[geeks] Re: "Word Processing" != productive use of one's time....

[geeks at sunhelp.org]

"Reagen B . Ward" wrote:

> So, you've managed to avoid using all MS products while working at a
> larger company? 


I did. I was an OS/2 server admin (in addition to AIX) at a Large
Financial Firm, and had OS/2 on my desktop as well. Everyone around me
was running Windows, the AIX and Solaris admins, the mainframe guys,
'cept me. I had a version of Groupwise that worked, Netscape for OS/2
rocked, and so I rotated bugging folks to do my timesheet once a week on
the windows-only software. I eventually switched to Linux on the desktop
and GNU utils and stuff on the OS/2 servers. I treated them like unix
boxes and they behaved like 'em. I had one server there with 18 months
of uptime.

Having long been outside the scope of support from Help Desk ("Open the
Start menu..."), they never noticed when I switched to Linux. I had a
special dispensation sticker on my peecee to let them know to keep right
on walking when making "upgrade" rounds.

Yeah, it's possible.


> Perhaps the answer is to avoid employment with companies that have
> standardized on MS products?

No, I've found it's ideal to work for someone who allows you to use the
tools you feel are best suited to do your job. If that's Windows, so be
it. If it's linux or bsd, great, if it's Solaris on a Blade, get them to
buy it for you. They will, and they'll be happy about it.


---sambo