As much as I am all for keep Katz on Slashdot as a competent writer, I was disappointed by this article. I'm also beginning to agree with all of you out there who said Katz (as a feature author on Slashdot) needs to know more about linux/unix tech-related issues. This article was pretty cheesy, and I'm not generally one to flame. Frankly, I wouldn't mind an article on his descent into Linux, as it were, if it /were/ on this topic; unfortunately, as someone else posted, the majority of this article has nothing whatsoever to do with the Linux OS. And /hello!!/, why didn't he just return the trashed machine when it arrived so battered and bruised?? I lost a bit of respect for Katz's "I am a geek" mentality if this is the way he is approaching technology & computing. Not to mention his love of Macs (userfriendly, maybe-- a CS prof here calls it a "fake" OS-- how often does it reboot?? Even windows is better.) It seems melodramatic to say "Linux has nothing to with software or technology. It's a test of the human spirit.". Sure, it's a struggle to learn, but it's about a love of technology, a feeling of achievement when you learn something new or fix a problem.
Linux is cool. He seems to be trying to find out why. I wish him all the luck in the world -- and would love to read the article that really talks about his experiences. UPS mistakes aside.

anneke