One Extra Turkey? ‘Fired for The use of Linux’

The Linux Weblog Safari “Tech Turkeys” column will have come and long past, however there’s yet one more tale to percentage that might virtually were integrated.

What else are you able to name it, in any case, when a Linux skilled is it sounds as if fired for utilizing Linux?

Sound too abnormal to be true? Higher learn on.

‘3 Letters in Their Identify’

The tale comes to an American important, an Indian contracting corporate, a “massive laptop/server corporate with 3 letters of their title” and a “massive bank card corporate with 4 letters of their title,” as HeliOS’s Ken Starks discreetly put it.

The issue? When requested by means of mentioned three-lettered laptop corporate to take an internet competency check with a view to win a freelance involving Linux servers, the important couldn’t get mentioned check to render in Firefox on his Linux desktop laptop.

Now not solely that, however the corporate’s undertaking supervisor it sounds as if didn’t know what Firefox used to be. Whilst looking ahead to a computer with IE to be despatched to him, the important attempted to get tech give a boost to to make Firefox paintings.

The outcome? Bye-bye, contract.

A ‘Good friend to Linux’?

“I’ll allow you to be those to indicate the most obvious,” Starks wrote — “the truth that this huge laptop/server corporate with 3 letters of their title is reportedly a ‘buddy to Linux.’

“I’ll allow you to discuss how a Linux skilled who makes use of Linux as their desktop surroundings used to be denied get entry to to employment,” he persevered. “Employment that used to be in line with his wisdom of Linux.”

Listen that thundering noise within the distance? It’s the stampede of bloggers, speeding to have their say.

‘3-letter corporate, YE SUCK’

Along with the 100-plus feedback the tale garnered at the Helios weblog, Digg bloggers jumped in with greater than 1,000 Diggs and 200 feedback of their very own.

Base line? Outrage, disbelief, and an collection of alternative sturdy feelings.

“3-letter corporate, YE SUCK,” wrote Nameless within the Helios feedback, as an example.

“However is it *truly* that a lot of a wonder?” requested any other nameless blogger. “That is how Linux will get its unhealthy rap…”

Home windows Wins Once more?

What’s going to occur “is {that a} Home windows store goes to get the contract,” the blogger predicted. “They’re going to run up value overages after which both conclude, ‘it’s no longer imaginable, you need to use Home windows,’ or ship a damaged answer that wishes unending give a boost to.”

Alternatively: “I strongly suspect your weblog can be a paintings of fiction,” charged but any other nameless commenter. “There was only one too many of those mysterious, uncorroborated whoppers for me to increase you any longer credibility.”

There is also one thing to that, Linux Lady couldn’t lend a hand however assume (to wit: this and this, as an example). Now not that she’s complaining! However, she took to the streets of the blogosphere for extra perception.

‘What Do You Be expecting?’

“Smartly, what do you are expecting from bureaucratic buying/acquisition departments?” blogger Robert Pogson started. “They make such a lot of laws, not anything is sensible.

“I had a up to date come across with an outfit this is meant to be platform-neutral, however you wanted no longer solely IE however that different OS to make use of their web page,” Pogson advised LinuxInsider.

“Firefox used to be indexed as a supported browser, however it will no longer paintings from GNU/Linux,” he added.

‘The Man Used to be Incompetent’

However: “I’m sorry, however the man used to be incompetent,” charged Slashdot blogger hairyfeet. “You might be telling me he’s certified to do a host of primary overhauls to a server gadget and he doesn’t have a SINGLE Home windows VM? None? I’m sorry however this is simply silly.”

Even supposing he didn’t have one, “he DID have prime velocity, proper?” hairyfeet requested. “He can have downloaded an analysis model of Winserver, most likely of Home windows 7 desktop as neatly, made a VM and been up and working in a few hours tops.”

Briefly, “this man wasn’t fired for utilizing Linux, this man used to be fired for having ZERO problem-solving abilities,” hairyfeet advised LinuxInsider. “I’m keen to guess they figured if this man needed to name tech give a boost to and couldn’t work out this issue, how just right used to be he gonna be with one thing he couldn’t name tech give a boost to for?”

