Pari's Blog

Hinduism/Linux – Christianity/Microsoft

The only thing Hindus are religious about is freedom of faith – i.e. the freedom to express ones love for God in the way he/she finds most spiritually redeeming.

In that regard, here is a comparison I’ve been entertaining a long time… it started off small, and eventually really grew into a pretty interesting and poignant comparison. Linux is to Hinduism as Microsoft is to Christianity. Just substitute Microsoft with Christianity, and Linux with Hinduism below :).

1. Microsoft invests millions in evangelizing and proselytizing. Linux does not. The only thing Linux is guilty of preaching is freedom – of choice and expression.
2. Microsoft believes only their system should rule the world. Linux says no one should be forced to choose something they don’t like.
3. Microsoft is proprietary. Linux is open-source – anyone is allowed to challenge, change, and add to the system – provided it makes sense to do so (and it has been working very well – Linux is a robust, stable, vibrant system)
4. Microsoft is a closed system. It does not interact with other systems. Linux is an open system it allows for interaction with other systems (if only the other systems would open up a bit!). Linux goes out of its way to interface with other systems, against all odds.
5. Microsoft people find Linux systems too difficult – without even trying, but Linux people understand Microsoft’s system, and find it too limited.
6. Microsoft is afraid of Linux – because Linux is not a single proprietary entity (like a single company, which would be easy to destroy). Linux has no reason to be afraid of Microsoft.
7. While Microsoft rules the desktop, Linux rules the servers. Slowly Linux is catching up to the desktop… it has no rush, because it has nothing to lose nor to gain.
8. Microsoft people work exclusively for the big bucks (no money = no work). Linux people comparatively make very little. Their reward is in the beauty of the work they produce itself.
9. Microsoft is learning, that in order to survive you cannot be a closed system, you have to work with other systems not against them. But it can’t completely adopt the open model because it is a business – and lot of jobs are at stake.
10. Microsoft came into power by destroying companies – not through fair competition, but by using a predatory practice built upon their monopoly; breaking all anti-monopoly laws (there is a reason why these laws are there). Linux came into prominence by pure merit.
11. Microsoft’s marketing strategy spends millions in trying to tailor its system so that it appeals to the largest market. Linux’s marketing strategy understands that no one system can satisfy everyone. Linux encourages the development of different variants [varieties of faiths] of Linux, and each flavor itself can offshoot more flavors of Linux and feedback into Linux as a whole. If that variant is good, it will speak for itself, else it dies. If you take out one Linux from Linux, still Linux remains.
12. Microsoft uses FUD in its marketing – a term coined by Microsoft (and leaked into the press) stands for Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. That is, people won’t even bother trying alternative systems because of the FUD of leaving the Microsoft solution.
13. Microsoft continues to be successful because it taps into the large population of people who don’t want to learn (or are to busy to, or have been FUD’ed not to learn), they just want a quick solution. On the other hand people who have taken the time to put in that little bit of effort to learn Linux, greatly appreciate the advantage of Linux.
14. Microsoft’s system (Windows) is like a Kodak Instamatic (point-and-click) camera, Linux is like a Canon/Nikon SLR professional camera. The SLR camera has a zillion features you can customize to your exact needs. It just takes a little bit of effort to handle the SLR. You can use an SLR right out of the box as a point-and-click, and later start learning more of its features and customizations, to do things you couldn’t dream of in a point-and-click camera. But people have FUD, and Microsoft taps into it. Microsoft, being a pure business, would rather have you believing that its way is the only way.
15. Microsoft is limited to the code developers who work in Microsoft (and its affiliates) or in appropriating code and ideas from Linux. Linux is made of the contributed efforts from millions of individuals around the world.
16. Microsoft users are limited in exposure/knowledge (limited by being fed a diet of using Microsoft products only). Linux users are broader in their knowledge because of their openness (and thus generally much more competent and resilient).

The one place where the above Linux/Hinduism and Microsoft/Christianity comparison fails to hold: Hinduism has no beginning, no one founder, hence it is considered eternal, as it is based on fundamental laws inherent in Nature (such as the law of action and reaction; the law system stability via equilibrium; the law of uniformity and patterns). In fact, the native name for Hinduism is Santana Dharma (a rough translation of which would be Perennial Philosophy, Natural Law, Cosmic Order, Eternal Law). That which has no beginning, has no end. In contrast Linux (and Microsoft) has a beginning and a founder.