That's the conclusion seemingly reached by the resident *NIX zealot on another news site. According to this joker, learning Linux, Solaris or any other *NIX derivative requires a degree of conceptual understanding that MCSEs are either unwilling or unable to attain. To master these advanced OS, he says, you must first immerse yourself in the theory behind the implementation - starting with some arcane UNIX progr That’s the conclusion seemingly reached by the resident *NIX zealot on another news site. According to this joker, learning Linux, Solaris or any other *NIX derivative requires a degree of conceptual understanding that MCSEs are either unwilling or unable to attain. To master these advanced OS, he says, you must first immerse yourself in the theory behind the implementation – starting with some arcane UNIX programming tome written way back in 1984. Failure to do so will, apparently, leave you branded as a member of the great unwashed (i.e. someone foolish enough ask the kind of stupid “noob” questions that are the antithesis of the Linux learning model).Ignoring for the moment the sheer arrogance of his assertions, I find his characterization of Microsoft Certified System Engineers to be rather insulting. Though not an MCSE myself, I can certainly sympathize with those who choose to try to recoup their investments in training and certification by focusing on the environment they know best. This isn’t laziness – its pragmatism. However, my larger disagreement is with his insinuation that Windows professionals, as a whole, are nothing more than ignorant “hacks” looking for the next combination of clicks and drags to make the “computer do stuff.” In other words, if we had the prerequisite neuron density to handle the conceptualization demands of *NIX, we’d be there already.What this sort of bigoted line of reasoning fails to consider is that a fully sentient, capable individual might very well examine the various *NIX derivatives and decide that – gasp! – they don’t like them. Furthermore, this same intelligent, liberally-minded soul may fire-up a copy of Windows XP, 2003 or Vista/2008 and decide that – groan! – they think it’s just “swell,” thank you. This person might even be an IT veteran, someone who’s followed the evolution of UNIX, Linux and Windows for years. Maybe they jumped on the original Windows NT bandwagon when it was still headed by Dave Cutler and when running the OS meant investing in an Alpha 21064 with SCSI disks (i.e. a very expensive proposition at the time). This is the kind of person who would have devoured Helen Custer’s original “Inside Windows NT” during its first printing and who would have objected loudly to the prospect of moving portions of the windowing system into the kernel with NT 4.0.And though today they might run one of the newer editions out of necessity (albeit heavily tweaked in the way that only a true NT veteran knows how), they still look longingly at the jewel case to their Windows 2000 Professional installation CD – a.k.a. The Best Damn OS Microsoft Ever Shipped. “Win2K” was the culmination of all their hopes and dreams, a shining moment of clarity prior to the great downfall that was the Windows XP “unification.” But I digress…In conclusion: While it’s true that there are plenty of Windows “hacks” in the world (having an installed based in the hundreds of millions tends to magnify this phenomenon), there are also a great many NT enthusiasts who appreciate the myriad qualities of the *NIX platforms yet still prefer working within the most successful operating system environment in the history of computing. All of which begs the question: Are *NIX users simply too stupid to appreciate the enduring qualities of Windows NT? Software DevelopmentSmall and Medium Business