‘Fired for That? Disgusting’

Alternatively: “I might be relatively pissed off by means of being compelled to make use of a Home windows computer to get entry to the VPN,” Slashdot blogger David Masover opined. “Go-platform VPNs are simple to seek out, however that’s no longer the problem. Having to make use of PuTTY for SSH isn’t that a lot worse than working SSH in Konsole. I don’t know whether or not PuTTY used to be used on this case, it’s simply the most obvious selection.”

After all, “I additionally wouldn’t have attempted a workaround _after_ I’d been knowledgeable that I used to be receiving a computer for that goal,” Masover stated. “However being fired for that? Disgusting.”

There’s no credible explanation why for the corporate to reject one browser over any other, he added. It’s also “deciding on towards curious, motivated people” and in want of “cogs in a device,” he added.

Distinctive ‘Pitfalls’

Some other view: “I’ve labored initiatives for enormous corporations, together with Microsoft and Intel,” Chris Travers, a Slashdot blogger who works at the LedgerSMB undertaking, advised LinuxInsider. “Studying the info indexed within the weblog access leads me in an excessively other route.”

Massive corporations “are intensely political organizations,” Travers defined. “In many ways contractors have it simple,” however they “additionally need to be careful for a couple of pitfalls that staff don’t.”

On this case, “the most important factor is {that a} contractor has to stay various events glad and has to steer clear of taking a look unhealthy politically,” he famous.

‘Let It Be’

“The lesson contractors will have to take from that is to paintings very carefully with the dept this is preserving the products and services and to steer clear of going out of his/her method to produce other interactions,” Travers prompt.

“If the computer is on its method, don’t name tech give a boost to seeking to get the problem mounted,” he warned. “Doing so makes one seem like a zealot. Simply having made the preliminary name is sufficient to sign in one’s trust that the web page must be mounted. Let it’s.”

Certainly, “it’s no longer truly a secret that idiocy abounds within the bank card processing trade,” Montreal marketing consultant and Slashdot blogger Gerhard Mack advised LinuxInsider.

‘You Will Pay the Worth’

“The PCI other folks set requirements that wish to be complied with, however the ones requirements have a lot more to do with putting in place the best types of inner forms than they do with if truth be told making issues extra safe,” he asserted. “If you happen to pass the ensuing forms, you are going to pay the cost.”

It’s nonetheless no longer unusual to seek out websites that don’t paintings with Firefox, Slashdot blogger Barbara Hudson advised LinuxInsider.

“My first reaction is to take a look at with Opera; once in a while it really works,” she mentioned. “After that, I boot my computer into Home windows, do the updates that experience amassed within the six months for the reason that final time I booted Home windows, then cross to the web page.”

‘He Isn’t Listening’

The important’s first mistake used to be “ignoring the most obvious,” Hudson asserted.

“If it’s a task trying out web page, and it’s obviously IE-only, why chance having it reduce to rubble the submission procedure and making you appear to be a complete n00b?” she requested. “Consider the way you’d really feel if you were given each and every solution right kind, however since you didn’t observe instructions and use IE, all of them ended up within the reaction database as null fields.”

If the important “couldn’t pick out up from the ‘What’s this Firefox factor?’ query that control used to be all-Home windows, always — and act accordingly — he may well be listening to, however he isn’t listening,” she added.

‘Blatant Sexism’

Starks’ description of the feminine undertaking supervisor’s unfamiliarity with Firefox, in the meantime, betrays “blatant sexism” on his phase, Hudson charged.

“The one factor lacking is the :rollseyes: emoticon,” she defined. “Mr. Starks may ask if Mrs. Starks feels the similar each and every time she has to replenish the bathroom paper holder as a result of he leaves one lonely sq. on it (and that’s only one ply, when the roll is 2-ply tissue), or pick out his grimy undies up off the ground.

“Simply pronouncing … as a result of in equity, if you happen to’re going to be sexist,” she concluded, “you’ve were given with the intention to take it if you happen to’re dishing it out.”

Classes to Be Discovered

After this lengthy season of The Nice Sexism Debate, Linux Lady isn’t vulnerable to the touch that one, she should confess.

However there’s undoubtedly the tale holds courses for the ones hoping to paintings with massive corporations — even the three-lettered selection. Lesson No. 1, in Linux Lady’s view: If you happen to’re in the hunt for technical employment, don’t name tech give a boost to!