
 >    RedHat, Slackware, etc.) would put the
 >    ball in their court(s).  This may be the
 >    way to go, then...

I think you're misunderstanding the point of the y2k page you referenced:
It's  a list of organizations who have signed an official Standards 
Australia declaration which, among other things, acknowledges acceptance
of legal responsiblity for failures.  Is there any rational reason they'd
want to include a link to Y2K pages from vendors who haven't signed the
declaration?

   - mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------
I tried an internal modem,                    newton@atdot.dotat.org
     but it hurt when I walked.                          Mark Newton
----- Voice: +61-4-1958-3414 ------------- Fax: +61-8-83034403 -----

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