why I fear open source can't win the war

Jamon Camisso jamon.camisso-H217xnMUJC0sA/PxXw9srA at public.gmane.org
Sat Aug 5 13:41:05 UTC 2006


bob wrote:
> My inlaws purchased a new computer which came with XP preinstalled.  The shop 
> also configured the Sympatico dialup Internet and Outlook email.   The whole 
> system worked for a week or so.
> 
> Being the security conscious son-in-law,  I took it upon myself suggest a safe 
> computing strategy:  OFT (OO, Firefox, Thunderbird).  Armed with my copy of 
> The Open CD,  I was invited to install OFT (OO, Firefox, Thunderbird) on 
> their box.
> 
> That is when everything stopped working.
> 
> The first problem was a "known" or at least an anticipated one.  Sympatico was 
> in the process of "upgrading" all their customers to their new "hm" (Hot 
> Mail) oursourced servers.  From my previous experience with OFT on my 
> mother's computer, my brother's computer and local forums on the Net I knew 
> that Thunderbird (and possibly Norton) + Sympatico hm simply do not work.   
> (My mother had to switch providers,  my brother went back to Outlook).

Two things: you can use (as I do) sympatico's other smtp servers. try 
smtp1 and smtp8.sympatico.ca -- I think both of those work in Ontario 
with your b1 userid (not your user-rieW9WUcm8FFJ04o6PK0Fg at public.gmane.org login). Second, Norton 
will work with Sympatico and any email program if you disable the email 
monitoring portion. It sounds bad, but as long as you have the rest of 
norton configured to protect the filesystem, nothing will get through 
that norton wouldn't normally allow through.

> The solution was to switch to the local Cambridge ISP: Sentex ... which was 
> known to work with Thunderbird.
> 
> Of course when my inlaws call Sentex tech support to get the new dialup setup 
> they give them the standard line "we only support Outlook email".   Nonsense 
> I say,  Thunderbird will work.   After a quick visit,  sure enough 
> Thunderbird is indeed sending and receiving email.

If they tried calling Sympatico r.e. Thunderbird they'd get the same 
line. They are still with Sentex? At least if they are you've got them 
on a local ISP, there's something to be said for that (waiting for my 
contract to end so I ca switch).

> However,  now the dialup is cutting out after a few minutes online with 
> Firefox.  Sentex tech support cannot pin the problem to anything in their 
> logs.
> 
> In frustration my in-laws go back to the computer shop and have everything 
> reinstalled.
> 
> Now Sentex dials correctly,  Outlook email works,  no timeouts on IE.   
> However,  needless to say my "credibility" on the  subject of safe computing 
> is significantly diminished. (Memo to self:  don't volunteer to sys admin for 
> family).   That is until my in-laws encounter their first major worm,  virus 
> and/or spyware infection ...
> 
> This tale bothers me on a number of fronts.
> 
> a) that a major national provider can hook up with a convicted monopolist to 
> "ensure" that standard email software doesn't function

Rogers has the same sort of deal with Yahoo. Synergy...

> b) that some obscure "bug" may exist in the combination of OO, Firefox, 
> Thunderbird,  The Open CD,  Windows XP home,  Norton that renders dialup 
> "useless" ... and more importantly that the effort to sort this out will mean 
> that it likely will remain a bug

Not sure of this one, but perhaps a home router might help? I'd imagine 
that PPPoe and Norton would be the biggest problem, with the router at 
least they'd have a little more of a hardware firewall and a nice stable 
(read not looked after by Windows) connection. Are they only on dialup 
or on DSL with dialup as their alternate system?

> c) that problems like a) and b) are what will ultimately prevent open source 
> software from ever reaching the mainstream home user
> 
> 
> bob
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